Less than a week to go to India. The visa is in my passport, the most important bookings are done, and everything, except my recently ordered mini-laptop from which I’ll be updating this site with fresh pictures, is in place. My prayers now are that the laptop won’t be delayed, so I’ll actually be able to blog as planned!

I still have 3 weeks of leave unused, and this is what I’ve been saving them for! My friend and colleague Deepak is getting married in Mumbai in November. On the way I’ll be passing through Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and after Mumbai I’ll be headed for Jaipur, Udaipur, Agra, Delhi and Varanasi.

The original plan of backpacking after Mumbai doesn’t seem so realistic anymore, but hey, what’s wrong with a suitcase?

After warm and repeated recommendations from my parents, I’ve finally started reading the book Shantaram to prepare myself for Mumbai. The story is semi-autobiographic, by Gregory David Roberts, once Australia’s most-wanted prison escapee who fled to India and joined the Bombay mafia.

Having barely started reading it, I can already see why everyone says it’s so fascinating. Roberts has certainly lived a more fascinating life than most, and on top of that, he’s an excellent writer!

So far, I know that I’ll deifnitely be visiting the legendary café Leopold’s. By the time I finish the book, I’ll hopefully have some very clear ideas about things to see and do in Mumbai!