Mumbai/India

4.5.2024 Mumbai

I left at around 8:00 a.m. and, after a shuttle bus took me to the entrance of the port area and I had gone through immigration, I set out to explore Mumbai on foot alone.

In order not to wander through the city without a plan, I had chosen a destination that the Indian woman had recommended in her Mumbai lecture: the Rustom ice cream parlor.

It was already very hot in the morning and so I walked through the streets, sweating but leisurely. At around 11 a.m. I reached my destination and rewarded myself with a rose-flavored ice cream sandwich. Very nice!

I took a different route back to the ship and, with the help of Google Maps, looked for an upscale restaurant. I had seen the poor hygiene conditions in some simple restaurants and didn't want to catch any disease.

I found what I was looking for on Google Maps: The restaurant "Native Bombay" was even marked "Best Rated". When I stood in front of it, it made a rather uninviting impression. The large wooden door was closed and there was no sign of life visible from the outside. I simply tried the door and hey presto, it opened. I looked into a dark room in which I could at least make out two men in waiter uniforms. When I asked if I could have lunch there, they answered in the affirmative, my name and telephone number were entered in a guest book and then I was directed to a small elevator that could only hold two people.

One floor up, everything looked completely different: bright and friendly, right under the roof, a large bar, everything neat and clean. I chose a drink from the cocktail menu to cool down, a small and a large dish from the menu, along with rice and a classy-looking bottle of water. The crispy pork balls in chili were very spicy, the squid in green sauce was rather mild. Both tasted excellent.

To enjoy the pleasant atmosphere a little longer, I ordered another cocktail, paid around US$ 40.00 and then went to the meeting point for the booked tour of the markets of Mumbai. There the taxi drivers attacked me again, just like before when I left the shuttle bus. This time they were so persistent that I eventually yelled at them. Only then did they leave me alone.

The tour was significantly delayed. However, I was able to reach the tour leader and was informed of the delay. When he arrived, I enjoyed the coolness of the air conditioning.

But not for long. Shortly afterwards we reached the covered market and had to get out. First we went through market halls with fruit and many other foods. The animal market was hard for me to bear because there were lots of kittens and birds in small cages that had to endure the heat. The fabric market was rather boring for me.

Afterwards we visited a temple-like complex where "holy" cows and calves were cared for. They seemed to be doing well.

The group then split up. At first the larger part wanted to be taken to another shopping street and then walk back to the ship on their own, while the smaller part wanted to be taken directly to the ship. When things got serious, suddenly only two participants wanted to go on the tour - Debra and me. I hadn't known her before, but she was a pleasant companion. I delivered her safely to the ship.

In the evening there was an “Authentic Bollywood Production” with Indian dance and music.