The last time I visited Mumbai was long back, I went there as a child with my parents and there were no memories left in my mind of this city. Last week my programme was to go Ahemdabad and from there to Baroda and finally in Pune and to take an evening flight to Delhi from Pune. Things did not turn out as per my schedule, on 2nd of September there was a festival in Pune and one of my meeting was postponed for next day. Next day after finishing the meeting I have a long weekend and surely I was in no mood to return back Delhi.
At that moment suddenly I got an Idea to visit Mumbai, the city I have heard a lot however not visited as a person. So from Pune Bus terminal I took the Volvo to Dadar station. Bus moved slowly in the city and few minutes later after crossing a small river the sceneries and landscape outside changed. We were in between the hills, bus was crossing many small and long tunnels and there were the lovely waterfalls on both sides the road. The highway was very smooth and bus was riding in high speed. Landscapes were really eye catching and there were perfect postcard locations.
Road became narrower once we entered in Mumbai. Dadar station was not the typical bus
Station. Bus halted under a flyover and driver asked all of us to leave. As I left the bus the rain started. I was not carrying the umbrella so took shelter under a shop. There I asked a person who was a travel agent that could I find any hotel here. He pointed me towards the Dadar Railway station and said that there I could get some hotels.
I did not liked any of the hotel near dadar station, most of them were either expensive and rooms were not the worth of what they are charging. Finally I selected one hotel opposite bus terminal, there were some nice north Indian restaurants lined up on one side of the road, there were few bars and some message parlors also.
I knew that I have only one day to spend, and now half of the day has gone. So the first thing I did after lodging I logged on my laptop and opened IRCT Website. I was lucky enough to get a berth in next day”s Delhi Rajdhani. After booked my ticket I came out though I have not eaten anything after breakfast in Pune I was not feeling hungry. I might have walked a little and rain started again. I was surprised to see the nature of rain in Mumbai. Unlike Delhi where if it starts in morning then rains till evening, in mumbai you see the sun and next moment rain starts.
I rarely drink when I travel outside the Delhi, but I am not sure what was in the air of Mubai I first thought to have a beer. After finishing the drink I took the taxi to Gateway of India. The beer has now started showing effects on my mind. In that Impulse I decided to take a steamer ride in the sea. Sea in Mumbai was not as wild as in Vizak and water seems more greenish or muddy. However cool sea winds relaxed my mind and I really enjoyed the steamer trip.
I took a walk to the church gate and got a bus to the Girigaon chowpatti. This chowpatti as I can pronounce was a long drive on the side of the sea. The road was divided from the sea by a heavy wall. Below the wall there were some concrete structures piled up possibly to control the water in the high tide.
Cont …………………
