Mumbai, India
Trip Taken January 2010
I am not sure how I managed not to go to this great city, the Manhattan of the East, so far! Because I assumed it would be so much like New York, and I had been to NY a few times, I had decided there is no need to go to Bombay. I heard of the traffic jams, the pollution, the crime, the poverty and the great distance between any two places. No one really mentioned the sky line, the laid back people, great architechture, majestic roads, colorful markets and the beauty of the old and new buildings that makes Mumbai a must see culture of its own.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus
Not much planning per say is needed. Understand the basic of the bussiest and most crowded city, breathe and accept the organized chaos as a part of its chrm that people are drawn to and study your map well. Transportation is the biggest issue. Local trains are how people commute to work and back, almost 6 million people use the central, harbor and western trains everyday to get around.
If you are unconfortable with that, then the cheapest way is to get into a metered black and yellow non-airconditioned taxi. These are fine during Novemeber to February. There are plenty of private a/c taxis for hire. You want to talk to them about a day’s charge, including how many hours that covers and how many kilometres. Again, as this is not a written transaction, get everything clear upfront. You can break it down to half a day, if you’d like also. My cab driver was polite and prompt and easy to deal with. With his permission, here is his information: Sala-Ud-Din +91-989-206-3834.
The standard fare for a day for an a/c car was Rs.1000 for 10hrs and 120km. Seemed fair enough to us, we took it. Airport charges are different and you want to settle that if it is included in the day.
Leopold cafe feels and looks unimaginably vibrant
What I would call a walking day for the can-not-miss sights in Bombay would start at the Taj Colaba, which is in front of the gateway of India. You can hear a variety of Indian languages and see pigeons flying down to rest between the people all over. A ten minute walk will take you to the Colaba market street. The wonder of this market was that they had everything from well made handicrafts to old compasses that are used on sea for navigation, and everything inbetween. You can’t miss the famous Leopold Cafe in the middle of Colaba and the busy side walk market, with a perpetual crowd waiting for a table. If you think it is only because of the sad terrorist act on 26/11, you’re wrong. The ambience and the food is unbeatable. A true international cafe feel, with Indian, chinese and western food, all very well made at great prices.
Chor Bazaar
The other markets to visit are the Linkin Road in Bandra for some nicer shopping and the Chor Bazaar on Mutton Street. “Chor” means thief or robber, so expect to get a little scared and see the poor crowded market of Mumbai. I myself didn’t spot any tourists around there, which made me nervous since I was sticking out like a sore thumb with a white guy by my side, so we walked for 20 minutes, and when our adreneline started to fade and fear started taking over, even at 3pm in the afternoon, we left! Crowford market is a produce and food market. From pets to spices, fruits and vegetables, a large very colorful experience.
We did visit the Elephanta Caves. Seemed like the thing to do when I read the history of it and saw it is a world heritage site. Unfortunately, that left me feeling like I got taken on a ride like a lot of tourists are when they walk into Ripply’s Blieve It Or Not! There is a lot of history behind the caves, but they were destroyed so badly, there are hardly any carvings to see in the first of the five caves, and the rest are absolutely stripped empty man made caves on the side of a hill. An hour ride there, 1.5hrs at the cave minimum, because you have to climb quite a few stairs to get to them and it can be tiring in heat, and an hour back on the boat seemed like a half day wasted.
Crowford Market
The night life in Mumbai is famous. The reason is pretty simple today, I think: it is the safest city for women in India. People have an attitude of live and let live. They also are fiercely proud of being from Mumbai and show a side of protecting their rights by protecting others that I have seen no where else in India. Fashion at its best, food at its finest and any genre of music that you desire is on the menu. I am a Sushi connoiseur so here is what I have for you: Shiro, next to Hard Rock Cafe, is the best Sushi I have had in a long time, very comprable to any New York restaurant I have eaten at. Tetsuma Sushi in Colaba is expensive but great ambience and interiors, wonderful location. Ph#022-22876578. There are other restaurants down that road and it is one of the more popular dine out areas.
Just a wonderful picture taken by my photographer friend
The popular beaches which are crowded with locals every evening are in Bandra and Juhu. Marine drive itself is a wonderful sight at sunset, a combination of the beautiful Arabic Ocean sunset and the expansive skyline with the city lights. The water is absolutely filthy and not meant to swim in, by my estimation, anyway. If you prove it different, let me know!
Taken from Hotel Marine Plaza's terrace
On a personal note, I must add that I asked for a favor for hotel reservations and ended up in the beautiful boutique sort of hotel right on Marine Drive called Marine Plaza. The interiors and staff and the view from our room added so much to the experience, I was grateful to have begged for this favor! Go there for a meal if you can. It is quite enjoyable. Plus the roof top pool with the mosaic floors are a photographer’s dream, especially at sunset.
That is it for largest city in India. Here are a couple links for interesting facts:
Economy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mumbai#Economy
Demographics: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mumbai#Demographics
