Our Trip - Part 4 - Mumbai

What a fascinating city we found Mumbai to be!

After a great night's sleep due to a very quiet air-conditioning unit, we enjoyed a sumptuous buffet breakfast before our driver arrived to take us on a tour of Mumbai. We certainly enjoyed the comforts of an a/c car. As soon as we left the car our clothes just "stuck" to us! The heat and humidity were most oppressive. We learned later in the day the weather is unseasonably hot for Mumbai in October! Mumbai is very uch a city of contrasts with shanty town on one side of the road and modern high-rise apartments on the other.

The first stop was the Dhobi Ghat. This is the city outdoor laundry. 1000 men work in cement rock cubicles. There is plenty of water and they takes the clothes and beat them against the rock sides and then hang them out to dry. All kinds of clothes and all colour, too. A sight to behold!

We then had a brief stop at the house in which Gandhi had lived. There was his library and other artifacts.

Then on to Marine Drive - a walkway along side the coast with tall, modern apartment buildings lining one side of the street and a beach along the other side. Can you imagine walking out of your apartment, crossing the street and going swimming in the ocean!

Then was on to the Gateway of India constructed in 1911. Of course we had "reserved" parking in front of one of the tourist stores. We had to "shop" before we could sight see! Gigi and I had decided beforehand there would be no purchases this morning. The VISA card was not used! The Gateway to India is an impressive monument and is in front of the Taj Mahal Hotel which was severely damaged about three years ago. There was no trace of the damage visible!

Then it was on to "Leopold's" for lunch. This quaint restaurant has kept its 50's flavour and decor. We enjoyed a vegetarian meal and then had time for some window shopping before our driver picked us up for the afternoon.

We drove through the Malabar Hill district to the Hanging Gardens which were absolutely beautiful. However, our visit was short due to the extreme afternoon heat and humidity. We did our best to stay in the shade. This visit was followed by a drive by the Victoria Terminal, the main railway station built in 1808, which handles 3 million passengers a day as well as 1350 trains! We took a few photos from the car as it is impossible to park anywhere near the station!

A trip across the sea link allowed us to see Hajji Ali, a mosque off the coast completely surrounded by water. It can be quite easily reached on foot at low-tide!

A visit to Mount Mary's Basilica just about completed the tour. A stop at a high-end shopping centre was our last visit before returning to the hotel for a rest, supper and then the taxi ride to the train station for the overnight train to Goa.

More later.