I forgot to mention in my last post that I moved out of the hostel in Udaipur into a hotel across the road. It was the Pratap Bhawan. It advertises itself as ‘Comfortable Place to Stay’. This isn’t false advertising.
I had booked a flight from Udaipur to Mumbai. I did this because I had been told that the train journey wasn’t particularly interesting and I had already book a train ticket from Mumbai, south to Gao. I like trains, however, you can over do it.
My flight was leaving at 7.10 a.m. With all the security carry on, this meant being at the airport before 6.00 a.m. I booked a taxi for 5.30 a.m. Fortunately, this was early enough as the traffic was light at that time in the morning.
Three ID Checks in 30 Metres
There was the usual circus of ID checks in the airport – one to get from the main entrance, another to get into the check in area and another before you actually check in.
I well and truly knew who I was been I finally made it to the check-in desk.
Not Travelling so Light
The price of the price of the ticket was reasonable. However, as will with all budget airlines they hit you will extras – “would you like to breath on the flight?” – “air is INR 100 per cubic metre”.
I pride myself on travelling relatively light. It appears, however that I am not travelling light enough to avoid ‘excess baggage’ charges on Jet Air. Possibly, unsurprisingly they are really quick at working out the you have ‘excess baggage’ and extracting the payment.
Too Much Information
As I waited in the departure lounge and group of old Australian (yes older than me – Balmain host sort of vintage) tourist arrived.
Their only subject appeared to be the condition one of their number, George’s stomach and related parts of this anatomy. George seem to be pleased to be the centre of attention and detailed his ‘movements’ during the previous night. A young American couple found this all too much and moved well away out of earshot.
An Insane Taxis Driver
The flight to Mumbai was quick.
After collecting my ‘overweight’ bag, I headed out of the arrivals area and ordered an ‘official’ taxis from the ‘official’ taxis desk. I was given a ticket with the number of a taxis. When I got to the rank, I found the taxis with that number.
The driver asked me where I was going and I told him “Churchgate” which is near the Gateway to India. He didn’t seem too keen to take the fare and started calling out “Churchgate” and something else. Another driver approach him and a furious discussion ensued. Clearly there is some sort of secondary market operating at this taxi rank.
Finally, a taxis was found who was willing to go into town.
We headed off. There is a multi-lane freeway from the airport to the city. As you would expect it is crowded. There a quite a lot of horn blowing. My taxis’ horn was not working. The driver kept hitting it will no result. They say the a ‘sign of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result’ This driver is seriously insane.
Very Expensive Average Hotel
I had decided to stay in a hotel in Mumbai. I only wanted to see the Gateway to India and to be near to Victoria Station (its name has been changed to something Indian).
The Hotel Chateau Windsor is average and quite expensive. Mumbai is a very expensive city.
Back to 1985
I didn’t spend long in Bombay (as it was then) in 1985.
One thing I do recall was seeing an example of obscene wealth. On the weekend the Consul had suggested that we spend some time at the Breach Candy Club which is a very exclusive private club dating back to the days of the British Raj.
I had heard of the club from my mother. She had been to it after the war when she stopped off in Bombay when she was travelling to England by ship. She met up with an aunt who was working as a nurse in Bombay at the time. The aunt took her to the club.
Anyway getting back to 1985, the Consul told us the he was having lunch with an Indian Industrialist whose place was near the Candy Club. He said he would pick us up at the hotel and after he was dropped off for the lunch, his driver would take us to the club.
We drove the Breach Candy area which is the most expensive suburb in Bombay. It was difficult to see the houses as they were all behind high walls. We turned through a gate and up the drive way to the Industrialist’s house. As we drove up the drive way the Consult told us to the look at the cars. There was a row of late model Rolls Royce cars of various colours, silver, burgundy, blue etc. The Consul told us that “when the Industrialist when to dinner or some sort event you could tell which car he had arrived in by the colour of his wife’s jewelry. If she was wearing diamonds, they had arrived in the silver car, if she was wearing rubys , they arrived in the burgundy cars etc”.
Gateway to India
I walked from my hotel to the Gateway to India. This is one of the few tourist attractions in Mumbai.
The route from the hotel took me past a park where a number of cricket matches were being played. Albeit winter is approaching, it is still hot – too hot for cricket I think.
I recall my father talking about walking through the gate in “the second phase of his WWII experiences”. He was on his was the Kashmir were he was to be stationed for some time. As regular readers of this blog know, his third and later phases in the war were very ordinary.
Nowadays access to the Gateway is strictly controlled. You have to pass through airport style security checks.
I took some photos and checked out the steps that my father had walked up. Doing things like that always bring back memories of him and makes me think what an extraordinary life he had.
The Taj
The Taj Hotel is located opposite the Gateway to India. In November 2008 the hotel was attacked by 10 Pakistani terrorists.
The hotel is now heavily guarded. In some respects the terrorists have won.
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