Arrive in Mumbai

7th September 2018

After travelling 5554 Nautical miles, we have now arrived in Mumbai, coming alongside the Mumbai International Cruise Terminal this morning at daybreak.

The Sky is overcast and there are a lot of ships waiting in the bay

As we headed off the ship this morning for our last shore excursion, we were welcomed by a Band of Indian drummers on the dock. The were very loud !!

Surprisingly, immigration clearance was a breeze, and we were soon on our bus to complete our tour which is included free with the cruise "Mumbai at a Glance"

The cruise terminal is right in the middle of the break bulk area of the port and could do with a bit of a facelift. As we head out of the port, and go through yet another security check, we enter the chaotic streets of Mumbai. Our guide is delighted that it is not too busy, as by her reckoning everyone is at work and it is now 10 am. It looks like it has been a very long time since any money has been spent on road infrastructure and we are told that the trains are carrying 3 times their design capacity in peak periods.

Our first stop is the Gateway of India, which was built to commemorate the 1911 visit of King George V and Queen Mary. Built right on the waterfront, boats can berth right in front of the main arch.

Nearby is the famous Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Mumbai's most prestigious hotel.

The tower on the right was an expansion to add more rooms

Located in the same area, now largely hidden by trees, is the impressive Mumbai Yacht Club, a. very large building from the colonial era

Tourist Harbour cruise boats

There were surprisingly few people at the Gateway to India, and appear to be the only cruise ship in port at the moment, so hopefully our luck will continue. It is now time to get back in the bus and drive through the increasingly busy streets to arrive at our next destination, the Mumbai Railway Station which dates back to the 1800's and is a very busy place. It is not possible to capture the full station in one frame.

Municipal Corporation Building

Traffic is becoming more hectic and competition on the road does not only come from buses, trucks and cars.

After our photo stop at the railway station, our next destination was the house in which Mahatma Ghandi lived whilst he was living in Mumbai. Just like everywhere else, there is no parking for buses, so you simply get discharged onto the street whilst the traffic banking up behind the stopped bus goes beserk blowing their horns.

Ghandi's House

The house is now a museum, chronicling Ghandi's life. It is quite well done, but not designed for a huge influx of people at once. Even one busload was more than enough.

Somehow the bus managed to park on a corner and hold up the traffic whilst we all clambered back onboard for our next visit to the hanging garden. There are actually two gardens, one on each side of the road. On the harbour side, the garden has largely been set up for kids with a lot of educational information on display. There is also playground equipment including a huge shoe, from the nursery rhyme "the was an Old Woman who lived in a Shoe".

Pictorial info on local birdlife

and a great view of the beach along marine parade

The Hanging garden, on the other side of the road was far less spectacular and isn't hanging at all. It was built over the top of the town supply water tank.

We have one last highlight to see before heading back to the boat, the largest outdoor laundry in Mumbai, Dhoby Gat, which has been operating for 140 years. To get the best view, we have to stop on an overpass that runs adjacent to the laundry, and as long as their is sufficient room for cars to pass us, no-one seems concerned.

On the way back to the ship we drove past the house of India's wealthiest man, a futuristic 27 story building ideal for his family of 6.

As the day developed, so did the traffic, so our 3.5 hour shore excursion took 5 hours. We were all glad to be back on board the ship at around 3.15pm, almost too late to get any lunch as most of the onboard outlets had closed to get ready for dinner, only the pool grill was open so hamburgers it was.

Tonight we spent our last dinner on board at The Chefs Table, for yet another excellent degustation menu with an Asian theme.

Sadly we disembark tomorrow morning and start our next adventure, our private guided tour in India, Sharon and John are heading home, so we will be on our own for the last 13 days of our trip.