Mumbai, India March 18 and 19, 2017
Larry and I began thinking about this 2017 trip last year.
It all fell into place once our cruise was booked. We were especially excited
about going to India. The hardest part of the preparation of this adventure was
getting our visa to India.
First, in comparison, we got a Vietnam Visa by driving to
the Vietnam Embassy in Washington DC ….No issues….We drove into DC midday to
avoid the rush hour traffic, dropped off the application form, filled in and
downloaded from the internet, dropped off our passports with extra photos, and
made a payment for the privilege of entering into the country. We made a trip back a week later to pick up
our passports with our visas. Simple as pie!
We weren’t aware of the need for an India Visa until
November. I immediately looked up the process and saw that we could apply on
line. Yeah! No need to find a consulate or embassy. We felt a bit relieved because we needed our
passports to take on our family Christmas holiday to Canada. Things were great until I got to the part of
the application that allowed you to get the internet visa only if you were
entering the country through an India Airport….OH MY STARS!!!!
The country does not provide the service for visitors entering the country through a port….so we and everyone else on our cruise ship would have to go through a private company to gain a visa if you were not close to a consulate…namely Washington, DC, Atlanta, or San Francisco. So I began the process of filling in the forms for the private company, CIBT, to get our India Visas. The service on line did not have a drop down box for one of the categories so I ended up printing the application and over-nighting it to one of the Company’s reps to fill it in to the tune of $75 bucks each. What a gimmick! Then they over-nighted the forms back to us. What a process! But it all had a happy ending.
So…..The country does not provide the service for visitors entering the country through a port….so we and everyone else on our cruise ship would have to go through a private company to gain a visa if you were not close to a consulate…namely Washington, DC, Atlanta, or San Francisco. So I began the process of filling in the forms for the private company, CIBT, to get our India Visas. The service on line did not have a drop down box for one of the categories so I ended up printing the application and over-nighting it to one of the Company’s reps to fill it in to the tune of $75 bucks each. What a gimmick! Then they over-nighted the forms back to us. What a process! But it all had a happy ending.
Larry and I got up early to watch the ship’s arrival into
Mumbai, India. The landscape was a mixture of tall sky scrapers and short older
buildings as well as lots of air pollution. We searched the skyline for the
Gateway to India….never spotting it. The
ship docked at 10:00am. Then the process of passing through the border patrol
began.
The port authorities had not brought the crane to put the gang way out, so the embarkation process did not really get started until around noon. Indian officials had to have a face to face greeting (so to speak) with each passenger. The bottom line is that we did not get through our official greeting until around 2:00pm. What an ordeal!
Official Indian Credential Inspectors
Then everyone who exited the ship and entered the ship had to pass through another Indian inspection with a copy of our passport and a special card stamped that said it was OK for us to embark onto shore....It was a BIG ordeal.
The port authorities had not brought the crane to put the gang way out, so the embarkation process did not really get started until around noon. Indian officials had to have a face to face greeting (so to speak) with each passenger. The bottom line is that we did not get through our official greeting until around 2:00pm. What an ordeal!
Then everyone who exited the ship and entered the ship had to pass through another Indian inspection with a copy of our passport and a special card stamped that said it was OK for us to embark onto shore....It was a BIG ordeal.
Passing through the Indian Homeland Security was really a grueling experience due to terrorist attacks
of the past….We just were not aware of this until our visit.
Larry and I decided
to avoid the hustle of getting off the ship until 4:00pm. By that time the heat
of the day was a bit more tolerable as well. After passing through the embarkation
guards we took a 15 minute shuttle from the ship to the entrance of our port
called Green Gate. During the bus ride we were lucky to have met a local lady who
asked to share a cab with us into the Colaba, one of the many popular shopping
districts of Mumbai.
What a bustling shopping experience!
She took us to an exclusive shop of touristy items where we were able to get a little WIFIi as well as some really cool air…the taxi did not have air conditioning. This Indian tour guide pointed out lots of nice name brand handbags, shirts, and other items that were copies of the real thing….for really cheap….$2.00-$4.00….With hundreds of shoppers and bargain hunters (two ships were in port) Larry and I quickly decided we needed none of the wares. She led us to a money exchange and we departed each other’s company.
Larry spotted his eye candy....an old Indian Motorbike...was he ever drooling!
The money exchanger tried his darndest to pass some $500 rupees notes onto us. We were warned earlier to not take any $500 or $1000 rupee notes…they were worthless and had been discontinued. Larry walked away with a fist full of 100 rupee notes…another fine example of lots of paper with a small amount of value. (65 rupees = $1 US)
She took us to an exclusive shop of touristy items where we were able to get a little WIFIi as well as some really cool air…the taxi did not have air conditioning. This Indian tour guide pointed out lots of nice name brand handbags, shirts, and other items that were copies of the real thing….for really cheap….$2.00-$4.00….With hundreds of shoppers and bargain hunters (two ships were in port) Larry and I quickly decided we needed none of the wares. She led us to a money exchange and we departed each other’s company.
The money exchanger tried his darndest to pass some $500 rupees notes onto us. We were warned earlier to not take any $500 or $1000 rupee notes…they were worthless and had been discontinued. Larry walked away with a fist full of 100 rupee notes…another fine example of lots of paper with a small amount of value. (65 rupees = $1 US)
Amongst the car horns
honking and the loads of bumper to bumper traffic....
we finally found our way to the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel.
