La Vida Colorida

Day 96 - 99.

We kindly got dropped off by our night bus at 7am on the layby of what seemed like Mumbai's busiest highway, after 15 hours of driving you might have hoped they would make it to somewhere resembling a central bus station, but it is India after all.

We had no real expectations for Mumbai, except your usual big city atmosphere, but we were to be more than pleasantly surprised.

Our guest house was recommended by an Indian friend and straight out of Shataram (literally), a five story building with a different hotel on each level, the quality deteriorating as the dark and narrow stairs climbed higher (ours being 1 from top of course). Our room every bit added to the atmosphere however and we felt part of this colourful city from the outset, it helped that the kind staff delivered fresh Chai to our room each and every morning.

Couch surfing is continuing to turn up some real characters. We were 'hosted' by the 'Prince of Mumbai' I could write a whole entry on this guy alone but let's just leave it as he was a rather quirky fella but could whip up a decent city tour. His mother also did a cracking spread and we were truly spoiled with her curry and cakes!

Saw some amazing sights exploring this city, the largest laundry service in the world (super impressive), Dabbawallas very much in action, cricket being played on each and every empty stretch of grass and our first bollywood movie which has been running every day for 23 years!

Rules on alcohol are super relaxed in Mumbai and with dingy drinking holes on each corner we thought it rude not to indulge, Ellie got the white wine she had so much been craving and we got to experience the late night goings on of this huge city well into the early hours when it really comes alive. We might not be venturing back to Leopolds in any hurry mind, Shantaram bringing out our bad side it seems..

They literally sell everything you can ever think of here, life is bustling amongst the skyscrapers, walking down any given street alone you could book a hotel, re sole your shoes, change your cash, buy tailor made clothes, hire a Tuk Tuk, pick up any quanitity of narcotics and so, so much more. Once you begin to embrace the constant bombardment it actually becomes quite practical.

Mumbai is known for street food and we weren't going to miss this opportunity, crawling the city from the markets to the beach trying as much different street food as possible. From the highs Aluu Pav, Vada Pav, Pao Bhaji & Tandori Panneer, to the lows of Pani Puri, Pani Puri and more goddam Pani Puri.

It's hard to describe Pani Puri if you haven't tried it but I'll do my best. Imagine a large hollow crispy ball, first filled with a horrid mint tasting rice crispy mixture which is then dunked full of an ice cold lime green seaweed tasting water, you then swallow this whole (if you can) and are instantly ladled with your second. If not drunk immediatelty it breaks so it has to be quick. Then repeat this 5 times over, it would have been less but Ellie promised she would chunder if she had a second so yes, it was all on me.

You would think after the above we wouldn't use our last meal to order a giant Pani Puri platter (sadly apparently it was lost in translation and we did just that) so yes I had to relive this nightmare all over again.

Spent our last few hours running across the city amid crazy traffic to make our sleeper train. The Prince was there to see us off until the train literally pulled away, smiling on like a proud parent, on to Ahemdebad we go.

''Cotton Scarf Silk Scarf" (said as quickly and as fast as possible in honour of the many local vendors) has become our warning to one another whenever we spot an incoming selfie, haggler or just all round crazy person. Think it's going to stick.Les mer