Bombed in Bombay

I am adding this posting as a cautionary tale of what not to do when in Bombay armed with a credit card and accompanied by willing accomplices... as we all know, the price of imported wine in India is horrendous, with the 269% tax on top of whatever mark up hotels and restaurants want to add. So it with this in mind that the Intercontinental Hotel on Marine Drive can charge Rs. 6,000 per bottle ($150 US) for Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, a delicious wine but one which retails for around $20/$25 in the US. One would think that three fairly well educated people could quaff one bottle and then move onto something cheaper. But no. One was just not enough. Nor was two. When two acquaintances joined us, they were happy to drink the wine too, not knowing the cost... and after the third, why not a fourth. And a fifth. At that point, it was time to go home (well, not home, but onto the next bar that would serve us something hopefully less expensive). You can do the math on the bill. Suffice to say our acquaintances were less than thrilled and probably horrified but gallantly chipped in the cost of one bottle, leaving the three of us to fork out for the rest. While a couple of hundred bucks or so in the US is still a lot of money but won't break the bank, I should put this amount into context in India - the total bill was more than our monthly rent and would quite easily pay school fees for a handful of Indian children - for the year. Moral of this story? Maybe instead of a designated driver we should have an 'alcohol ambassador' who stays a few drinks behind the rest, keeps the craziness in check, and doesn't allow a couple of bottles of Cloudy Bay to cloud our judgment! Any volunteers?!?