Day 18
This day started very early, as our driver Presley picked us up at our hotel at 4:30 for an early flight. He didn't let us down, as he had printed the flight voucher after the stuff up from Holiday India. The Goa airport was small but relatively nice, and before we knew it we were snoozing on Go Air to Mumbai. We landed amidst a thick cloud of mist, around 8:00, and went to find our driver. Unfortunately, there was no one around for us, so it seemed Holiday India had let us down. We grabbed a breakfast of Masala Dosa's outside the airport while we waited. The Dosa's are like large pancakes, stuffed with potato and veg and spice, and dipped into a spicy masala sauce and cooling curd, very yummy, although quite a spicy breakfast!
After an hour of waiting, and numerous unanswered calls to the tour company, we gave up, and took a taxi to the hotel, we only had one day in Mumbai, plus we had people waiting for us, so we didn't want to waste time... The taxi was an interesting experience! Initially, I was really impressed at the efficiency of the system, very different it seemed, from other cities we had been in. You prepay for the taxi at a fixed rate at an office, and can choose between a regular non-AC cab, or a "cool cab". It wasn't too hot yet so we opted for regular cab... We queued for the taxi, and when we got to the front of the line it seemed no one wanted to take us! I guess no one wanted to brave the traffic all the way to Colaba, on the South tip of the Mumbai peninsula. Or maybe we just looked like poor tippers!
An old guy eventually agreed to take us, and strapped our luggage onto the top of his beaten up old Suzuki Maruti car. He pumped the Hindi tunes, showing off his impressive sound system, and continually tried to make conversation despite his complete lack of English and our complete lack of Hindi/Marathi... The roads around the airport were wide and new looking, and for a while there wasn't much traffic, but before long we hit the traffic and from there on it was slow going. We passed the Haji Ali mosque, seeming to be floating in the sea, and then took a turn down the famed Marine Drive, along the beach, before finally reaching the Hotel Suba Palace around 10:30.
The hotel was one of the best we had stayed in for our whole trip, and it was a nice way to spend our last night. The reception was marble decorated and cool, the staff efficient and the room large and clean. They even provided free wifi, a luxury for our trip! We met Usha and Vidya, colleagues of mine, in the reception. They had very kindly agreed to spend the day showing us around, and had even organised a driver who knew this part of Mumbai really well. It was so nice to have some familiar and friendly faces, to get a different view of a city.
We decided to first go to the Elephanta caves (a UNESCO world heritage site), and due to the hotel's fantastic location, right behind the Gateway of India, we were able to walk directly to the pier. We spotted the Gateway a mile off, it's a very impressive and imposing structure, with definite Mughal architectural elements such as arches, trellises and small minarets. This was the first sight to greet travelers to Mumbai during the time of the British Raj, and ironically was also the exit point of British troops after India gained its independence. Behind it, we marveled at the beautiful Taj Mahal hotel, where my Dad had recently been fortunate enough to stay. It was still misty, but we took some snaps and headed for the ferry terminal, it was Rs130 for the boat trip, and on the island we paid Rs250 (for foreigners) to enter the caves. On the ferry, we decided to sit up top for the best views, this cost an additional Rs10 each, paid on the boat, and was kind of worth it.
The boat trip was slow and relaxing, with great views over the calm Arabian sea of the misty city skyline, posh speed boats, old fishing boats and huge tankers. We chatted to our new friends and discussed our experiences thus far, and New Years and Christmas. After an hour we reached the island, lush and green and inviting. We began the walk that Usha had warned us could be taxing. Fortunately, we were all feeling fit and decided not to take the little train (Rs10) which carries tourists from the pier to the bottom of the stairs which lead up into the caves. Once we reached the stairs, we found that the ingenious Indians had even found a way of assisting tired/old/lazy people to reach the top - you could hire two guys to carry you up on a chair, with poles they used to lift it. I didn't see anyone trying this option, but it was still relatively quiet at the time we got there.
Apparently there are 125 stairs, which doesn't sound like much, but they are part of a sloping walkway which leads to the caves. By the time we reached the top, the Mumbai sun was at its hottest, and we were feeling it! We checked out a small museum before the caves, explaining what we were about to see. We wondered why they didn't just put the signs next to the sculptures themselves, but came to the conclusion that perhaps the guides kept taking them down, as it could out them out of business!
