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Published: January 21st 2006
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Neverending tour
On & off. Where do we go?
Need to learn Hindi!
I decided the best way to see some of Mumbai was to sign myself up for a City tour. The first tout that approached me must have thought I had sucker written on my forehead because he quoted me 1150Rs for a three hour private tour by car and then gave me a "special" deal of 850Rs for being his first sucker (I mean customer) of the day. Then I told him I'm not spending more than 400Rs and said that I'd go the cheaper bus option. Even over there they tried to charge me 200Rs but I told him I was quoted 150Rs previously...betcha the going rate is 100Rs?? Oh well.
Since I had about 1/2 hour before the bus took off, I decided to walk around India Gate and check out the ferries that go out to Elephanta Island. Tons of photographers, food sellers and vendors hawking everything were around. Apparently there are a lot of people out there recruiting for extra parts in Bollywood movies but I wasn't approached either because they weren't looking for Japanese extras or I didn't hang around long
Street vendors
...as seen from the Bombay Safari tour bus. enough. haha
I was the first to show up for the bus. There was a guard by the Apollo Bunder area where there is a huge statue behind the fenced off area. He was awfully friendly to me and asked me several times if I wanted to enter through the gate and take a photo and he asked me quite a few questions too. I didn't want to appear too rude but I was grateful that I had the excuse of having to go catch my bus...of course he said to me that I should come back if I decided to change my mind...my thought...I'm outta there!
Then when I got to the bus it was closed so I "hung out" with three touts that were stationed outside the bus and they must have thought I was amusing or something because they too couldn't stop asking me questions as well. My fave was, "So are you used to all the people bothering you?"
The bus eventually opened up for boarding and I got a seat at the very front. Hmm, still the only one sitting there for at least 5 to 10 minutes. Then all of a
I made it safely off of the bus!
My hair a little bit messy but I'm alive and breathing. haha sudden a bajillion Hindi speaking passengers board the bus. Okay. This'll be interesting. The tour basically was a lot of driving by things and making a few stops along the way and being told when we were to be back at the bus. I befriended the only other "non-Indian" looking guy on the bus and we basically toured around together for the day.
Some "interesting" things we saw included Nariman Point, the Hanging Gardens, Jain Temple, Kamala Hehru Park, Mahalaxmi Temple, Prince of Wales Museum, Jahangir Art Gallery, Nehru Science Centre, Hare Rama Hare Krishna Temple, a boat ride, Juhu Beach and a "glimpse of the Bungalows of your fave film stars". Oh yes and Bombay at night...that's only because driving from the burbs to the starting point was after sunset! lol
I'd describe more of what I saw but since our English interpreter wasn't very good and I don't know Hindi, I'm not really all that sure what it was I saw other than what I read in the Lonely Planet Bible. lol But even with all the on the bus, off the bus, puzzled/confused looks, being hot and sweaty and clueless, the tour wasn't all that
bad especially since it worked out to just 26.5 Rs an hour...that's about 75 cents Canadian. lol
Shangale the Australian (originally from Somalia) and I spent a lot of the time just wandering about and chatting which helped to pass the time.
Oh yes, and Juhu Beach was featured on Lonely Planet's Pilot Guides (cuz I just saw it featured the other night!) and it was almost exactly as the show but on the show it was night time and I was there before sunset. It was interesting to see the kiddie amusement rides that are all manually powered. The last time we were to board the bus our guide told us to switch buses where we met another Canadian. She's been travelling around India for about seven weeks and I'm not sure if India has made her the way she was acting or if she's just like that but she seemed a bit on the rude side! Not to me but perhaps it was just because she was frustrated.
By the time I got back to my hotel it was past 8...oops! I forgot to give Tanya a call. I should really call her to let her know that I'm safe and sound in Mumbai! We made plans for Sunday and then it was off to dinner for me...famished!
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