Name:   lotowner - Subject:   Traveling in Pomp and Expensive Grandeur Date:   11/6/2010 5:42:51 PM

Bomb-proof tunnel with air conditioning: Obama's security go to extraordinary measures for his tour of the Gandhi museum

• American warships to patrol off Mumbai during visit
• Coconuts removed from trees as a precaution
• 250 U.S. business executives with Obama on 'biggest ever trade mission'
• $200million Asia trip cost denied but the President will have huge entourage

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle arrived in India's commercial hub of Mumbai on Saturday, days after voters punished his Democrats in mid-term elections.

Probably not since the days of the Pharaohs or the more ludicrous Roman Emperors has a head of state travelled in such pomp and expensive grandeur as the President of the United States of America.

While lesser mortals – the Pope, Queen Elizabeth and so on – are usually happy to let their hosts handle most of the security and transport arrangements when they venture beyond their home shores, the United States creates a mini-America on the move to ensure that nothing is left to chance.