Hi! Just arrived in Mumbai, India on Sunday morning at 12:20 a.m. We had a good flight from Joburg complete with free drinks and free socks. Those that know me, know how much I like free things! The Mumbai airport was not as chaotic as I would have expected. All ran very smoothly and we got out of there pretty quickly - considering there were three international arrivals at about the same time, I was impressed! No doubt this airport sees a huge amount of traffic.
Leaving the airport building was like walking into a steam bath. The air was so thick with humidity that it felt like you could ring it out. Our hotel was waiting to pick us up along with another guy who was on the same flight as us. Driving to the hotel is an experience that I won’t soon forget! We have seen some crazy traffic and driving through this trip - Cairo comes to mind very quickly. Not unlike Egypt, Indians LOVE their horns and use them constantly. The taxis are yellow and black 35 year old Premiers and they are everywhere, sharing the road with autorickshaws or tuktuks, other traffic, the odd cow, and lots of stray dogs. There seem to be few rules of the road and vehicles zip in, out, between, over lanes, and into spots that it doesn’t seem they will fit. There are lots of motor bikes of different varieties and they carry one to several people including babies and kids! Happy to arrive at our hotel we were thrilled to find a pretty clean room as well as an airconditioner that more than cooled the room. We got to sleep around 3 a.m. and slept until 11:00, our latest yet I think (in our defense, there is a 3.5 hour time difference between Mumbai and Joburg).
After taking a walk and getting a new SIM card for our phone, we headed for lunch at a nearby vegetarian restaurant where there were lots of families having lunch. No tourists to be seen except us. It was the best Indian food that I’ve tasted. Perfect naan, paneer masala, and a mixed veggie dish with cashew gravy that I can’t recall the name of. Obviously they set the international Indian restaurant standards for service, because it was like a well oiled machine. A great first meal here and no tummy worries, thankfully. We liked it so much that we went back for dinner as well. Both meals together cost less than $20. What a deal.
We moved to Colaba today as our first hotel was selected mainly for its proximity to the airport and cheap hotel transfer. Colaba is much more touristy and there are lots of whities walking around. I was surprised at the lack of interest in us when staying closer to the airport. People went about their lives and a few said hello, but that was about it. Our first day was surprisingly quiet and I thought that maybe we had arrived in the wrong city. This morning (Monday) was a different story. The street outside our hotel was literally FILLED with men, cars, a couple cows, kids, bikes, you name it. I guess it is back to work and these people get up early! It was 6 a.m. when we first started to hear lots of people. By 7:00 the street was packed and the crowd started to dissipate by about 8:30. Looking out of the window was my first real shock so far. It took 1.5 hours to get to Colaba by taxi, all city driving. The city is massive and a jumble of rich, poor, poorer, old, new etc. All contrasts all the time. We both have decided already that we are going to like it here. The city is full of good and bad smells, and certainly not what I was expecting in terms of odour. Not yet at least! Nothing I can’t handle… thankfully. People seem to be very friendly overall, men have staring problems but so far no serious hassles, and teenage girls (not unlike in Tanzania or Egypt) seem fascinated by us and giggle when we say hello or look in their general direction. The city is polluted and dirty but not like I expected.
We are staying at the Salvation Army Red Sheild tonight. Thought my mom would get a kick out of that. It is a backpacker deal, everyone knows of it and we have been happy so far - clean room with our own washroom and shower. The hotel is about $15 for the night and includes meals. We have not had a meal there, but it is apparently good. Tonight on our way out the dining room was full of women in beautifully coloured saris, waiting for dinner.
We bought train tickets for an early departure tomorrow. We are heading to Udaipur and are looking forward to seeing a smaller place. Mumbai would likely be a great city to learn more about, but we are both looking forward to getting to Rajasthan.
Hope that all is very well at home. Sibby, if you are still reading the blogs - please send me your home email address!! Hope you are loving motherhood!!
xoxox
Paula
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