We then went into the main cave, whose entrance was marked with four imposing carved columns, and checked out each of the carvings in the walls of the cave. The most impressive, and central image was that of the"Sadashiva", a huge and elaborate carving showing three faces of the Hindu god Shiva, to whom the caves are dedicated. The central face depicts Shiva as the symbol of absolute knowledge, the right one the terrifying destructive side of Shiva, and the left one the beautiful feminine aspect of the god... Other carvings included the wedding of Shiva and Parvati, a destructive and violent Shiva, and Shiva helping the goddess Ganga come to earth as the Ganges river. Many of the carvings were badly damaged, some deliberately, which was really sad. There were a number of raised and enclosed areas holding "Shiva lingas", where devotees poured water and left flowers.
As we walked around outside the main cave, monkeys frolicked everywhere, totally unafraid of the people and sometimes even hissing at them. A particularly cheeky one went straight for a little girl, who was smart enough to chuck her packet of chips on the ground, this was exactly what it was going for. Apparently they even steal cokes from people and know how to drink from cans! I would recommend visitors, especially with kids, to keep their snacks and drinks to the boats and restaurants...
We checked out a few of the other caves, they were less impresssive but still interesting, and we got the impression some of them would have been used as monks' sleeping quarters. By this stage, we were getting pretty hungry, and we wanted to try a snack Usha had told us about, called Vada Pav, which is basically an Indian burger, all veg of course. There were a number of little restaurants on the sides of the stairs down, but Usha could not find one which sold the sought-after treat. Eventually we spotted a lady sitting on the side of the wall, making and frying the 'patties'. It was Rs10 each, so we all had two of the yummy little rolls, stuffed with fried potato and spice patties, and some spicy sauce. The Indians also add whole green chillies to theirs, which we tried, but it was certainly on the borderline of how much heat we could handle!
The lady told us (in Hindi, translated by Usha) that she and many others actually lived on the island, that there were three settlements, and that the buns (pavs) for her vadas arrived by boat every morning at 3am. We continued the walk down the stairs, it was a lot busier by this stage... The sides of the stairs were crammed with vendors selling everything imaginable: souvenirs, snacks, fruits, drinks, bags and clothes... We concluded that Mumbai was a really good place to end a tour of India, as it seemed possible to buy all the souvenirs we may have missed out buying in other areas: marble inlays from Agra, textiles and mirror work from Rajasthan, spices from Kerala, and all manner of other bric a brac.
We picked up some 'behr' (sp?) - small red berries, served with a sprinkling of masala salt, and shared a small packet, just for the sweet-sour taste... The train had broken down, so we were forced to walk back to the boat, although we were planning to do so anyway! On the ferry back, none of us could resist a nap, and we weren't the only ones - apparently the day's walking and heat had taken its toll on of most of the visitors!
Back in Mumbai, we needed to wait for the driver, and this was the perfect time to track down the famous 'Leopolds cafe'. We were really excited to see it, as it is a central location in our favourite book, Shantaram, by Gregory David Roberts. If you have not yet read it, do yourself a favour, its an incredible story, based on true events. The cafe is on a bit of a backstreet, a few minutes walk from the Taj hotel. It was absolutely packed when we arrived, but luckily we only waited a few minutes for a table. It was Vidya and Usha's first time, and we were happy that our 'locals' were also getting to see something new! It was a little different to what we expected, but it was bustling and quirkily decorated. Initially we were surprised, as the book had described an upstairs, where all the shady deals apparently went down... After a while we spotted a door, and a doorman, with a sign saying "admission reserved" - so the upstairs did exist! We also spotted some windows near the roof, where the upstairs patrons could peer down on the masses.
The menu was delightfully varied, and very cosmopolitan. Since we had already had lunch, we ordered milkshakes, a delicious warm chocolate 'lava' cake, and a Bombay masala sandwich to share... I ordered a faloodah, a very sweet drink made with ice cream and syrups (I think!), and usually with vermicelli noodles! Mine didn't have noodles, instead small gelatinous balls floating in it - tapioca I think? Strange but quite yummy!
We met up with our driver and so commenced the official tour of Mumbai, starting around 5:00! We saw many historic and colonial buildings, such as the Holy Name church, convent, old theatre, town hall, library and post office. Interspersed were some new buildings, such as the towering stock exchange, but we definitely got the impression the city is going to a lot of effort to preserve the historic nature of the area.
