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Published: March 23rd 2011
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Mumbai... I really don’t know where to start.
After a couple of weeks on the coast we were apprehensive about going to another of Indias major cities. However we had had five days on the beach and were looking forward to another fast paced city. We had yet another grueling train journey but where lucky enough to meet some really friendly Indian students from Calcutta and chatted to them for most of the journey, learning about there culture and way of life and of course being quizzed on ours!
Them students and us backpackers had a common goal on arrival in Mumbai – cheap accommodation! We decided to stick together a went on a mission to find a place to stay. As we left the station and entered central Mumbai we wondered if we had actually woken up or if we were trapped in some sort of nightmare – someone kicked me in the shin walking along the street and street sellers found it hilarious to throw live chickens in our direction. We then arrived at our hotel – now on this note I would like to make clear that we have stayed in some seriously ropey establishments on
this trip, but this ‘hotel’ really took the biscuit and was the first place we really didn’t feel very safe. We were in the room for 10mins and decided to leave at which point the hotel manager held our passports hostage and demanded we pay the price of the room before we left – ‘Welcome to Mumbai’, I think not!
After being turned away from many hotels for being scruffy backpackers we FINALLY found a place to rest our weary heads! And no sooner had we lay our heads on the pillow than the hotel manager was on the phone asking if we would like to be upgraded to the penthouse suite – yes please!!! Later on that evening we decided the after three weeks of curries a change of scene was in order, queue Hard Rock Café Mumbai where we were treated like kings and each indulged in a mahoosive cheeseburger –yum!
The following day we checked out of our hotel and were back where we belong – in a hostel. Which to our surprise was very much a relief as we were once again surrounded with fellow backpackers. On arrival at our hostel we were offered
the chance to be extras in a Bollywood movie (!!), but as we only had one day left we decided to spend it sightseeing and to try and change our initial impressions of Mumbai. We started of at the Gateway to India where we spent the whole time posing for photos with Indian tourists!! We then went to the Dhobi Ghats, the place where most of Mumbai’s dirty laundry is aired – a mass of colour and activity as every garment is beaten and wrung until it is sparkling clean! That evening we went to the cinema and this only gets a mention because it was quite simply one of the most bizarre cinema experiences we have ever had. Everyone is sat down waiting for the film to start when we are told to stand for the national anthem with hand on heart (!!!), the film (The Kings Speech) was then interrupted half way through for an interval (??!) and then most folk start having a good ol’ natter on their 1980’s mobile phones!! Only in India!!
India in one word – An Experience (ok two)!! India is like nowhere else we have ever been – it is exhausting
yet exhilarating and totally mesmerizing ! The Indian people are complete eccentrics – on this note I would like to say that we absolutely LOVE the shakey head that everyone does (always shaking head from side to side, eyes shut). India has absolutely pushed us out of our comfort zone and was a real eye opener at times. ‘An experience’ – that’s the only way to describe the last three weeks.
Now we look forward to removing the pegs from our noses and making our way to squeaky clean Singapore.
Lots o’ love
Claire & James x x x
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