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Kala Ghoda

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    • TravelerIndia - a journey to me
      1
      Day 5

      Mumbai - A cocktail of colour

      January 10 in India ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

      Reflecting back on yesterday’s urban sketch session. I was quite disappointed with my work. However, it’s a sketch not a masterpiece. Time to embrace the challenge.

      Morning spent exploring Mumbai. It has a really interesting history. Originally seven islands Mumbai now has a population of between 23/25 million.

      Mumbai is a heaving metropolis. A densely woven fabric; cashmere and silk; linen and cotton. However look and you will see imperfections in this fabric of life. A knot, a slub, a pull in the weave. I notice these imperfections at night. When the children who should be sleeping are still up. Young girls who should be in school begging for food. Bodies lying prone in the doorways. Rubbish as bedding. Life doesn’t stop at nightfall.

      I’m thinking I have a cheeky gremlin in my room. I definately turned the lights off - and they were shining brightly at 3.30am.      Read more

    • TravelerIndia - a journey to me
      Day 4

      A Whirlwind! Day 3 /4

      January 9 in India ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

      More - a city of ‘More’. There must be a better word but I can’t think at the moment. Overwhelmed by noise, colour, people, sights, sounds, smells. It’s as if one’s senses have been shaken - scrap that. They have been crudely bundled and thrown into a blender on full speed and thrown into a glass. Not your average Martini - gently stirred, not shaken.

      Survived taxi ride in convoy. No
      passenger mirror and they don’t stay in lane. Let’s not go there.

      In Valparaiso we saw street dogs aplenty. Here in Mumbai there are cats. Scrawny little bundles.

      Spent the morning sketching - or attempting to sketch at the market. It’s the first day - be kind. I shall be sketching like a pro by the end of this trip in glorious Scrummylicious colour.

      People are curious. They approach, emboldened by their genuine interest and curiosity. The men interacted more. They tried their broken English with much jollity between themselves. . The women generally shied away. I didn’t feel threatened - but it was strange being the object of such curiosity.

      We also explored the textile market. Who mentioned fabric ?      Read more

    • 2024 Adventure
      2
      Day 19–22

      Mumbai

      February 22 in India ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

      Well our start in Mumbai was a bit rocky. After getting in at 5 am we spent most of our first day sleeping and recovering. The only thing we did was get an Uber (for £2!) to a fancy mall to buy some stuff we missed in Decathlon. Hilariously we did get passed between 7 different members of staff and two revolutions of the shop, trying to locate the quick drying boxer shorts 😂

      As we're now in a major city we also now have access to some of the same eating establishments that we have in the west. After my stomach troubles it's been a god sent being able to eat some familiar foods. The most surprising one was Pizza Express!?
      Also note that all the Starbucks here are where the rich 1% of India go. They are the fanciest Starbucks I've EVER seen! I saw actual business deals being conducted.

      Our second day was SO much better, beginning with a morning breakfast at the hot spot Leopold Cafe, and then headed to the catchily named Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya Historical museum. 🙃 It was excellent, beautiful artifacts that taught me a lot about Hindu and Nepalese religion and craftsmanship and an excellent collection of old photos of Mumbai and what it used to look like. All with a FREE audio head set to boot! AND in a beautiful building too!

      In the afternoon we did a walking tour which focused on the Fort area and walked through the history of Mumbai from before and after the British were here. It was also excellent and we learnt so much! The funniest thing we discovered was the Horniman square here is named after the same guy who created the Horniman museum near our house. The multitude of links this city had to London architecturally was astonishing. Including Ulster Terrace houses by Regents park, Oval cricket ground, and even a Big Ben!

      We finished at the gateway to India where we were constantly being asked to take photos of. If we'd stood there any longer a qué would have started forming to get photos with us, it's like being a celebrity and it's quickly becoming not that nice. Especially when you're stressed and hungry and trying to find somewhere to eat 😩 (and when people don't even ask 😡).

      We finished the evening with some drinks and some more western food and a walk along the promenade which was a beautiful end to a lovely day.      Read more

    • TravelerIndia - a journey to me
      332
      Day 10

      Little My comes out to play!

      January 15 in India ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

      Last day in Mumbai. Next stop Kochi.

      Little My came out to play today. She met the firemen, had a cuddle with an Indian grandma, followed by sketching, cocktails at the Taj and the best coffee in Mumbai. She’s exhausted.

