Like so many travelers before us, we were a little overwhelmed when we first arrived in India. Though we felt prepared for the developing landscape and throngs of people after our time in Southeast Asia, the shift from Thailand’s quiet beaches to Mumbai’s lively streets was still very intense.
Our flight from Bangkok didn’t land until 11pm on Saturday night but our drive from the airport provided a first look at the city and the life of its estimated 21 million residents – bustling night markets, busy roads and many ramshackle residences tucked between various buildings and alleyways. It took over an hour to travel the 15 miles to our hotel in the Fort district and we were exhausted by the time we made it to bed. We decided to sleep in and form a sightseeing game plan in the morning after getting some rest (and coffee, obviously).
We woke to pouring rain on Sunday but by the time we had finished breakfast the sun was already shining. We set out for The Gateway of India and planned to take a ferry to nearby Elephanta to explore the historic caves and drawings on the island.
Standing in front of the other hundreds of tourists, who were almost entirely Indian, and The Gateway of India
Looking up at The Gateway of India.
Unfortunately, the rain had brought choppy seas and ferry services had been suspended for the day. Even more disappointing, ferries also do not run on Mondays so we were forced to abandon our plans to visit Elephanta since we leave for Delhi on Tuesday.
Rough seas.
We walked past the Taj Hotel and slowly meandered through the districts of Fort and Colaba before stopping for our first Indian meal at Konkan Cafe.
How beautiful is the Taj Hotel?
Pretty excited to be eating Indian food. We were wowed by the upscale cuisine served here but every meal we've had so far - whether at our hotel restaurant or on the street - has been equally flavorful and tasty.
After a filling and delicious lunch, we headed north toward The Museum Mumbai (aka Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya) and spent a few hours brushing up on Indian history and looking at various artifacts.
Walking past boats "parked" on the side of the road.
Our favorite sight from The Museum Mumbai was the museum itself!
Exhausted from walking around all day and likely a little jetlagged, we headed back to our hotel to relax and grab dinner before falling asleep before 9pm.
We spent Monday walking around and sort of wished we had heeded the advice given to us by others: hire a cab for the day at a cost of about USD$25. We are so used to walking everywhere – and really enjoy it as a sightseeing tool – but sometimes it really isn’t the best way to see a place. While we definitely got a feel for the city and its people, we ended up limiting the areas we were able to see in Mumbai – mostly because we were worn out after covering over ten miles in two days!
The front of Victoria Terminus, a UNESCO World Heritage Site - and massive train station!
I swear the streets outside the train station were just as busy as inside.
Another view of Victoria Terminus - can you believe this is a train station?!
If you’ve seen The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, you will remember Judy Dench describing India as “an assault on the senses, a riot of noise and color.” After only two days here, I can’t say we disagree – Mumbai is crowded, claustrophobic and congested, but it’s also colorful, charming and cheerful. We head to Dehli tomorrow and are excited to explore – via taxi! – the old and new quarters.