After an exhausting 9 hour trip from Heathrow, where the only way i found to get to sleep was drink a 'couple' of whiskeys and watch the latest Owen Wilson film hall pass, we finally found ourselves in Mumbai. The only thing that annoyed me about the flight is one of my pet peeves. I hate it when you get on a long haul flight and the person in front, sits down and just flings the chair right back. It then starts a chain reaction, the person behind thinks they don't have enough space and the seats roll back like dominoes. Just wanted to crack him on the back of the head, even more so that he did it before we had even taken off.
Mumbai airport was the first time we could get our hands on any rupees. I, having a rare blonde moment could not for the life of me remember my prepaid mastercard pin number, not the only trouble I've had so far. Toni was able to get some money and we got a pre-paid taxi to our hotel. It was a bit surreal. It took us 40 minutes in a taxi to get to our hotel on mostly large main roads. Mumbai is huge. There is no way we would have been able to find our hotel without the taxi. Although it wasn't far from Mumbai CST (Victorian architecture that wouldn’t seem out of place in a UK old quarter) it was down a side street and even our driver had to ask for directions.
The only thing we did the night we arrived was take a walk up to the CST to have a look at it. We didn’t bring any cameras because we didn’t know how safe the area was. After that, some food then bed. Suprisingly didn’t have much trouble getting to sleep. I think we just passed out with exhaustion.
27th June - sightseeing. We visited nearly every tourist attraction Mumbai had to offer, the Gateway of India, The Taj Hotel, Jehanigir Art Gallery, Jain temple, Chowpatty Beach, Marine drive (Queen's necklace), Hanging gardens, Tower of Silence, Mumbai laundry (6000 people washing clothes outside, although we got there quite late in the day so there was only about 40.) The highlight of the day for me was visiting Gandhi’s house. Unfortunately they have not left the house in the original condition; they’ve turned it into a memorial house, with libraries, pictures, relics and scenes of the major events in Gandhi’s life depicted in display cases. It was still an experience none the less. I wanted to go to the toilet, you know, to say I went at Gandhi’s house but there wasn’t one available. I just assumed that was the reason Gandhi wore a diaper all the time. In this heat, diaper rash must have been a big issue for the little guy.
28th June - More sightseeing. We checked out of the hotel but the guys there were kind enough for us to leave our backpacks so we could go out without having to lug them around. We visited Mumbai's national art gallery, and the national Museum. 300 rupee's entry for foreigners, 15 rupees if you’re a student. WOPPPAA JMU student card, take that security guard. Difference of £4.30 and 21p. Quite a lot when you’re trying to do the most expensive city in India on a budget. We spent quite a few hours there, the place was massive, even a section where you could try on some turbans. I for one was not passing up that opportunity. (pics to follow).
To finish the day we went back to the Gateway of India to sit beside the sea and chill out before thinking about our 11 hour journey on an overnight train, sleeper class, to thivium Goa to our next destination Anjuna Beach, Goa. Didn’t get a chance to chill out, with people asking us to have our pictures taken with them. Motive? Freaks or celebs, who knows but i don’t like pictures at the best of times.
Overnight train. WOW, leaving from the huge Victoria Terminus CST, we after some searching found our train, number 10111 Konkan Express to Goa. Biggest train I’ve ever seen, although, I’m confident it wasn't the biggest in the train station. it was 10pm so I couldn’t tell. So glad i didn’t book chair car, the cheapest section of this train. When we walked past, an hour before the train was departing; it was full and already people were standing. For their sake, I hope they were getting off at an earlier stop than Margao, Goa.
Sleeper class, section 3, seats/beds 67/70, upper berths. Basically the normal seat at the bottom is a bed (lower), the back rest turns into a bed (middle) and then there’s the upper berth at the top on either side then facing the section there’s 2 side berths, upper and lower. Toni and I did what we assumed every other foreigner does, we locked up our backpacks around fixed objects then used them as pillows. Uncomfortable but it would have to do. Security > Comfort any day of the week.
We both managed to get some sleep, once some of the lights were turned off and guy's walking up and down the train selling chai, coffee (at midnight?!?) snacks, water and toys stopped shouting out as they passed. Overnight train was an experience to say the least, one that I will have to get used to with another 9 of them to go before we cross the border into Nepal.
We managed to ask around for thivium, then walked about 500m from station to catch a bus, 10 rupees to mapusa then catch another bus for another 10 rupees to get to anjuna. We could have hired a rickshaw or taxi to take us straight there but for 13pence a bus it would have been silly. 100m from starco junction was Anjunapalms guesthouse, which we booked using hostel world. The woman there was very friendly, offering us advice and explaining that most things would be closed during the monsoon season. Yes, warm, humid and lots of rain, but we had expected that beforehand.
Anjuna beach was quite nice but was spoiled due to the rubbish and dogs. Both, everywhere. Little bars, restaurants shacks selling the usual suspects and beach hats. It seemed like they just kept the cafe's open for the local hippies still trying to find their nirvana on the west coast of India. Curly's bar on the sea front seemed to be their spot. Up went the mosquito net and down went the head, after an exhausting trip we needed some sleep. It was all going well until the electricity went out, storm perhaps causing a tree to fall on the line.
We decided to move on the next day. Off to Mapusa again on the bus, then straight to Panjim, the capital of Goa. We hadn't decided whether to stay there or to head off to one of the close beaches. We went to a restaurant and had some food whilst getting out the map. We decided after lunch we would go to Dona Paula, a beach famous for being the setting for Bollywood films. After seeing it I have no reason to why that is. There is a lot to be said about taking a scenic picture of a beach to show how wonderful it is, all about the camera positioning. If you turned the camera around I’m sure for nearly every beach in India, there would be a pile of rubbish at the top and stray dogs rummaging through the rubbish. At this stage the Goa beach dream was over.
We tried to check in to a guesthouse but the guy said that he would need to take our passports into the city to get our visas photocopied. A week into the gap year there was no hope we trusted anybody with our passports. We left and travelled back into Panjim. It’s a nice place with the Mondovi River running through it, with large casino boats out in the middle, with a large promenade, more likely to be seen in the Costa's or Algarve.
That night we stayed in Hotel Reko, right beside the bus stand. I’ve never been so glad to get out of a hotel in my entire life. No air in the room, a fan that just blew hot air around, dusty bed sheets and the worst part; Bed Bugs. Hated every second of that night. Neither of us could sleep. We sat in our sleeping liners watching Killing Bono, a bit like watching 24, but instead of hoping somebody would just stick a bullet in Jack Bauer's head it was instead that pompous dipshit Bono.
Next morning it was off to Margao, a clean town in southern Goa. It is very easy to get around this state; buses for 10 rupees (14 pence) take you everywhere basically. We had a look at India's Lonely Planet guide for Margao and it recommended one Hotel: Margao Residency. We booked one night to see what it was like, and we soon booked 3 after. This place is better than the Travelodge I stayed in Manchester, and for about £4.40 a night each. After paying a lot more in Mumbai, having electricity and water problems in anjuna palms and having a disaster in Panjim, I was really happy to be here. We don’t even have to put up or mosquito net here and with 'star movies' we've sat and watched Semi Pro, Die Hard 4.0 and both Sister Acts. Good times......i think.
Tomorrow it’s off to Hospet and Hampi, as recommended by Sci Coyle, looking forward to seeing the ruins. I like this blogging thing; hopefully I’ll be able to keep it up, unlike last year.
Till next time folks.
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