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| Old British buses |
Mumbai madness
This city is quite possibly one of the maddest places I have ever been to. Nearly twenty two million people squashed into one sprawling city. All of them coming to seek their fortune and a better life. Mumbai lies on the West coast of India. Originally formed from seven islands which were home to communities of fishing colonies, it is a melting pot of communities and cultures. It also hosts a permanent traffic jam soundtrack of excessive 24 hour horn honking, which makes your ears ring and your head ache.
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| A large baggage allowance |
It is the wealthiest city in India with the highest number of billionaires and millionaires. However, it is also home to some of the poorest people in India too.
The British called it Bombay (apparently because they misheard the way the locals said Mumbai) but it now officially Mumbai again.
Vestiges of the old Empire are still apparent here. One example of this is the grand railway station which looks like a slightly wilder, neo gothic version of St Pancreas station. The Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus formerly known as Victoria Terminus, is the headquarters of the Central Railway. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and certainly makes a statement with its grand exterior.
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| Station on steroids |
Mumbai and the gateway of India
The Gateway of India is another large imposing structure. A huge basalt arch built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to Mumbai. It was used as a landing place for British governors and other prominent people. In past times it would have been the first visible structure to visitors arriving by boat.
The gateway sits next to the famous Taj Mahal Hotel. This opulent olde worlde sort of establishment, was the scene of a terrible terrorist attack in 2008 when 167 people were killed. The sory of this is told in a nEtflix film Hotel Mumbai. Security is high at the hotel, but they still serve afternoon tea with impeccable service. The hotel continues to offer five star luxury to the wealthy visitor, with a fabulous view out over the harbour to the Arabian sea.
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| Gateway to India |
Taxi please!
Our hour long taxi journey from the airport costs us just £6 (12 US.) We arrive at our hotel, the Residency Fort and we are shoe-horned into the last available room. The air conditioning is leaking and we have to call the maintenance man, as you really need air con in India. The handy man got the hairdryer out of the wardrobe and dried things out that way before making some rudimentary repairs. The TV didn’t work at all and that is never actually fixed. Eventually we settle down after another astonishingly cheap and wildly spicy curry from a stall on the street. Masala tea is always welcome, it goes with everything and fits every possible occasion.
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| Afternoon tea |
The best customer service
The air conditioning unit may have been a little under par, but the staff at the hotel were not. They were super friendly and helpful. They let us hang around in the bar for hours until it was time to go for our ridiculously late flight back to the UK. We kept on popping out then back for some more Masala tea. We also enjoyed the automatic leg and foot massager in the lobby and some more weird Indian TV featuring super hero gods.
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| Perfect Pomegranate pile |
Mumbai markets
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| A carrot castle |
We went to the Labaug spice market and got carried away buying huge bags of spices. I’ve got enough Turmeric and Coriander seeds to last a lifetime now. Of course we all know exactly what to do with huge quantities of Turmeric and Coriander seeds – don’t we?
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| Come try my Turmeric! |
I thought about visiting the Bollywood studios, but just getting out to where they are would have proved to be a logistical nightmare. The traffic here moves at the pace of a disabled garden snail.
I cannot deny that Mumbai is an interesting place. I’m sure that there is a lot more to it than we had the chance to see in our 24 hour stopover, but after the easy slow gorgeousness of Goa and Kerala it was a bit of a shock to the system!
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| Getting Chilli in Mumbai |
A young city
Our young smiley taxi driver told us his story. How he lived in the slums of Mumbai with his brother and was trying to make a living driving his Uncle’s taxi. He was quite charming, and was totally at ease in the crazy city environment. He took us back to the airport via the scenic route showing us the best side of Mumbai. We motored along back to the brand new space age airport terminal with a fantastic view of the lit up skyline across the bay. He turned by the Indian tunes on the radio. Good bye India – until we meet again!
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| Happy Taxi Tour |