Mumbai

We arrived at Mumbai International airport at 12.50am. You have to organise your visa prior to arriving and it is valid for 3 months from the date of production (not from when you enter the country). There is a cost for preparing the visa and you must go to your local Indian embassy to do this. What we did was use a company called www.visafirst.com they are located on Dame St in Dublin. There is an extra charge, but it is worth it in order to save your time. Prior to arrival you have to fill in a form that is given by the cabin crew, this is in turn given to the passport/visa control in the airport. They give you a small section of the bottom of the form, keep hold of this as you need to given this prior to leaving the airport. and that is it, we expected this to take much longer but they keep you in a safe bubble until you leave the airport. This is where all hell breaks loose.

Anyone for cricket?

Sex in The City Mumbai

We took a pre-pay non ac taxi to the hotel that we booked on www.agoda.com. They told us at the desk that to go out the door and take a right and to look for the taxi with this number on it (3 digit code). What we didn't know was that all of Mumbai had come to welcome us. trying to battle through all of this and find your taxi in the sea of look-a-like taxis at 2am was not fun. What was fun was the journey into the city in the pouring rain with a driver that didn't like to use his headlights or his (1 working) wiper & no mirrors. But that was fine, really it was a little fun!

The ride was slightly scary as it had started raining and the taxi stopped for no reason and the driver stepped out of the taxi without letting us know why, we really did think that we were going t be robbed. About 5 minutes later he arrived back and off we went. He stopped another time to put petrol and also without saying anything to us. We found out on this 30 minute taxi ride the following:

1. They have never heard of seat belts
2. Its a sin to use your lights unless its absolutely necessary
3. You use your horn for everything – To let cars, trucks and anyone else that is near by know that you are there. Don't bother to use indicators, this is why you have a horn and if you have nothing else to do with your hands beep your horn.

Finally we got to our destination, the hotel New Bengal (aka the biggest kip in Mumbai), at 3.00am and checked in. Room was ok (it had a bed!), but of course not what they'd shown in the website.

Next morning we checked out at 9.30

Had breakfast at the cafe next door, breakfast was included in the rate, here we learnt that continental breakfast in India is an omelet and toast (most places just warm the bread though!). After breakfast walked to the train station which was close by and took a taxi from there to the Gate of India and looked for a hotel and checked into the Hotel Prosser's. The room was spacious but the bathroom was shared with another room (whom we never saw), very basic but cheap for Mumbai. Outside of the hotel Column was approached to be in a Bollywood movie.

We then went Sightseeing around Mumbai city center & In the afternoon walked by the sea as far as Chowpatty beach and took a taxi back to Gate of India where we watched a  Beautiful sunset and the navy were marching in commemoration of 26/11 at the gate. Here we were approached by the national news crew and we were asked to do an interview on traveling to India.

First impressions of the city: quite chaotic, people crossing streets everywhere, sounds of horns etc. A lot of buildings in bad conditions but there are also some nice buildings in the city center, seaside quite dirty, a lot of plastics at the beach. To be honest we hated Mumbai after the first day, but this was mainly down to jet lag, day 2 was much better.

The Monkeys of Elephanta Island!

The next morning we went to Elephanta Island.

Journey hr, ticket 130 rp each, plus 5 rp entry fee into the island and 250 for the visit to the caves.

The complex comprises 5 caves, the most impressive is cave #1 (don't waste your time with the others).  Loads of stalls with food and souvenirs (carved figurines and pictures on silk among the most interesting), loads of monkeys too. We ate breakfast at a restaurant there (local food and not very expensive aprox 200rp)

Back to Mumbai at 15.30, we had lunch at McDonnalds, I know, how we dare being in India,  but it was dead cheap 130 rp for a meal.

Had coffee in cafe Mocha (free wifi, amazing how little this is offered in India) close to sea drive and then head to the Hanging gardens. There were 2 gardens, 1 with manicured animals and music in the park and another one across the road with a viewing point and the apparently infamous boat house. Head back to town using the steps and went to Victoria Station (tried finally the sugar cane and lime drink, very nice&refreshing) to get tickets for Goa, could not find the desk, it was mental at the station, people was rude, jumping the queue in front of us and when we found the ticket desk it was closed.

Back to the hotel, passed by gate to India and the were testing the sound and the lights for the celebration of 26/11. From yesterday all the area has access restrictions, the army s everywhere, specially around the Taj Hotel (next block from us).

The next day we got up early and took a taxi to Victoria Terminus to book our ticket for Goa for that night, but it turned out that foreigners have to buy the tickets from the foreigners quota and the train was fully booked for the night train, and also for the first train in the morning. Got finally tickets for the 6.55am train to Goa, arriving at 6.45 pm. The sleeper tickets were quite cheap actually, 576rp for the two of us. On our next installment we will talk about the trains and give you some tips.

