We had originally planned to make a quick daytime halt at Mumbai because Sharat had some work to complete. But as we contemplated, we thought that it would be better to reach a day earlier and do some sightseeing in addition. It was a great idea. I'm no stranger to Mumbai and would always spend a day or two in the city when transiting from Chicago (where I grew up) to Bangalore during the summer holidays. But traveling in Mumbai with Sharat was a different experience, and I got to see sights that I would have otherwise overlooked. Staying right in the heart of the city was an added bonus.
While over breakfast, we discussed what the possible itinerary could be so that we could maximize the three hours we had before heading to Ghatkopar, a suburb of Mumbai. Originally, we had planned to visit the Prince of Wales museum, but then we decided to spend our time walking around the Fort district as there was plenty to see nearby.
We decided to walk towards the financial district to begin. We passed by the Indian Government Mint, one of the four branches located in India. As we moved along, the road led us to the Bombay Stock Exchange, one of the thirteen sites where the 1993 Bombay blasts occurred. Because of this, security is tight in the area. Later on, we found ourselves at the Gateway of India. This area was bustling with tourists and we were constantly bombarded by men who wanted to take our picture with the Gateway as the backdrop. We took a moment to admire the vastness of the sea before us and turned to the other side of the street witnessing the Taj Hotel. Although, I have never been inside the hotel, I imagine it to be a certain way after having seen movies based on the 26/11 attacks. Mumbai and New York are very similar in one respect, both cities even when faced with incomprehensible destruction were able to come out of it back to normal within a matter of days, showing great strength of character.
On our day tour, we also stopped at Horniman Point. Formally known as Bombay Green, this garden at the time of independence came to be named after a Bombay Chronicle editor, Benjamin Horniman, who was a supporter of the Indian independence movement. We passed by the Bombay dockyards, with walls covered with colorful murals, again, an area of heightened security.
We also got a chance to spend some time at Leopolds, a famous restaurant in the region.We were lucky to find a taxi driver who was willing to take us to Ghatkopar right outside the restaurant. Our day time expedition had come to an end. The cab driver got us to the airport just in time and we were off to Bangalore.
While over breakfast, we discussed what the possible itinerary could be so that we could maximize the three hours we had before heading to Ghatkopar, a suburb of Mumbai. Originally, we had planned to visit the Prince of Wales museum, but then we decided to spend our time walking around the Fort district as there was plenty to see nearby.
We decided to walk towards the financial district to begin. We passed by the Indian Government Mint, one of the four branches located in India. As we moved along, the road led us to the Bombay Stock Exchange, one of the thirteen sites where the 1993 Bombay blasts occurred. Because of this, security is tight in the area. Later on, we found ourselves at the Gateway of India. This area was bustling with tourists and we were constantly bombarded by men who wanted to take our picture with the Gateway as the backdrop. We took a moment to admire the vastness of the sea before us and turned to the other side of the street witnessing the Taj Hotel. Although, I have never been inside the hotel, I imagine it to be a certain way after having seen movies based on the 26/11 attacks. Mumbai and New York are very similar in one respect, both cities even when faced with incomprehensible destruction were able to come out of it back to normal within a matter of days, showing great strength of character.
 |
| The area around the Taj Mahal hotel is a series of sights waiting to be discovered |
On our day tour, we also stopped at Horniman Point. Formally known as Bombay Green, this garden at the time of independence came to be named after a Bombay Chronicle editor, Benjamin Horniman, who was a supporter of the Indian independence movement. We passed by the Bombay dockyards, with walls covered with colorful murals, again, an area of heightened security.
We also got a chance to spend some time at Leopolds, a famous restaurant in the region.We were lucky to find a taxi driver who was willing to take us to Ghatkopar right outside the restaurant. Our day time expedition had come to an end. The cab driver got us to the airport just in time and we were off to Bangalore.
No comments:
Post a Comment