Mumbai
As Laura has already said we left Africa with mixed feelings, we were glad to be away and to experience something different (and cheaper) but we were going to miss Africa’s picturesque landscapes, people as well as it’s little eccentricities.
Our flight to Mumbai consisted of a flight from Nairobi to Ethiopia, then Ethiopia to Mumbai. Before I continue the smokers reading this will be astounded to know that Ethiopia airport is a smoking zone. Being a smoker I was pleased to have an 9 hour flight split so that I could have a rollie, what I didn’t realise is that whilst you can smoke in the airport lounge, you’re not allowed to take any lighters on the plane with you. Airport security took every lighter on my person and my cabin luggage, a total of 9 lighters (a smoker should always be prepared).
Anyway, we got our connecting flight and managed to land in Mumbai at roughly the right time. As it happened a good friend and filth bag (from Cannock and one of the most amusing people I’ve met) was working in Mumbai at the time. I had another rollie (People that go travelling collect things from each country they’ve been too. Being of the generous ilk I leave a cigarette end at each border) and we jumped into a prepaid cab to Gray’s gaff.
The taxi driver on route from the airport to Bandra decided to stop and check the air pressure in his tyres, so we stopped at a shack near the airport where around 300 mosquitoes’ decided to hitch a lift with us. Having been in India for a total of two months this is the only time that any taxi or rickshaw driver has stopped to check the tyre pressure of his vehicle. I can only assume that the taxi driver wanted to give us his own welcoming present in the form of malaria.
We got to Gray’s serviced apartment after asking for directions several times and were in a lovely air-conditioned one bed flat to relax for the day whilst Gray was out earning his keep. We had a day of sitting around, exploring the immediate area (well the immediate 100 meters around the hotel). In the evening we went out and had some great Tandoori chicken at Junta followed up by a drink at Olive (a very expensive cafe/bar/club where the local bollywood celebs hangout – bottles of water around £8).
Initially Gray had offered (very kindly) to let us crash on his floor whilst we were in Mumbai but after some negotiation with the hotel staff this was no longer possible and we had to search for a new place pronto. The following day we looked around for around half a day and then found a place very close to Victoria Terminus, now called CST which was reasonable (for Mumbai). We checked in then went to a local eatery to have a substantial meal for two for less than a boots package sandwich). On the way back to the hotel we met an Australian called Mike; he seemed nice enough at the time if a little sour (he had been ripped off a fair bit) but we thought nothing of it.
The next day was my birthday so Graham came to meet us in south Bombay and we whiled away the day having my flip flop repaired by a cobbler on the pavement, getting an Indian SIM card and eating/drinking in various establishments. We went into the now infamous Leopold’s for a beer, looked at the price and went round the corner to a shit-haven (a phrase coined by Gray) which was a third the price. Overall it was a relaxing day and much needed to acclimatise to the pace of life in Mumbai.
The day after my birthday we got a train to Bandra, the local train system in Mumbai is absolutely cracking, dirt cheap (around 7p for a 10KM journey) and very very busy. We witnessed a crow swooping down and taking two fish from a local woman carrying her wares to market, the police clearing an illegal slum (in the proceeding days the slum dwellers rebuilding it, as good as new) and a bitch fight between two slum dwellers.
We got to Gray’s place, got a rickshaw (ricky) to his friend and colleague Avi and then onwards to the Hilton Hotel. I didn’t know this before but many upmarket hotels do a Sunday Brunch, which is all you can eat, all you can drink (booze included) with access to a swimming pool. We arrived at the Hilton, were seated outside together (again after some negotiation and some movement of dining furniture) and proceeding to stuff our selves senseless, all this for £18. If you’re ever travelling on a budget and need a bit of pampering, seriously call up the local Hilton, Shangri-La, Park Plaza etc. Mike (the Australian we met) tagged along and proceeded to complain about Indians and India till we left. This trait continued, and we were somewhat worried as he was going to be on our train to Goa.
In the proceeding days we booked our train journey to Goa, went into the High Court (no we weren’t being charged with anything), looked around the National Museum, went to the floating mosque and enquired about a visa for china at the local embassy.
To side track a little, we are intending (dependant on budget) on visiting Tibet, the staff at the Chinese consulate were really helpful, till we mentioned the ‘T’ word. If you ever do want to go to Tibet then don’t ever mention it till you are in China, where it’s relatively easy to arrange a Tibet permit).
On our final night in Mumbai we met up with Gray in Bandra, enjoyed yet more Tandoori chicken and then went to a sports style bar called Toto’s. Toto’s was a sports bar that played 80’s rock and metal, a classic combination that shouldn’t be missed.
The following day we packed our things, did very little for the entire day and then caught our overnight train to Panaji in Goa. We were booked into 2AC which is a comfortable bed in an air-conditioned carriage. The trains in India have been absolutely cracking, well organised, and comparatively cheap though somewhat difficult to book.
Mumbai was a fantastic introduction to India, a mix of cosmopolitanism that you find in any big financial centre alongside the most abject poverty you can imagine, bars that charge £8 for a litre of water alongside children sleeping on the pavement covered by only a flimsy blanket and a scrap of mosquito net. The differential between the lives of the poor and the rich is shocking to behold. The poverty we saw in Africa was largely based in the village, people living hand to mouth, it’s much more difficult to quantify the emotional response seeing it in an urban environment. I don’t think I’ve ever been anywhere where the gap between the rich and poor is so huge, in our time in India I don’t think I ever became accustomed to seeing it.