To enter the hotel, we had to pass through electronic surveillance screening.
Inside we spotted the stairway and trellis of one of the domes... very beautiful!
Ancient Art displays were numerous
This five star gem had been blown up killing 600 people back in 2011 by ten Pakistani terrorist. The locals were still talking about it. The building was beautifully redecorated inside with the outside still having the old majestic Victorian architecture.
we finally found our way to the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel.
To enter the hotel, we had to pass through electronic surveillance screening.
What an exquisite chandlier?
This five star gem had been blown up killing 600 people back in 2011 by ten Pakistani terrorist. The locals were still talking about it. The building was beautifully redecorated inside with the outside still having the old majestic Victorian architecture.
We passed through the hotel and wondered through the traffic
over to the Gateway of India. What a wonderful , grand structure….but why don’t they power wash
it? Built in 1911, to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary,
this gate greeted steamship passengers arriving long ago and served as the
final point of departure for the British troops leaving in 1947.
The Gateway to India (over my left shoulder) is a big tourist attraction
Larry and I had to pass through separate lines (a men’s line and a women’s line) to enter the area. A lady guard searched my bag…just another sign of the times.
Larry and I had to pass through separate lines (a men’s line and a women’s line) to enter the area. A lady guard searched my bag…just another sign of the times.
Inside India's Gateway
The most amazing sites here at the Gate were the beautiful
saris that the Indian women wore. Every color of the rainbow on all ages
appeared walking around this big open
area.
With a population of 12 million, Mumbai is the world’s fourth most populated city in the world…and many of the residents were here enjoying the evening with us.
With a population of 12 million, Mumbai is the world’s fourth most populated city in the world…and many of the residents were here enjoying the evening with us.
What a glamorous sight as the lights came on and the night approached!
The night sky appeared too quickly. Larry and I found a taxi to take us back to Green Gate . It was a welcome sight in the Mumbai night.
WE quickly boarded a bus back to the ship to see a Bollywood Show at 9:30pm…lots of singing and dancing and incredible Indian costumes.
One well dressed lady plopped down between Larry and me wanting a picture with us….I guess she was enjoying our pale skin.
Once we arrived at Elephanta Island we walked about a mile
up a long pier.......
then climbed up several hundred steep stairs through a “makeshift” shopping area to reach the famous 7th century caves. We thought there was quite a big difference in the entrance fee for citizens and foreigners. What do you think?
Larry and I watched several people being carried up the steep stairway in these specially made chairs with long bamboo pole holders...it looked like a pretty scary ride to me.
More than a thousand years ago, Hindu craftsmen carved columns and sculptures out of a series of caves located on this island off of the shores of Mumbai, creating a temple complex dedicated to Lord Shiva.
The carvings inside the caves were gigantic and very remarkable considering their age.
then climbed up several hundred steep stairs through a “makeshift” shopping area to reach the famous 7th century caves. We thought there was quite a big difference in the entrance fee for citizens and foreigners. What do you think?
Larry and I watched several people being carried up the steep stairway in these specially made chairs with long bamboo pole holders...it looked like a pretty scary ride to me.
More than a thousand years ago, Hindu craftsmen carved columns and sculptures out of a series of caves located on this island off of the shores of Mumbai, creating a temple complex dedicated to Lord Shiva.
The carvings inside the caves were gigantic and very remarkable considering their age.
The most outstanding sculpture is a bust of Trimurti-the
three faced Shiva.
Amazing structure....my man!
Can you imagine the work it took to make this temple so long ago when food and shelter had to be the main priority?
My Leo. the Lion, born in August.
Ouchhhhh!
We enjoyed watching the little monkeys that jumped about…some snatching food from the pockets of the tourists. We were glad to have arrived on the island early, beating the heat of the afternoon.
Enjoyed watching these craftsmen at work....and to think...I thought this was only done in prison.
We enjoyed sharing a cool refreshment before getting back on the boat....it was a very hot day!
The boat ride back was enjoyable, while having a conversation with a young Indian couple. Our boat went through a thrilling inspection from the local police.
Upon arriving back to the shore, we enjoyed many conversations with other tourist who were touring the country on their own while grabbing a snack from Starbucks.
It was great to see our ship as we crossed the harbor.
While on Elephanta
Island Larry picked up a cruise ship card off the pathway of our walk.
He put it in his pocket to return to the front desk of the ship. When we
arrived at Green Gate, we had a bit of a conversation with an older gentleman
who had been to Elephanta Island as well while waiting for our bus ride.
Somehow the story of the lost card came up….unbelievably, the card belonged to
him. He was so thrilled to have it
back….due to the rigid inspection of the Indian Security.
Mumbai is a city of many contrasts. Some of the richest and
poorest people live here. Old buildings stand at the foot of modern skyscrapers
while high tech businesses thrive alongside the old traditional markets. The
city name changed in 1996 from the Portugese
named “ Bombay” meaning ‘Good Bay’ to the Indian name, Mumbai, meaning
‘Goddess’. Mumbai is a unique culture that is re-inventing itself today
while preserving its past.
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