We stopped and got out at the Victoria terminus, now called 'Chhatrapati Shivaji terminus'. We wanted a bit of time to admire the superb Victorian Gothic architecture with an Indian twist, as it has also been declared a UNESCO site. It's really large, and topped by a huge dome, with elaborate carvings all around. I tried to remember if I had ever seen such a beautiful train station in the UK, but none came to mind that could rival this. Apparently over 1000 trains, and 2 million passengers pass through here every day! We walked through a sub-terrainean passage to enter the commuter train section of the station, where we witnessed thousands upon thousands of people climbing in an out of trains, and the impressive efficiency and punctuality with with the trains run. It wasn't rush hour, but we were still amazed at how busy it was. Usha told us that some of the trains get so full that people literally bulge out of the sides while it is moving, many some even risk sitting on top. She explained how the trains worked, and the different compartments, first class and second, with some sections for ladies only. She said that she only travelled in first class these days, as the ladies fight too much in second class. In first class there is fighting too, she said, but at least the ladies did it with a bit of polish!
We then took a drive past TCS House, a beautiful historic building which housed one of the offices of our colleagues' company. We didn't quite get to Crawford Market, but the driver did tell us about one part of it called Chor Bazaar, or "Thieves market" where you can apparently buy ANYTHING, just don't ask where they got it from! We drove again up Marine drive, which Vidya explained was nicknamed 'Queen's necklace' due to its shape, and the way it was lit up at night. The drive was lovely, the sun was setting behind the ocean and lots of people were already out relaxing and enjoying the view, sitting with girlfriends or strolling along. We saw Chowpatty beach but didn't stop, and continued up into the posh suburb of Malabar hill.
Here we got out at the Jain temple, took our shoes off, and had a look around. They didn't let us go right in, but we saw the elaborate decorations, and pure silver doors it was famous for. A book we had been reading while traveling gave some insights into the Jains, who not only believe in non-violence to all living things, but also that they have to sacrifice everything to attain enlightenment, even relationships. The ultimate Jain aim was to literally die of starvation, and many of them actually take a vow to do this gradually, cutting out more and more foods over a long period of time...
In Malabar hill itself, we got out at the Hanging gardens to take a photo from the viewpoint. The view over the beach and marine drive, and down to the two tips of the peninsular was excellent, although our photos were a bit spoiled by the mist. We also walked across the road to another park, and smiled at the name "second innings" - the park was designed for pensioners to get some exercise, which many of them were, strolling about in their tekkies. Some of the ladies were exercising their jaw muscles more than their legs, however :)
We had heard about the Parsi "Towers of silence" being in the area, and enquired with a local guard. He showed us the general direction of them, but assured us we would not be allowed in. Apparently there is a large population of Parsis in Mumbai, and they believe that the elements - water, air, earth and fire - are sacred, and should not be defiled by dead bodies. So instead of burial or cremation, they place their dead inside these towers, and leave them to be devoured by vultures, a very environmentally friendly option...
We drive back down Marine drive, a little after sunset, and stopped at a point to take photos. There were now more people than ever at this very scenic spot, and most were just chilling and enjoying the pleasant weather and view. Back at the hotel, we said goodbye to Usha and Vidya, and thanked them so much for their excellent hospitality. They headed home, telling us it could take them up to two hours to reach the suburbs in which they lived!
After freshening up, we walked around the area, looking for a spot to eat. We wanted to find Sachin Tendulkar's restaurant, which was apparently just around the corner, but the hotel staff told us it had closed, a pity. We walked back towards the gateway, and saw beautiful silver horse carriages, lit up for the evening. But we were hungry, and there weren't many restaurants there. We ended up at Ali Baba's BBQ restaurant, right opposite the hotel, and ordered our last Kingfishers for a long time, with a starter of Chana Puri (chickpeas) and papads (poppadoms), followed by tandoori chicken and Lamb Rogan josh, with naans. The Rogan was blow-your-head-off hot, and we had to end with Lassis just to cool the burn!
Overall, we were really impressed with Mumbai, and very pleased that we had decided to make a stop there. We liked the mix of beautiful colonial architecture with more modern buildings, and generally found it cleaner and nicer than other cities we had visited. We weren't hassled as much as we expected, but this may have been because we were fortunate enough to have locals with us. Thanks so much to our new friends for a great end to a very memorable trip!
- Nix
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| Enjoying a snack at Leopold's |
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| The Gateway of India |
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