Delhi/Jaipur > Pushkar > Udaipur > Mumbai > Calcutta > Darjeeling > Kathmandu > Pokhara > Varanasi > Agra/Delhi

Mumbai 4.2 - 7.2.2004

Day 15: Mumbai

When I woke up, we were 65km from the city centre, but already passing through Mumbais suburban areas. Along the way were those notourious biggest slums of the world. Not a pretty sight. And I always thought South Bronx was bad... Took a cab to my hostel and noticed that Mumbai is quite western looking city: No cows or rikshas on the streets. Went out for a walk, but that +35 degrees was a bit too hot for me.

Day 16: Mumbai

It was time to choose: should I head south to Goa or east to Calcutta? Made my decision in a cab on my way to trainstation: Calcutta it is, I also wanna see Nepal on this trip so I`ll have to go south-India some other time. After I bought my ticket I went to see that famous fashion street, were locals buy their bootleg clothes. Later went out for a dinner in a small restaurant near my hostel and somehow one beer turned in to a few more and I got quite drunk.

Day 17: Mumbai

Didn`t really have anything planned for today so I just went walking around city. I somehow ended up in Oval Maidan watching cricket game. Don`t know anything about the game and don`t know the rules, but I enjoyed that atmosphere. Locals seem to take their cricket very seriously. Walked along Marine road in the evening, nice place.

Day 18: Mumbai - Badnera

It was especially hot day, so I decided to took a nice long boat trip to Elephanta island. Boatride takes 50 minutes each way and when you get there you can visit in cave temples for couple hours before heading back to Mumbai. Tickets were pretty expensive, but those monkeys in that island were worth every rupee. Funny little food thieves. Trainride to Calcutta takes 33 hours, so I had a grand slam supper before I hopped aboard. I fell asleep immediately and didn`t woke up until conductor came to ask my ticket.

Gateway of India

Crawford market

Streetlife in Mumbai

Cavetemple in
elephanta island