Leaving Mumbai

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Lazy start to our day as we have nothing on the agenda except what we want to do. I have discovered my iPad is foo full of pictures, won’t share with my iPhone & won’t download pictures from my camera. So my task this morning is to forage in the city for an Apple store. As luck would have it there is one two blocks from our hotel that is supposed to open at 10 a.m. Jane & I head over at 10 but it’s not open. We wait around standing on the street corner like a couple of hookers! We are approached by the first person who is looking for some people he is supposed to guide - not us, we’re waiting for the store to open. Then we are approached by a nice young man in a crisp orange shirt who asks us if he can help us. We tell him we are waiting for the store to open & he informs us that the store might open at 10 but they have to clean up first and may not start business until 10:45 so we wander down through the street market again just wasting time. When we come back at 10:45 the store still isn’t open & we are standing there again. So young man orange shirt comes by again and explains that most shop owners don’t live in the city but come in from outlying areas by train and are dependant on whether the train is on time or not. i told him that I needed a data storage USB that fits in an Apple product and he sends us down the street again with the assurance that there is a store down there “5 minute walk”. Off we go. Forty-five minutes later we return empty handed but the original store is now open. When I tell the sales person what I need he tells me there is no such thing. Well, we know there is but I guess they don’t have it in India which is strange because Mumbai is a big important IT centre in India.

By this time, we are hot and thirsty and pop into our favourite corner cafe for a lime soda before trudging back to the hotel. It was a wild goose chase. But I am a lucky person. My sister Helen has exactly what I need and is willing to lend it to me. I am in business again.

Back to the cafe with our group for lunch before we get on the bus to go to the airport and fly to Cochin. On our way to the airport we are travelling along the sea shore and pass the mosque and tomb of Haji Ali Shah set on an islet in the sea. It is connected to the shore with a long walkway that is submerged at high tide.

Mumbai airport is the most modern and futuristic building I have ever seen. Despite thousands of people milling around it is very quiet, unlike Toronto where it is like bedlam with noises. We get checked in, drop our luggage and head for security Men are divided from ladies?? Oh I see, we are going to be strip searched. Well maybe not quite that bad but after going through the scanner, you proceed to a small curtained room where a woman guard wands you and pats you down to make sure you have nothing dangerous on your person.

Our flight leaves about 5:30, lands about 7 in Cochin. By this time it is dark and as we are approaching the airport I am looking out the window at myriad twinkling lights of the city. It is magical - so unlike Toronto where there is light pollution at its best glowing throughout the entire sky. The lights are small and appear to twinkle on & off like magical fairy lights. We touch down and the runway lights flash past like they are running the other way away from us. And we have arrived in Cochin in southern India. Temperature is 30 degrees Celsius. Our guide tells us the airport lights are powered by solar. India is very advanced in conservation of power and water , so critical to survival.

Tour guide is waiting for us gifts in hand. He drapes a beautiful gold woven scarf around each of our necks and presents us with a small notebook of handmade paper and a mirrored pen along with a bottle of water. It is about an 1 1/2 hour ride to the airport - time to read some of my book that I haven’t had time to get into very far.

Arriving at our hotel. Greetings are a glass of cold lime and a fragrant jasmine lei around our necks. OMG, it is a luxurious old hotel that has been preserved from the time of the British. Rooms are big with elaborate dark brown wood trims and antique furniture. Outside our patio door is a patio deck overlooking the Arabian Sea with palms gently fluttering in the breeze and lights from boats reflecting off the water in the darkness.

Meeting in the bar with 5 other members of our group for a short refreshment and off to bed for a busy day tomorrow.

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