      Really enjoyed today‘s sketching. The man from the banana stall came over with a friend to see what we were up to. Lots of curious people! Can’t believe I left my phone behind on the scooter - and it was still there when Elizabeth ran back for it.

      Marcelle completed her commission for the Fire Chief and got paid in chai. She drew there on her first day and promised to return. They were ecstatic and gave us a tour of the station. I got to sit in the fire engine and try on a helmet. Flip! they’re heavy!

      Thankfully we have group tickets. Indigo and Air India have a 15kg limit. I have 22kg. ! Let’s not talk about my hand luggage. I guess I don’t do light!      Read more

    • Indien&Nepal Urli
      Day 13

      Brechend voller Zug

      January 29, 2023 in India ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

      Heute war Bombay:

      Nach der Erkältung hat Sarah jetzt auch noch den Magen verstimmt. Hoffentlich können wir das schlechte Karma damit dann auch noch vor Goa hinter uns lassen.
      Immerhin konnte Tim die Stadt erkunden und festellen, dass es hier auch nicht mehr oder weniger zu sehen gibt, als in den bisherigen. Und Sarah hat das Hostelbett gehütet und nichts verpasst.

      Lonely Planet Geheimtipp für einen Sitzplatz im vollen Zug: vor den Augen von 20 Indern in eine Obsttüte brechen und danach fast kollabieren.
      10/10 für die Hilfsbereitschaft

      Gute Besserung und bis morgen :)

      PS: Zum krönenden Abschluss des Tages ist Tim gerade beim Aufstehen aus dem Hochbett noch mit dem Laufenden Ventilator kollidiert 😅😅 läuft bei uns (nichts weiter schlimmes passiert)      Read more

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    • Sonia Gelman2023 Adventure ATW
      Day 107

      Mumbai, India. Day 1

      April 30, 2023 in India ⋅ ☀️ 88 °F

      We have been in Mumbai in 2017 and loved the tour company and our tour guide. So, Erin arranged to have the same lady for our two days in Mumbai this time.
      After going through face-to-face inspection in the cruise ship terminal, fingerprints anybody under 70 years old stamping our passports and papers, out group of 6 met outside of terminal.
      Shortly, we met our guide and got very comfortable in the van. When we got to the gate of the terminal, our friend Pat did not have a stamp on her paper. She was told, she does not need it. Well, the guard would not let us drive thru, we had to go back to get the stamp.

      After that, we drove to see slums. It’s the largest slums in India. This one is populations one million. No pictures allowed. Even if I try to describe it, it would be impossible. The explanation was given: it’s a way of live, it’s a community.
      Everyone is doing something: bringing old washing mashing, printer, refrigerator. Next, others disassemble them to the last screw. Next group is breaking parts to a small piece, wash pieces, make bricks of plastic, aluminum, wires and sells them. Everyone makes a little money. The living condition is from basically a cot on the street to a something like apartment. There are stores, services, pharmacies, clinics.
      While waiting for our van, we saw a large group of people dressed very festive. Our guide told us it is a wedding and in a few minutes we were dancing with locals.
      Our van came and we drove to a very nice restaurant for a lunch.
      After lunch break, we visited as our guide explained a very important Catholic Church. After that we drove to a old Portuguese village, tried some fruits that we never seen. Unfortunately, Boris was very tired after walking around in the heat and stayed on the bus.
      We came back on the ship around 4:00pm. Need some rest before another day in Mumbai.      Read more

    • TravelerWeltreise
      Day 102

      Alltagsleben in Mumbai

      April 17, 2023 in India ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

      Das Thema des heutigen Ausflugs war die Erkundung des Alltags in Mumbai.
      Nachdem wir die Menschenmassen aus dem Victoriabahnhof haben strömen sehen, ging es zur weltweit größten Wäscherei unter freiem Himmel.
      Für die hautnahe Begegnung mit der Stadt Mumbai sind wir dann in einen örtlichen Zug gestiegen und zur Churchgate Station gefahren.
      Dort konnte man die Arbeit der Dabbawalas beobachten. Sie sorgen dafür, dass frisch zubereitete Speisen in Lunchboxen zuverlässig zu den Arbeitsplätzen von tausenden Menschen gebracht werden, welche in den Vororten wohnen und in der Stadt berufstätig sind, und die schließlich auch die leeren Boxen zu den Kunden nach Hause bringen. Diese Tätigkeit hat sich im Laufe von mehr als einem Jahrhundert zu einer hochspezialisierten Industrie entwickelt und ist zu einem festen Bestandteil im Leben der Mumbaier Bevölkerung geworden.
      Auf dem Rückweg haben wir noch einen bunten Basar und das Gate of India besucht.
      Insgesamt ein guter Einblick in das Leben in Mumbai, natürlich ein großer Kontrast zwischen arm und reich, aber trotz der vielen Menschen hat man sich nirgends unsicher gefühlt.      Read more

