Indian Samurai इंडियन सामुराई

I managed to find a place a few days before flying back to Mumbai for good and after coming back, I quickly settled in. As you cannot have it all, I have an incredible view of the sea and the slums, a great ventilation in the apartment and no vis-a- vis. But I also have smells of fish drying coming from the adjacent fishing village (though to be honest it is not worse than anywhere else in Mumbai - see my post) and the noise of the rickhsaws that rattle all day long and the bells of temples of Hanuman that ring here and then. Incredible but true I have quite accommodated to the noise and smells. I just need to have a look through the window and be okay with everything...

I can even walk through the slum, reach the beach and walk up to my office – but only at low tide! 

I just hope that the day where I will smell of dried fish someone will have the kindness to let me know... 

I have Indian friends who are not so enthusiastic about my neighbourhood, to say the least. But I love the “popular” side of it, somewhere between a fishing village and a slum. There is not a day when nothing happens. Not need of TV, there is always something happening down the window. 

The French bourgeois girl of a Paris fancy neighbourhood that watching Indians going to the public urinal at the bottom of her building makes ecstatic...!

Did you know it?

The Vatican has an embassy (called Embassy of Holy See) and a church in Delhi!

I met a long time ago a woman from Goa (Christian) who was singing in the choir so I thought it would be nice to see what it looked like.

The church is quite small and completely modern – I didn’t find it really charming, except for the gardens maybe. But I like the singing!! Kinda Gospel…

The crowd is half expats and half maids. According to my singer accointance.

Delhi has a lot less Christians than Mumbai that is for sure!

No wonder there are hardly any stray cats…

Website: http://www.apostolicnunciatureindia.com/

 A friend of mine told me that I should try and do everything I could in Delhi like if I was going to leave tomorrow. And she asked what would I do? I told her nothing… She thought I was showing attitude but well, making a life in Delhi was not really about visiting all the monuments there are… And I’ve seen a lot of them anyway. 

However there was something pending on my “list” and this was horseback riding. And it is probably the most incredible experience I've had.  

I was taken to the Army Polo and Riding Club located in the “lungs” of the city. Right there, in the middle of Delhi, you have plain jungle!

You arrive there, tell the name of a horse and they hand it over to you, all ready to go – in France most of the time you need to clean your horse, put the saddle and stuff… 

You go up some steps and land on the horse – in France you put your foot in the stirrup and heave yourself up however you can. 

And here you go! 

You can go to the arena, or on the trails, you are completely free – in France no one will let you go before checking your riding skills and making sure you know the area. 

So you have dozens of people riding around…

As for us we went on the trail. I was put last. No ride for at least 3 years… These guys started trotting and I realised I had a very uncomfortable horse and an even more uncomfortable saddle. I asked when we were going to gallop and was told the trail was too narrow. Never heard something like that! So I let them trot, hold my horse back and kept catching up galloping!! Full speed… Live your life like if you were going to die tomorrow… 

After 40 minutes I was sweating and out of breath but damn happy!!

I could not feel my legs when I went down. I had two painful blisters on my fingers. And then I found out about the huge bruises all over my inner thighs and ankles. I also found out about muscle sores later but this I knew it would come… Not like the bruises!! Never had that. But it was so cool!!