Everything always looks better in the day time. We awoke after a great nights sleep. It’s humid here and warm. As in most subtropical places the beds always feel damp. They arn’t They just feel it. It’s something you get used too. The owner of the house, James, is fashion designer who has worked a lot in Europe. I think he is mostly retired now and runs a fashion shop upstairs at the premises. We haven’t been up yet but I’m sure Crispy will have a look around at some point
In the morning the James and his assistant, Pandu, made breakfast. Bacon and eggs made with real bacon.
A few other travellers are staying here so we discussed our travels over the morning meal.
There are not a huge amount of sights to see here but it is a part of India we have never been and the cheap flights home from here made it a perfect jumping off point.
We ordered an Uber (£1:20) to take us to Victoria terminus. The old central train station of colonial India. The Fort area is close by. We wandered the streets looking at the shops and street sellers on our way to the Gateway to India. On a street market Crispy noticed a barbers shed and insisted I get a haircut and shave. Not to upset her and to look my best I agreed and had a first class cut throat razor shave and haircut, plus head and facial massage for the princely sum of 80 pence. Crispy said I now look even more gorgeous than before. We made our way to The Gateway to India on Elephant Key. The Gateway was built to commemorate the first royal visit by a monarch to India in 1911. However the arch wasn’t built till 1913 and at the time a paper model was erected to show them what it would look like. Also the last British troops to leave India, the Suffolk light infantry, left through the gate in 1948 when India gained independence.
It’s impressive and very busy with mostly Indian tourists on a day out. We sat for a while to marvel at its size and were suddenly mobbed by a crowd of people all wanting their photograph taken with dear old Crispy. The same thing happens every time we are in India. It wasn’t just a few people there was a crowd of them. They were even forming orderly queues. No one was photographing the Gate they were all too busy with Crispy.
The other reason for visiting the gate was to work out how we catch a ferry to Elephanta Island tomorrow. The Elephanta Caves are on the island and are another must see sight..
We catch a 1 hour ferry (which looked very overloaded) to and island and spend a while looking around ancient cave temples. There are unfortunately no Elephants there anymore. We intend to do this tomorrow. We had a stroll around Caldera and Fort before calling in for dinner at a street side cafe. Like all India beer and wine are at a premium and not many places sell it. The bars are dark and dingy and the restaraunt expensive. We managed to find a “wine shop” down a really dingy back street that was frequented by old lushes, young lads and general unfortunates. We have used these before in India but they are normally in clear view on a busy street so passers by can jeer, look disgusted and throw rotten veg while you purchase the demon drink. I bought a couple of beers and a bottle of wine for Crispy much to the disdain of the onlookers. It’s a night in tonight as there is nowhere to go near our digs when night falls. There is a little garden but they are having works done so it’s a bit of a state. I’ll nip out and get some Thosa if Crispy gets peckish....
Ah well beer and cards it is...
Bare and Crispy signing off, Mumbai, India 🇮🇳
In the morning the James and his assistant, Pandu, made breakfast. Bacon and eggs made with real bacon.
A few other travellers are staying here so we discussed our travels over the morning meal.
There are not a huge amount of sights to see here but it is a part of India we have never been and the cheap flights home from here made it a perfect jumping off point.
We ordered an Uber (£1:20) to take us to Victoria terminus. The old central train station of colonial India. The Fort area is close by. We wandered the streets looking at the shops and street sellers on our way to the Gateway to India. On a street market Crispy noticed a barbers shed and insisted I get a haircut and shave. Not to upset her and to look my best I agreed and had a first class cut throat razor shave and haircut, plus head and facial massage for the princely sum of 80 pence. Crispy said I now look even more gorgeous than before. We made our way to The Gateway to India on Elephant Key. The Gateway was built to commemorate the first royal visit by a monarch to India in 1911. However the arch wasn’t built till 1913 and at the time a paper model was erected to show them what it would look like. Also the last British troops to leave India, the Suffolk light infantry, left through the gate in 1948 when India gained independence.
It’s impressive and very busy with mostly Indian tourists on a day out. We sat for a while to marvel at its size and were suddenly mobbed by a crowd of people all wanting their photograph taken with dear old Crispy. The same thing happens every time we are in India. It wasn’t just a few people there was a crowd of them. They were even forming orderly queues. No one was photographing the Gate they were all too busy with Crispy.
The other reason for visiting the gate was to work out how we catch a ferry to Elephanta Island tomorrow. The Elephanta Caves are on the island and are another must see sight..
We catch a 1 hour ferry (which looked very overloaded) to and island and spend a while looking around ancient cave temples. There are unfortunately no Elephants there anymore. We intend to do this tomorrow. We had a stroll around Caldera and Fort before calling in for dinner at a street side cafe. Like all India beer and wine are at a premium and not many places sell it. The bars are dark and dingy and the restaraunt expensive. We managed to find a “wine shop” down a really dingy back street that was frequented by old lushes, young lads and general unfortunates. We have used these before in India but they are normally in clear view on a busy street so passers by can jeer, look disgusted and throw rotten veg while you purchase the demon drink. I bought a couple of beers and a bottle of wine for Crispy much to the disdain of the onlookers. It’s a night in tonight as there is nowhere to go near our digs when night falls. There is a little garden but they are having works done so it’s a bit of a state. I’ll nip out and get some Thosa if Crispy gets peckish....
Bare and Crispy signing off, Mumbai, India 🇮🇳
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