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Trip Start Jun 06, 2009 Previous
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  Mumbai, India
Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Mumbai, by populous the worlds largest city.  A packed out, sprawling, traffic congested melting pot of 19 million people.  We had turned up expecting to feel similar to what we had felt in the other Indian cities we had visited. Confused, tired, agitated and stressed.  Instead we both had a general feeling of fondness from the first hour.  Maybe it was because we were finally used to the Indian craziness or maybe it was the banning of autos from the city centre that made us feel a little calmer about things.   Either way I was beginning to wish we'd had had more than a day and a half here. 

We booked into the Chateau Windsor Hotel (sounds more grand than it is, this one was not quite up to our 5* standards) which was the best value hotel in the area at 25 pound each for the night.  Upon hearing of a possible available upgrade Mum jumped at the chance to endulge one last time and we were shown to a beautifully newly refurbished room.  Once again a bed fit for a king sat proudly in the centre of the room waiting to enthrobe us in it's crisp white sheets.

The soft evening light provides the perfect setting for a walk on Marina Drive.  The promenade hugs the bay for 3 kilometres stretching North to meet the famous Chowpatty Beach.  It's paved surface is home everynight to embracing young couples, ladies jogging in saris and bright white trainers, dog walkers and peanut vendors.  The sea wall gives a comfortable seat to take in the cooling down of the sun baked city and as the sun lowers in the sky over the Arabian Sea the skyline twinkles with the lights of high rise offices and electronis billboards.

Dinner that evening was a magnificent pizza joint across the road from the hotel.  And yes I did consume a whole large pizza followed by ice cream.  Of course Mum would have equally polished off the ice cream but decided to give it away to a begging child. 

The next day we took a taxi to Colaba and the Gate of India monumant.  After flicking away many a tout we came across a delightful european style cafe selling fresh cakes and to die for food.  After lunch it was then into a taxi to Dhobi Ghat the worlds largest outdoor laundery.  Hundreds of men stand at concrete basins washing, scrubbing and beating clothing and laundery until it is as clean as when it came off the production line.  The thousands of items are then hung to dry on every available corner and every hot tin roof in the area.

After the Ghat our taxi took us to a modern shopping centre where we both stocked up on Body Shop goodies before stopping at McDonalds to buy for the kids on the street (Mum's idea not mine, I always think surely it's better if they don't know what they're missing out on?! It's like someone giving you chocolate but never being able to have it again. Note to self and Mother, only give away local food, do not cause pain and suffering by giving away delicious bland ironed out burgers)

Our last dinner together in India was by far our best.  Gaylords restaurant opposite our hotel was a pleasure from start to finish.  We ordered starters our main meals and a bottle of rose wine.  The wine was a perfect temperature, preceeding the starters came poppadoms with fresh mango chutney and onion relish.  The starters were delicious and the main meals even more so.  The ambience was perfect and we were being spoiled by the attentitive staff, it was an ideal ending to our four weeks in India.

At 10pm we took a taxi to Mumbai international airport.  Our flights were going from two different terminals 4 hours apart.  Mum was the first to leave and I went to follow her into her terminal to wave her off.  A rifle and a deep frown soon blocked my way.  I tried to explain that I too was flying tonight but they would not allow me through as my flight was not going until the following morning some 4 hours away.  So it was with frustration and sadness that we had to say goodbye between the sliding doors of Terminal D.  As Mum walked through the doors I felt once again at despair with India.  One thing after another, like it has it's own personal vendetta to grind you down until you give up completely and book the next flight to anywhere in the world but there.  It was then after entering my terminal that it was apparent that all entrances lead to exactly the same place inside the departures building. So it was with great relief and another moment of sadness that we said our goodbyes once more.


As I have previously explained all this has been written in hindsight.  The negative feelings, the frustration and resentment I felt whilst in India has grown into a fondness and misunderstood love for the country.  There is not a thing I would have changed, not a moment to be rewritten.  The warmth and welcome is always there but the craziness and confusion can blind you.  Thank you to Mum for giving me a fantastic and indulgent four weeks, I'd hate to think what it would have been like if we hadn't had a luxury rooom to escape to!  So get your thinking cap on and start saving those pennies Mum, it's North India next, at least this time we'll be a little more prepared (Who am I kidding..  India cannot even prepare you for India the next time)


So that's it. India done. At last. Sorry to have kept you all waiting, I know it hasn't been as humorous or well written but I knew from the start that wasn't going to be the case.  I shall try not to keep you waiting too long for the Egypt installment.  Meanwhile with three blogs done in one afternoon I'm off to the bar to spend my remaining Ethiopian birr on copious amounts of cheap Gin!!

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