Mumbai Trip, en-route to Dreamland

Got bored with my signature style of blog entries so for a change trying to be in classical blogger style of entries ...

Had two great weekends back to back! First one was on the first week of April, my Mumbai Trip... journey to the City of Dreams and the second was again in Bangalore, City of Gardens ... my second home for past two years! 


We started for Mumbai as a semi-planned (I say unplanned) trip to the city of dreams. The only planning we had was booking return tickets, roughly deciding on spots to visit. It was early in the morning that I started to pack up on 1st April, though I had been planning to do so from 30th March! I had a morning shift and took my rucksack, which was half filled with extra clothes and some junk I carry almost everywhere, to office. The sun was at it's best when it comes to burning in Bangalore, at around 3 P.M and I set out for my bus ride sweating (uncommon thing in Bangalore). Rahul joined me in the way and we had a small bus ride from BTM to the pickup point. We were excited, and the bus to Mumbai started at around 6:30 P.M .... with hindi chartbusters in full volume. At night you hardly have anything to stare at out of the window, other than street lights and whizzing two/three/four and more wheelers, so we decided to watch the movie that was playing, an unsuccessful, partly boring Hindi Movie. It was a laugh riot at times with raunchy humor of extramarital affairs of the protagonist Govinda! He was a good actor, had given many hits and made people laugh off their seats in many previous movies but this slapstick one was what did not suit him. The bus stopped at a roadside dhaba, where they sell almost everything all through the night. Think who will buy cheap party wear, from the roadside on a bus trip! We also had more shocks to come by. One dal (edible quality), one egg curry (only egg was edible) and two rotis (non-edible) presented us with a bill of Rs. 110, while the juice center proudly boasted of its Rs.20 Musambi juice! It wasn't even worth Rs. 50 in total. Anyways, this is a explicit show of monopoly and we just played to their tunes. The predicament was well rewarded when we hit the Bombay-Pune highway. One should at least once take this route to Mumbai(daytime, or you miss the fun), it's exotic. With tunnels, meandering hill roads and heinous gorges it is wonderful.Loved this part of the journey very much. Rahul even went to the drivers cabin to have couple of snaps! I was happy sitting and shooting by the window.


We almost reached Mumbai, at last, dropped off at Vashi, Navi Mumbai. And it was again scorching heat at 12:30 P.M! The walk to the auto standing 10/15 steps from the bus made me realize there was something called humidity still existing on earth. Sweating in the sultry sun only relief was when the auto rickshaw ... oops only rickshaw in Mumbai terms, picked some speed. In about 15/20 mins we were meeting Deepak, our school friend, with whom I lost touch long time back. After a sumptuous Chinese chicken packed lunch, it was time to doze off  the fatigue of an exhausting journey of about 18 hours. Rahul poked me out of sleep at around 5, and we were already late. We had to go to CST(Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus, earlier known ad Victoria Treminus, shortened to VT), and from there a taxi ride to Marine Drive a la The Queen's Necklace. On the way to CST, dropped off at Chembur, to pick up Payal and have tea on a bean bag. CST resembled Howrah station we have back in bengal to some extent, and I was amused. The first thing any south eastern railway traveler would notice that these stations have a unique style. First time I found platforms on both sides of the train! Good way to handle rush hour. The next surprise was the Premier Padmini Taxi's, not that I haven't seen them on the way, but felt curious was this the standard in Mumbai! At bangalore, we don't even have the good old ambassadors (Hindustan Motors make), here Indica's to Logan's are cabs. So as a present bangalorean, it was a new sight. When we boarded one, first thing I missed was the leg space and the puffy yet slightly hard feel of the Ambassador seats.Leg space is not crampy, but still does not have the feel of an Ambassador. Now did I realized that I love Kolkata for it's Ambassador taxi's as well! These taxis were a good ride as I realized on the way to Marine drive, as well as in the next 2 days. In Mumbai, you have less busses and more cars, padmini taxis and rickshaws, this factor coupled with the excellent train connectivity might have led the padmini taxis affordable to common man.The taxi fares here were lesser or at max comparable to Kolkata fares, far too cheaper than what we face in Bangalore.
Queen's Necklace is a place which you would not get tired of if you visit everyday.The pleasant welcome breeze from the sea soothes one's souls and frees your mind.There is a broad pavement and you can walk all evening to the night life of Mumbai.The fabled night life of Mumbai was a reality when at around 9:30 P.M we were before Leopold cafe and it was brimming with life, which continued long after we had left at around 11:30 P.M. Though I did not have time enough and chance to jive and rock n roll to the DJ's tunes in Mumbai Discs, this was a fine experience. The beer taps they use here are slender and finishes before you have quenched your thirst to the fullest, yet has a charm which exudes from the Signboard which says "from 1871"! I'm sure they served only coffee then. One thing I must mention, as in restro-bars like these, one usually finds great non-veg we had a nice surprise. The paneer here is just too good. If you visit Leopold Cafe, and is a non-vegeterian, do try out paneer and roomali roti.


Back to our den by 1:00 P.M fell to our beds and dozed off soon. Next morning it was Gateway of India, The Taj and Elepanta. Oops ... by the time we left, it was about an hour to noon! Thus hurried our way to Vashi station, boarded the famous trains of Mumbai, crossing a stretch of the sea, the Thane Creek.12:30 P.M and we were at CST. Took a cab/taxi to Gateway of India. It was a strange feeling. This was the place where the English ships would have sailed in the early 19th Century carrying King George V and Queen Mary ! The imposing structure with beautiful engravings and carvings would have greeted the english to this land of wealth and happiness.Before every monument you get more patriotic, it seems. There was Shivaji, riding on his horse, a splendid work in bronze. The Taj faced the sea and the Gateway of India reminding me of the disturbing day of 26/11(2008) as well as how it has been a visual beauty and sign of grandeur for years before, and will be in forthcoming days. Our boat was to start for elephanta in about an hour, so after a few photo shoots we headed to the ferry. It was a derelict boat and had a queer way of getting to the gateway of India steps. It started to tilt side ways propelling itself towards land in a horizontal manner, instead of coming in a circle. It left the gateway of India in the same manner, and I did feel insecure at times after climbing to the top of the double decker ferry boat. 
It was a different feeling this time, as I had never been this far into the sea, having various vessels, many of which were unknown in my limited knowledge of water vessel classification. There weren't any waves except that of the catamarans and speed boats trails.We hit one trail of a catamaran and the whole ferry was shaking up like the paper boat in a strong current. Near to Elephanta caves was a huge tanker, resting after it had been relieved of all oil and yet it was 6 meters sunk.The markings told us it sinks up to 17 meters in high seas and oceans. Mumbai port was in the vicinity. We landed at elephanta at around 2:00 P.M and a small toy train greeted us with the stark, harsh Sun above.