Friday started with a crawl through traffic. We had a meeting with the Mayor of Mumbai, Vishwanath Mahadeshwar at 10am. Sushil drove Pankaj and I from Thane leaving shortly after 8am for a trip of about 30km. The traffic was stop go all the way and we were a few minutes late arriving. Mahesh Mhatre, who had organised the meeting met us at the Mayor's Bungalow. This is opposite the cricket ground where Sachin Tendulkar practised to become the great batsman.
As a result of this meeting the start point of the walk has moved we will now be starting at the Mayor's bungalow. He will wave us off with a saffron flag, an official blessing on the march.
After snacks at Mahesh's home we went to the press conference. This was held in a press editors association adjoining the Mumbai Press Club. I have plenty of experience dealing with the media one on one but this was a much more daunting affair with 20 or more journalists from press, radio and television all in one room at once. Pankaj had to deal with most of the questions as the press conference was held in Marathi and Hindi. He got some hard questions about how the money would be used and seemed to satisfy the questioners. When it was my turn to speak I gave a very brief welcome in Te Reo before explaining that this walk is my chance to give back to India my thanks for the help I have had from ANZ and Capgemini staff in New Zealand, and particularly for the help that Pankaj gave me in 2016 and 2017 on my New Zealand walks.
Before the press conference we went to a street vendor and had vada-pav. This is a very popular Mumbai snack food - perhaps the Mumbai hamburger. Afterwards on the way to a restaurant we passed Mumbai Central Railway Station. This was designed by the same English architect as Flinders St Station in Melbourne. Somehow the plans got swapped and Melbourne got Mumbai's station and Mumbai got Melbourne's.
We left Mumbai a bit before 6pm and the trip to Nashik took about 4 hours for a trip of about 180 kilometres. The first 2 hours took as off the island of Mumbai (it was once 7 islands but they have been joined together). Then we spent ages at a complete halt at a major intersection at Temghar. A flyover is being built here and a diversion is in place. Total chaos as everyone pushes and shoves. If you think New Zealand drivers are bad at merging they are experts compare to India. I fell asleep soon after this and awoke as we were climbing to Igatpuri. The road to Mashik is 2 or 3 lanes each direction all the way. The speed limit for trucks is 40kph or 50kph and for cars 80kph. Many of the trucks will just stay in the right lane to be away from the motorbikes and tuktuks in the left lane. So cars have to weave backwards and forwards. And just to add fun there are judder bars with very little warning at all the points where traffic can cross.
I now understand why it is schools in Wada that are the beneficiary of this walk. Pankaj's family came from that area although he was born and raised in Nashik.
Remember you can donate at
If you are wanting to make a donation there are 2 websites
In India https://milaap.org/fundraisers/givealittle-schoolofwalk
In New Zealand https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/school-of-walk or direct credit to 06-0574-0833554-00.
The total at 1 December is $2894
Posted from Nashik at 10:25am 1 December 2018
The total
As a result of this meeting the start point of the walk has moved we will now be starting at the Mayor's bungalow. He will wave us off with a saffron flag, an official blessing on the march.
After snacks at Mahesh's home we went to the press conference. This was held in a press editors association adjoining the Mumbai Press Club. I have plenty of experience dealing with the media one on one but this was a much more daunting affair with 20 or more journalists from press, radio and television all in one room at once. Pankaj had to deal with most of the questions as the press conference was held in Marathi and Hindi. He got some hard questions about how the money would be used and seemed to satisfy the questioners. When it was my turn to speak I gave a very brief welcome in Te Reo before explaining that this walk is my chance to give back to India my thanks for the help I have had from ANZ and Capgemini staff in New Zealand, and particularly for the help that Pankaj gave me in 2016 and 2017 on my New Zealand walks.
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| Photo by Mahesh Mhatre |
Before the press conference we went to a street vendor and had vada-pav. This is a very popular Mumbai snack food - perhaps the Mumbai hamburger. Afterwards on the way to a restaurant we passed Mumbai Central Railway Station. This was designed by the same English architect as Flinders St Station in Melbourne. Somehow the plans got swapped and Melbourne got Mumbai's station and Mumbai got Melbourne's.
We left Mumbai a bit before 6pm and the trip to Nashik took about 4 hours for a trip of about 180 kilometres. The first 2 hours took as off the island of Mumbai (it was once 7 islands but they have been joined together). Then we spent ages at a complete halt at a major intersection at Temghar. A flyover is being built here and a diversion is in place. Total chaos as everyone pushes and shoves. If you think New Zealand drivers are bad at merging they are experts compare to India. I fell asleep soon after this and awoke as we were climbing to Igatpuri. The road to Mashik is 2 or 3 lanes each direction all the way. The speed limit for trucks is 40kph or 50kph and for cars 80kph. Many of the trucks will just stay in the right lane to be away from the motorbikes and tuktuks in the left lane. So cars have to weave backwards and forwards. And just to add fun there are judder bars with very little warning at all the points where traffic can cross.
I now understand why it is schools in Wada that are the beneficiary of this walk. Pankaj's family came from that area although he was born and raised in Nashik.
Remember you can donate at
If you are wanting to make a donation there are 2 websites
In India https://milaap.org/fundraisers/givealittle-schoolofwalk
In New Zealand https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/school-of-walk or direct credit to 06-0574-0833554-00.
The total at 1 December is $2894
Posted from Nashik at 10:25am 1 December 2018
The total
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