Landing in Mumbai May 8, 2010
Posted by admin in : India , add a commentWell after a bit of an unexpected delay, to say the least, we finally made it on the plane. Delivered in Camper Van style thanks to Anne and Dave.
Air India has upped its game since I last flew with them. Curtains replaced with plastic shutters, an entertainment unit in front of you with gaming, films, music library etc, which would have been great but didn’t work. I think this was to be another taste of what travelling would entail before we arrived…
Eventually landed in Mumbai airport at 1am, 1:45 minutes delayed circling Mumbai. Stepping out of the airport the heat was not as bad as we expected and I think this was due to our built up expectations rather than the weather, although many people were saying that the summer was hotter this year than normal. It seemed unreal that we had finally made it and were now in a small taxi in India, making the same journey we had watched on television so many times in the past. I think it was this that made seeing people sleeping by the side of the road in the dust and rubbish easier, I had been desensitised. That said, you could see the community structure that had developed by the side of the roads. There was order and clear divisions, working next to cooking and so ultimately, although people were sleeping on the street there was definately something to live for and a means of subsistence for these people, unlike so many other parts of the world. The trouble I would think would be in the monsoon season. I also knew that living next to the most intense smell of dead fish would be quite tough- the curry smells could no way overpower the smell of decomposing fish baking in the heat.
Driving past Chattripati Shivaji train station (built by the British like the railway and a typically grand Georgian building) we were close, but like most taxi drivers, we have since learnt, ours was illiterate and so couldn’t understand the map, nor knew of the aply named “Welcome Hotel” place we wanted. After 25 minutes driving around aimlessly watching the Indian drunkards swaying down the road with typically bright coloured clothes and sequin combo, we finally managed to find some other taxi drivers who could help direct us and finally made it to our Air Conditioned room. Mumbai I concluded was expensive as this place looked and cost the same as a Travel Lodge, yet was not as ‘polished’. Each floor did have a porter however, which you certainly wouldn’t have in the UK. Despite AC the room was hot, we were knackered and buzzing at the same time. It was a strange feeling… still not being excited as such, but tired mentally and physically and adrenaline charged from the heat plus our first sights and smells of India.