After that returned to the hotel and book it for another night.

Do you want your washing done?

We had breakfast in a bakery shop in Kobala's main st and then head to Churchgate to take our first suburban train in Mumbai, which turned out to be quite cheap also 8rp return each to Mahalaxmi station where we say the biggest laundry place in Mumbai (from the bridge coming out of the station). After that we visited a mosque (Haji Ali Dargah) and the Mahalaxmi buddist temple. We had lunch in a local restaurant quite cheap (300rp for both). After that head back to Mumbai central Station and returned to Churchgate.

Stopped by at Cafe Mocha and had a fab cooler, watermelon and guayaba juice with crushed ice.

Went to cyber cafe and booked our first night in Goa.

Returned to the hotel and got ready to see the 26/11 celebrations at the Gate of India.

It turned out that we couldn't go anywhere close to the gate, hence all the security they have set up during the last two days. They had set up scaffolding (made of bamboo & tied with ropes) for the seating and covered this so no one could sneak a peak.

We went for a coffee instead and then bought stuff for our train journey the next day. Had dinner in a budget restaurant (in one of the streets nearby of the Gate of India) and went home early enough.

Incredible (& Not So Incredible Mumbai

The Gate..

The Gate of India is nice (the one in New Delhi is better).Watching a city of this size move is amazing and noisy. Some of the people (this is right throughout India) will do anything to help you, talk to you, take a photo of you (even the street vendors wanted photos with us). The beeping of the horn, I know this is an odd one but after you get over the initial is it me they are doing it at it becomes. There was this kid that had no horn for his bike so instead he was cycling around screaming at the top of his voice 'BEEP, BEEP'. This one is odd and that why  a putting it in, they have a desire to be white, Micheal Jackson white. Every second advert on TV is for chemical whitening products all endorsed by Bollywood Stars.

The not so incredible is the state of some of the accommodation, it is an expensive city and you would expect more. The poverty is heart breaking, to see an entire family (4 generations) sleeping on the street brings it home how easy we can have life in Europe. The rubbish,  there is very little else we can say on this, apart from it is an issue not only in Mumbai. Finally the taxi, street vendors (some) are out to scam you. I know it is cynical but when some one approaches you 9 out of 10 times they want to sell you something you don't want/need or like.

Prior to going to Mumbai most people admitted they didn't like the city, and this was our opinion after day 1, but give the city some time to grow on you and it becomes likable

Incredible India

Incredible !ndia

Whom ever thought up the idea of using the exclamation point in the tourism logo for India we say bravo. I don't like the over use of punctuation, but i would be tempted to place another 4 along with this one.

India is incredible but it also does not try to hide the less incredible side of the country (or if it does they are doing a very bad job of it).

Rush Hour Traffic India

The Indian Army

Would you like some examples?

The new Skyline

1. The people, some of them are amazing especially the genuine local people. They want to talk to you and find out all about you. They want to take your picture or have you take theirs. No catches. One of the nicest guys we met was a food stall holder in New Delhi who didn't have any change so he rounded down the total. On the other side of this exclamation point are the touts, tuk tuk drivers and sales people. Most are annoying to the verge of chasing you down the street screaming at you. If you get angry and shout back, they get upset and say “I was just trying to be nice”
2. The tourist attractions, We have all seen the image of the Taj Mahaal (if you haven't this will be sorted in the entry on Agra). It is beautiful, Expensive to visit (for foreigners) but right outside its gates the dirt starts. An Indian past time is to see who an throw the most garbage on the street. It is everywhere, only to be out passed by the amount of public male toilets i.e. every wall, post, tree, open space that can be found. The smell from this is stomach churning.

India deserves at least 2 trips, not because of its sheer size but more to do with finding where you like. Your first trip should be, like ours, to visit the main tourist attractions and your second will be to go back to the places you enjoyed or didn't get to visit.

In our posts on our trip to India we will include the incredible and not so incredible from each  stop and at the end we will tell you what we would like to go back to see (or avoid).

Anywhere in India

Sunset in India

Getting started

So the big questions have been answered thanks to research on the internet, Lonely Plant guides, trailfinders and friends who have been to some of these countries already. But what then?

Yes that is the big question, and one that no one can answer for you, your plans will change on the way, you will find out that the guide books don't tell you everything (and nor should they). This trip is about trying new things, making mistakes and at the end having had a great time.

In our blog we are going to write in two ways (both in English and Spanish). The first is the questions we come up with on the trip (we will have a bit of fun here). This will include some of the things that guide books don't tell you. the second are the details of what we have been doing on the tip so far with some of the thousands of photos we will be taking on the way.