Our
Overnight train to Mumbai was 12 hours long and I surprisingly had a pretty
decent nights sleep despite the loud train honks, people coming and going and a
teenie bunk to sleep in. Hopping on board our train at 11:30pm had us arrive in
Mumbai around midday the next day.
After
an exhausting night arriving in Mumbai I didn’t have a very open mind and all I
saw was an over-crowded city, millions of people and more car horns! However the
next day once I’d had a good night sleep and some more time to explore my mind
was changed. Despite there being over 24million people in this small city after
being there for a few days it was quite picturesque. With the hustle and bustle
of the city centre to the calming coastal promenade it was almost 2 different
cities.
There
was a definite change of culture here in Mumbai with multiple schools and
universities meant the western culture has certainly been adopted for many
locals. Clothing has changed and more and more people out and about eating and
drinking in the city. This didn’t change the photo requests and stares I
received throughout our stay however.
We only
did a couple of tourist stops whilst in Mumbai as we didn’t have to long before
we headed to our next destination. The main site was the biggest open air
laundry called Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghat.
The
last stop on our visit to Mumbai was the India gate which was built for George
V arrival. Yes a gate was literally built for his trip! The gate is set next
the Taj hotel, a wonderfully ornate hotel built back in 1903 mainly for the
English. Back when it was built an English architect designed it for Indian
builders to complete. When he came back to view the grand hotel, only to find
that it had in fact been built backwards with the front entrance at the rear
and the back door in the front, What a shock that must have been. In 2008 this
beautiful hotel was severely effected by the terrorist attacks and the building
and was almost completely restored, you couldn’t tell however as it now looks
back to its full glory.
From
Mumbai we took a short flight to Goa. Be warned it seems not many internal
flights leave on time so if you have a connecting flight ensure you leave
enough time!
A few
hours later we arrived in the almost tropical region of Goa!
Goa is
most definitely the tourist destination of India for both internationals and
locals. It seems the best and cheapest way to get around is by hiring a mo-ped.
We hired a moped for 350rupees per day. Be warned you may get pulled over by
the police and asked to pay a fine for whatever they decide you’ve done wrong
at that time – apparently this happens all the time for Indians and westerners
alike however as a westerner you’re likely to get charged more. Just a lovely
sign of the corruption here in India. We paid our small fine and went on our
way.
There
are plenty of bars and restaurants to chose from in Goa, on the beach or inland. Generally nothing has been too
expensive here and alcohol seems to be very cheap. This is very much the reason
for so many Indian tourists as they come here for the nightclubs and casinos.
Try to
get yourself a boat trip through a tour company. We headed out on a boat
towards a couple of islands for some snorkelling and lunch on a lovely secluded
beach. The snorkelling wasnt great, we saw a few fish but the water was very
sandy/dusty so not all that clear. But the water was warm and refreshing after
being on a boat for around an hour so no complaints here.
The
beaches in Goa are lovely and didn’t seem too busy but I think we arrived just
before peak season which was nice. Be warned, walking into the sea can be
somewhat of a challenge as its very rocky in some areas.
Our
time here in India has been amazing, the vast differences in culture between regions
and especially to the western ways. The colours, the food, the landscape is
truly remarkable.
If you haven’t
travelled to India make sure to put it on your travel list. It’s a definite must!
Give us a call here at big blue and we can help you to plan a trip of a
lifetime to this colour world.
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