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    • TravelerWeltreise
      Day 101

      Stadtrundfahrt Mumbai

      April 16, 2023 in India ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

      Heute große Stadtrundfahrt ( 7 Stunden mit Mittagessen).
      Das Ganze begann mit großer Verspätung, da wir etwa 2 Stunden bei der Passkontrolle anstehen mussten.
      Am Ende kamen wir erst nach 11 Uhr (statt geplant 9 Uhr) weg, so dass wir fast mit dem für die Mitte geplanten Mittagessen anfangen mussten.
      Vorher gab es noch einen Stopp an Mumbais bekanntesten Wahrzeichen, dem Gate of India.
      Der Vorteil des Sonntagsausfluges (wenig Verkehr) verwandelte sich hier in den Nachteil, dass viele Inder den Ort als Sonntagsausflug nutzten, auch um von dort eine Schiffstour zu machen.
      Durch die Probleme bei der Passkontrolle gab es dann aber auch Probleme bei den Plätzen beim Mittagessen, bei fast 50 Bussen nicht so verwunderlich. Am Ende haben wir noch ein Plätzchen gefunden, das Essen war dann sehr gut.
      Nachmittags haben wir dann noch Märkte, Tempel und Museen gesehen.
      Am Ende waren wir erst kurz vor 19 Uhr auf dem Schiff.
      Wir hatten eine sehr interessante Reiseleiterin, sie hat neben Deutsch noch Spanisch, Russisch und Japanisch gelernt, für ihre Tätigkeit als Reiseleiterin. Außerdem engagiert sie sich für soziale und ökologische Projekte, speziell auf dem Land.
      Abends gab!s dann noch eine Vorführung mit lokalen Künstlern im Theater.      Read more

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    • skip's retirement travelIndia
      Day 18

      More Mumbai

      October 20, 2019 in India ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

      More looks at things in Mumbai
      1. Gateway to India Arch built for the visit of King George V in 1911. Located at the old harbor

      2. The Taj Hotel, Victorian opulence, located across from the Gateway to India

      3. Colonial architecture in the Colaba, old town.

      4. The hanging gardens, so called because they are on top of a major water storage tank at the top of Malabar Hill.

      5. The urban administration building, dating from the Raj.

      6. Hajiri Masjid, one of the oldest mosques in Mumbai, built in the middle of a bay.      Read more

    • TravelerTravelling in South India 2019
      Day 30

      Mumbai L'interno del Taj Mahal

      September 11, 2019 in India ⋅ 🌧 29 °C

      L'interno del Taj Mahal è a dir poco straordinario, si narra che fu fatto costruire dall'industriale Tata dopo che gli era stato rifiutato l'ingresso in uno degli alberghi europei della città in quanto nativo parsi.seguaci dell'antica fede di Zoroastro che scappò dall'Iran nel X secolo per sfuggire alle persecuzioni mussulmane. La città senza confini vive il grande contrasto tra grande modernità e passato incombente, tra grande ricchezza ed estrema povertà. A Mumbai esiste la più grande baraccopoli di tutta l'asia. Ormai la margilita' di Mumbai ha trovato una sua collocazione e ha smesso di essere marginalità. Fulcro di una realtà altra , non ufficiale, non censita , destabilizzante, inesistente per gli uffici statistici della città, ma una realtà altra che punta i piedi in un sistema sociale antico, radicato difficilmente attaccabile. È una parte dell'India e non si possono chiudere gli occhi per non venderla. E soprattutto non si possono non vedere il suo milione di persone che lavora e si guadagna da vivere , il suo migliore che non ha molto ma che altrove non avrebbe nulla.Read more

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    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Kala Ghoda

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