3pm: Cloud burst

As seen through a wall of water on a car window - a waftified, defocused, water colour vibe. I love the way Mumbai deals with the rain. It comes down, people find a roof of any kind, stand around, meet some new folks, and then when the rain is gone they get on with their journey and the hubbub of the street returns.

Mahim bay, Mumbai

This pic is a little bit amped up (no shit!).

Juhu beach. wet

This kid breaks rocks.

But he has nice palm trees in his village.

This bloke once ruled the state in which the kid breaks rocks. Here is his NYT obituary which details his exploits as a 'pilot patriot'. Some of the stories are certainly worthy of a statue at the airport. His son is now the Chief Minister of the same state.

Yogic snoozing

A school in Orissa

Monsoon and the vegie patch

Things that like Monsoons: Zucchinis, Basil, Delhi street dogs

Things that don't like Monsoons: Sage, Oregano, Thyme, Parsley, Rocket, Capsicum, Chilies, the many cows that pace my street looking pissy

Things that are thoroughly confused by Monsoons: Tomatoes, Me, Indian weather forecasters.

NB: variable could also be my gardening ability ('experimental incompetence'), and my ability to read the mood of wild animals.

You just gotta love a well packed truck

Somewhere hot and dusty in Orissa

Old Delhi's shemozzle of a bus station....

Space invader on the ganga

In one of the stranger artistic interventions I've seen in India, Space Invader did his thing in Varanasi. 100 points. It kind of fits in...

See more HERE

Some days the bottlo can't open early enough...

There are 17,014 people in Suriawan

Suriawan station is a place where the shadows lie long and the pace is slow. We stopped for 2 minutes en route to Varanasi. Wikipedia (citing the 2001 census) informs that 57% of the 17,014 residents of Suriawan are literate and that 17% are under 6 years of age. I would add that the people seem friendly (measured by 3 waves in 2 minutes) and many of them ride bicycles. So a shout out to Suriawan - seems like a nice sort of town.

The sign says line circle line.

Somewhere in Uttar Pradesh, 6am.

Beer shop - Delhi

overhead the wax-winged circle ever closer to the sun

Dog on the tuckerbox, Goat on the doorstep

So many people ....

.... well, actually only one person in this pic. India will never stop blowing my mind with its immensity.

Man. bowl. morning.

It takes three to push and one to pull

Ten fat sacks of Ganesh brand jeera (cumin) make their way through an old delhi street...

I hear there was a time when eastern block was cool in India...

And I'm guessing that's where these mannequins in old Delhi came from. Speaking of Nikita dolls, later in the afternoon I passed a bus in Chawri Bazar that had 'Donated by Elton John' emblazoned on its side in red paint.

They say there's a song for every moment (this is the first and last time Elton John will be featured in bidip - promise!):

Neat...

On the sidewalk in Chandi Chawk the salesmen place their tools of trade in front of them and wait patiently, cross-legged, for customers to appear: a nice statement of neatness amid the complete chaos of old Delhi.