A smell you can't get used to

Thursday 3rd October  

After a short cat nap, we awoke ready for everything that Mumbai had to throw at us.  

We quickly found a hotel in a central location, but halfway through booking, we lost wifi.  

Not wanting to waste time, we hopped in a cab to go to the hotel directly.  

The journey was about 1.5 hours to cover a short distance due to the terrible congestion that is one of Mumbai's big problems.  

As we drove through the city, we saw an absolute hive of activity. People all along the streets were doing something—or I should say anything—to make a living.  

At what we think were the outskirts of a slum, we saw shops selling steel, live chickens, electricals, the odd barbers, and even a bone-setting shop.  

Mumbai does have a certain waft in the air which you can never quite identify...  

Jamie pointed out three school boys who were stood at the railings at the side of the road, all with their fingers pinching their noses to stop the smell... so it looks like even the Mumbai born and bred don’t get used to it either.  

The city was bursting with life, and we couldn’t wait to get involved.  

Our hotel was in prime position—right on the sea of the Bay of Bengal and a stone’s throw from the spectacular Gateway of India.  

The hotel itself was a little less spectacular, with staff who (we soon learned) could take a lesson or ten in hospitality.  

After explaining the problem with the booking and losing wifi, we were given a wifi code (a complex and irritating system which, by the end of our stay, nearly sent Jamie into a rage) and told to try and book again online.  

We did so successfully at the discounted rate and filled in the various forms with passport details, etc.  

The receptionist handed us a key and another slip of paper with wifi details which he told us was complimentary, then tried to charge us 200 rupees for the previous code we had used.  

Jamie had some stern words, and the guy decided to drop the charge... after all, we only needed it so we could pay for the accommodation!  

They’d also tried to tempt us to a £20 upgrade to be sea-facing, but we didn’t intend on staying for long, so we opted for a double upstairs on the floor where renovations were underway.  

The hallway was a little dusty, but the room was clean and spacious, so we took it.  

Our “boy” came to the door to see if we needed anything.  

We said an adapter plug would be great, and we also had some laundry, which he kindly took to "clean" for us...  

We quickly changed out of our travelling clothes and freshened up, ready for the day.  

We started with a stroll along the seafront to the Gateway of India.  

We’d both successfully managed to get the art of ignoring touts down to a tee in Sri Lanka, and this skill soon came in handy as we were offered photos, flowers, blessings, and giant balloons.  

The gateway itself is absolutely stunning.  

The colonial arch was opened in 1924 and was surplus to requirements in 1948 when the last of the British left India for good through the gateway.  

It sits on the edge of the harbour looking out to sea, and I imagine it would have been a welcome sight to all those merchants who’d been out at sea for months trying to reach this land of plenty.  

The time was now about 2pm, and it was HOT.  

Neither of us had eaten in our haste to enter the city, so we decided to try and find somewhere for a late lunch.  

We walked past a McDonald’s, Pizza Express, Subway, French delicatessen, but no Indian restaurants.  

After taking a large circular route, we decided to ask our hotel for some top tips.  

The enthusiasm was overwhelming!  

After shrugging shoulders and suggesting McDonald’s, he said there were restaurants near the station... three or four. Great.  

Well, we needed to buy our train tickets for Goa, so we hopped in a cab to the beautiful CST (Victoria Station).  

This enormous Gothic building is a UNESCO heritage site with very good reason.  

The detailed carvings of peacocks and gargoyles complete this elegant piece of architecture, which seems wasted being a train station when it could easily claim the title of a palace.  

On the outskirts of the station, we hopped out of the cab and started to scour the streets for some traditional Indian food.  

Jamie spotted a little place on the corner, but keen to make sure we weren’t missing something amazing, I made us walk the block.  

Finding nothing, I trusted Jamie’s judgment—and rightly so.  

We stumbled into a little gem.  

We were seated upstairs on the balcony of this open café-style eatery on benches next to two Indian gentlemen.  

They soon noticed us (which isn’t hard over here as we blend in not at all) and made a suggestion of Thali—a North Indian dish this restaurant is famous for.  

It comprised some pickled chillies (which were super hot), a saag (spinach) dish, dhal (chickpea), aloo (potato curry), two curd dishes—one sweet and one sour—all accompanied by four pieces of puffed-up bread and poppadoms.  

It was an absolute feast.  

We continued chatting with these gentlemen who appeared to be quite wealthy.  

They explained that the restaurant is famous in Mumbai amongst all the Indians.  

He said, “Rich people eat here, poor people eat here, and they keep it cheap because the food is good.”  

Our meal came to a grand total of 170 rupees (that’s £1.70... for both of us, including two bottles of water)!  

Yes! India was going to be cheap (or so we thought until five days later when we almost broke the bank).  

We went and booked our train to Goa and then had to hastily catch a cab back to the hotel for reasons which I won’t go into.  

We decided that, as we only had limited time here and were soon off to Goa (where everything was cheaper still), we’d treat ourselves to a little luxury.  

We found a deal on Agoda and booked into the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel for the following night.  

We were so excited.  

The hotel sits right across from the Gate of India and was built in 1903 by Mr Tata.  

A little 5-star luxury was a welcome treat after damp rooms, no air con, and the stress of our journey out of Sri Lanka.  

We ordered two G&Ts (Bombay Sapphire, of course) and sat outside what now felt like a crummy hotel, feeling very smug about this excellent life decision.  

We Skyped Mum and Dad and were very glad to hear that they were enjoying their holiday in Spain.  

Although Jamie was eager to get out, I insisted on dressing up for dinner.  

After weeks of slouching around in beachwear, sporting the “natural look,” I really wanted to make an effort and spruce up.  

So, I found a semi-suitable black dress (none of my clothes really fit the India guidelines of covered shoulders and legs) and did a little face painting—an odd experience when you’ve been makeup-free for so long.  

Feeling like a lady again, we left and headed to the infamous Leopold’s Bar in Colaba, which was a handy five-minute walk away.  

The bar was not what I had expected and had loads of food on offer... including international dishes.  

The waiters had a stack of copies of *Shantaram* which they were trying to flog, they sold beer by the 4-litre tower, and there wasn’t really a bar area—just a big room full of tables.  

Being a Mumbai institution since 1871 and famous for its traveller and expat clientele, we expected a friendlier atmosphere.  

Saying this, the beer was crisp and cold, and it was an experience to visit this little bar.  

Dinner was booked for Indigo, a restaurant that had been highly recommended by the lady at Airbnb who couldn’t accommodate us, the *Lonely Planet,* and various sources on the Internet.  

We walked into the elegant restaurant and were offered seats downstairs or on the roof.  

Although it had no aircon, we opted for the roof and the sound of the fans.  

The terrace was beautifully decorated with a border of twinkling lights, and the table was laid beautifully with exquisitely crafted cutlery.  

We took a risk and opted for the Indian red (2008 Shiraz).  

We had heard bad things about Indian wine, but this stuff was brilliant!  

It was oaky and spicy and bold—a delicious accompaniment to food, but maybe a little much to have solo.  

I ordered pan-fried red snapper with crab dumplings, lightly curried spinach, and a lime and mango sauce.  

Jamie had truffled chicken with wild mushrooms.  

Both were excellent.  

Food:  
India - 10  
Sri Lanka - 0  

We made the slightly squiffy walk back to the Sea Palace and fell quickly to sleep with dreams of the Taj filling our heads.

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