Friday, March 22, 2013

Trip to Mumbai

I feel like writing a lot these days. Things that seemed as usual is giving me spirits to write about. Well, such are days. I almost abandoned my blog few months ago; the phase might visit again, who knows! But yeah as long as it goes.

We have two shutdowns each year at work; its an unwind mode - both for man and machines. Usually, the second shutdown is during Christmas until New Year - get about 10 days off. For Dec 2012, I decided to visit Mumbai.

It was for sometime that I was talking about visiting Mumbai to Neha. I have a connection with that city; I was born there. That's that; soon transported to Bangalore and been living since then here. I have not visited Mumbai earlier and no nothing or anybody there except for Neha. So, finally decided to visit Mumbai and from there on, we made plans.

Neha didn't surprise one bit; having known her for more than 3 years now; she was the same as she is on chat. Oh! by the way she is one of the two females I am ever friends with. Somehow I can't gel with females :-/ No offense ladies.

I must confess that Mumbai was different certainly than the other cities I've visited in India. The people especially; they are so bindaas to quote in a typical Mumbaiya style. I loved the vada pavs and the chais; so very cheap!!!!!

I loved the freedom women get there; I thought Mumbai and Bangalore are two cities where women can be free spirited. Oh! and the roaming around yeah. Had to visit the famous hotspots; obviously! So yeah the Gateway of India, the Taj like a typical tourist. What I loved was the tour of the Elephanta caves; going on the Arabian sea for 2 hours to reach the Elephanta island; seeing lot of oil rigs over Bombay High was good.

Another thing that pleasantly surprised me was the ease of availability of public transport - be it rickshaw or taxi. In Bangalore; the auto rickshaw guy is the king, you go where he goes and you always pay "meter-mela extra". I remember we had to take a rick to a place less than 1 km at 6 AM in the morning. The first auto we stopped agreed to take us. What more! I gave the guy 20 Rs and didn't expect the Rs 5/- back. But he made sure he gave it back to me.

Its not only easy to get an auto at that unearthly hour in Bangalore; its impossible to hire them for less than 10 mms and they would quote double. I want to relocate a percentage of auto folks between Mumbai and Bangalore :)

Neha showed me her famous Sydenham and the ever more famous Tea Center; we had tea and lemon tarts. And she was very patient with me while I was clicking numerous unwanted pictures. Here are some photos. Akhil, Neha's friend was very accommodative and made me comfortable through the stay. I didn't even email him after getting back :-( I should do that right away!

Tan..tadaaa.....Opening scene of any movie :-P . Captured this on the way to Elephanta


Huge cargo ship offshore



The Trimurti at Elephanta. I visited lotta caves in Maharashtra. There will be a separate post dedicated to caves.


On the way back while discussing guys and their stupidity, I noticed this chubby guy taking a nap. Loved the way he was sleeping.



It was a sunny day, the photos are not clear due to the sun rays


Mount Mary church



Loved the colorful candles


Neha and her friend Akhil took me to Walkeshwar Ban Ganga temple. We sat for a long time at the pond watching the swans and pigeons and ducks. I clicked lot of pictures; these two are my favorite.




11th century Ban Ganga tank amidst concrete high raises


While walking back from the tank, noticed this old temple; seemed out of place. Later I realized, its the skyscrapers that have popped up around it


At peace


A bylane at Walkeshwar


Hard at work. I wanted to taste the black nut and he readily cracked one and offered me.


The chariots near Marine Drive


The Taj at night


Boats waiting to ferry passengers


VT - It was not light since they were mourning the death of the Delhi gang-rape victim.


Neha mentioned that this building was a hospital. Reminded me of Satya Sai hospital in Bangalore; but yeah this one is on the seashore.


Night photography is impossible without a tripod!


A happy family


I am not saying where I clicked these since the guy who took us at this close range may be under fire. Isn't he cute?



Ummm..no words; majestic and royal


Bliss...Pure Bliss. She was happily playing in her very own jacuzzi without a care for the world.


Lemon tart and Chai at Tea Center



24 comments:

  1. Just love it... Ah I feel so good now! :-) Just imagining you and Neha walking along mumbai streets and having a jolly time makes my mood jolly... He he. I am imagining smiles, laughter, naughtiness... whatever... feels good.

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    1. Oh we didn't walk that much. Neha doesn't like walking :)

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    2. Haha, Gautam, Mumbai is so humid, and crowded that you would rather not walk around Mumbai streets. And I'm super lazy.

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    3. ok now let me imagine everything else minus the walk. :-p

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  2. Thanks for the virtual tour of Mumbai. My favourite pic is definitely of the little girl in the tub. It deserves to be on the header - like you have already done - nothing less. :)

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    1. Thank you. Yeah I loved the pic for the sole reason. Gem!

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  3. Well well another dose of photographic story!
    The first pic of the Taj and the GWI would have been really great if the boat did not ruin by its presence in the foreground. Well I feel so. Thew picture would have shown a different perspective.
    So a bit of discovering India besides the ruins of Angkor Vt and Chinag mai!

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    1. I did take a couple of pics without the boat in the pic; but the frames were closer and incomplete. And by the then boat came and would never go. It would have been really good without the boat yeah.

      Yeah, I did and it was fun!

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  4. Bindu,you have taken me back to my years in Bombay.
    It seems,Neha looked after you well.You were almost all over Bombay.
    My regret is that while Neha was in Delhi on a short trip,I couldn't do much for her.

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    1. Thank you Chowla sir. Yeah, I did tell her she had to take care of me before I booked the flight didn't I? :)

      Well, yeah she was a good host.

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    2. Mr. Chowla, you came all the way to where I was staying just to meet me - that was really generous of you. :)

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    3. Neha,that was the least I could have done.
      Chalo,next time,may be.

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  5. Bombay... is therapeutic... at least for me.

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  6. :) I am just glad that you had a good time.

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    1. :) I bet I did! and thanks again for having me

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  7. A visit to Bombay is incomplete if you haven't wandered around the Churchgate area and the dozens of secondhand booksellers. Every time I go there, I make a beeline to Churchgate. To me, the walk from VT to the surrounding area is the quintessential Bombay.
    Good flicks, B. The girl in the tub; your masterpiece!

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    1. I saw scores of shops selling books Balan. But no I didn't wander there. You know I spent hardly a couple of days in Mumbai We went elsewhere the remaining days. So yes, my trip is incomplete.

      I will visit again sometime definitely; there is still a lot to explore in Mumbai

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  8. That was a nice trip and pictures did a lot of talking!

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  9. Mumbai is my city! I was brought up there so naturally have a soft corner. And living in Bangalore now, I completely agree with what you say about public transport there. I have always felt a sense of freedom in Mumbai that I've felt nowhere else though I am not a Marathi as such so as much of an "outsider" as I am in Bangalore. Loved your pics having visited many of these spots including that little girl's :)!

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    1. Rachna,

      Yeah Bangalore has lots of improvements in public transport to do. Unfortunately, i don't see it happening in the near future.

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  10. Hey, I lovely post... You r u a photographer to.. N wat camera with lens u carry

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  11. Hey, I lovely post... You r u a photographer to.. N wat camera with lens u carry

    ReplyDelete

I'd love to know what you thought :-) Please shoot!