(Part 1) In India Like a Local: Mumbai's Iconic Landmarks - and Modes of Transportation

- March 24-25, 2018, Saturday to Sunday.

- On my way to the airport, I still could not believe that after 6 years, I'd be able to fly back to India. This time, I'd test my limits and my supposedly infinite love for India by going alone!! This would be my third time in India. During the first time in 2011, I experienced it as a tourist (click here), my second time in 2012, as a national delegate (click here), and this third time, I hoped to experience it as a "local" - at least to some extent (of course I was there as a tourist.) I wanted to experience how it was like walking its streets, taking public transportation, and just be part of the crowd (while doing some touristy things and going to touristy places.)

- However, first things first: getting a visa!! This was the first time that I'd be trying out India's e-visa scheme (NOTE: e-visa is available to Philippine passport holders and other eligible countries, and only for short-term tourist, business, and medical purposes, and only allowed for entry to 25 designated Indian cities.) Normally I'm averse to e-visa schemes if there is a regular visa scheme, if an embassy will be able to issue a visa even before you go. Since a friend tried it before and encouraged me to try it out, I did, and had no regrets. To be honest, it was very easy! Just go to the e-visa website (click here), then fill out the online application. Read the guidelines in the site carefully before proceeding. After filling up the form, you'll be asked to pay online (50USD for Philippine passport holders). The visa, whether approved or denied, will be e-mailed to you after 72 hours (3 days). Now bear in mind that if approved, you have to go back to the website linked above to recheck your visa status, and then print your approved visa from there, not from the e-mail. Printing it from the website will give you the copy with the bar code and the photo, which you can't do via e-mail. Bring this printout to India with you and the immigration officer will stamp your visa on your passport. (A more detailed guide can be found here; I used this guide too when applying for my own visa.)

- With the help of my travel agent (which I usually do for multi-leg trips,) I was able to book a flight from Manila to Mumbai via Thai Airways. I flew out in the afternoon of March 24, the day before Palm Sunday, and arrived in Mumbai (via Thailand) around 10pm, Indian time. India is 2.5 hours behind the Philippines; India uses the same time throughout the whole country despite its size. I took a pre-paid taxi to my hostel, which is a car rental service in which you already pay for the fee to the kiosk at the before riding the car, so you don't have to haggle or be scammed by some taxis outside the airport. It was a rather expensive option, but it was already nighttime and I wanted to make sure that I'd get to my hostel in one piece.

Back in Bangkok, at least for the next 2 hours.

Mandatory touristy shot.

- My hostel, called Horn OK Please Hostel, is in the vibrant suburb of Bandra. Mumbai is an elongated city, and Bandra is somewhere in the middle, around 30 minutes away by car from Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. It is a relatively new colorful backpacker hostel with impeccably clean dorm-style rooms and public toilets/bathrooms (click here for their website; they also respond quickly in their Facebook page.)

- I woke up the next morning half an hour ahead of my alarm because the temple (I think?) outside my hostel was blasting Indian mantras on their giant speakers. At that point, I didn't need to pinch myself anymore - I am definitely in India!! I was told that they were celebrating a saint on that day, so the mantras will go on for the whole day. I enjoyed listening to the mantras on repeat while having a traditional Indian breakfast in the pantry; I had a serving of poha, which is a flattened rice dish cooked with vegetables and spices (it's sort of like Indian-style fried rice.) Poha brings back good memories of my Hindi teacher when I was still learning the language with her 5 years ago; there were some days when she'd let me have poha during our morning sessions in her house.

Pohaaaaa. I can have this all day!!

My hostel's reception hall. I like the decoration (and if only I can play that really old piano!!)

"Horn OK Please" is a very Indian phrase. It's painted on India's colorful trucks that is supposed to tell vehicles behind to honk their horns if they're approaching so the truck driver will know.

- After having my breakfast, I was ready to explore Mumbai. I booked an Uber going to the Gateway of India, which is near the southern side of Mumbai. One thing I noticed about riding an Uber in India is that there seems to be a problem with the directions, since at one point it wanted us to cross the water. This wasn't the first/only time that I experienced going through weird directions from Uber; I think I only had 2 smooth rides out of my 6 Uber rides in Mumbai. (I had a safe ride, it's just that there were times when Uber was pointing us to the wrong direction.) Now I don't normally take the Uber whenever I travel because I usually would prefer the local transportation system, but at this point I decided to take an Uber since going around Mumbai today is still quite a hassle. There are different modes of public transportation but none of which will take you directly to the tourist spots in the southern part of Mumbai unless you take a cab or an app-based transportation mode (Mumbai uses Uber and Ola.) Fortunately, Mumbai is currently on the way to having a metro system, based on the constructions I saw throughout the city.

Things you see on the road. Be careful!!

Just the colorful streets of India.

A historical scholarly institute since the British times.

Plenty of Indo-Saracenic (Indo-Gothic) architecture in Mumbai.

- Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, is the capital of the state of Maharashtra in the central-western side of India. It is the most populated city in India, and is considered as the most westernized city and the wealthiest (it is home to a lot of India's richest). It is a port city facing the Arabian Sea, formerly 7-islands that the British turned into one peninsula, and throughout history has been an important trading port and economic/financial center. Its centerpiece is the Gateway of India, a monument by the sea in commemoration of the visit of King George V and his wife, Queen Mary in 1911. It is a triumphal arch which is why it resembles Paris' Arc de Triomphe. Right beside it is the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, a heritage hotel built in 1903. It is known for having many notable guests in the past century or so, and it is also remembered for being the site of the attacks of South-Asian terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba in 2008 (and so far, there were no major security issues after that.) 

- Also, I was so happy to finally appreciate the Gateway of India at my own pace, and actually go around it too, since the last time I was in Mumbai, my co-delegates and I weren't allowed to get off the bus since there was a filming (I think) of a Bollywood film. At the very least, I had to opportunity to see a Bollywood actor back then (click here to see.)

Gateway of India!!

Advice: better lighting in the afternoon/during sunset. I had to do major adjustments to the lighting for this photo.

This is how it looks like in the morning

Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and its 5-star glory.

A bird-flocked tree.

It reminded me of Manila's Manila Hotel.

Timing was perfect.

Going to the back side of the Gateway of India.

- Most people visit the Gateway of India and the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel not only to admire their beauty, but more often than not as a jump-off point for the main adventure of the day: the Elephanta Caves. The Elephanta Caves are located at Elephanta Island (aka "Gharapuri",) which is around a 30-minute ferry ride from the Mumbai Harbor to the island. Now upon alighting at the Gateway of India, there will be travel agencies that will claim to sell tickets and tours to the Elephanta Caves. DO NOT LISTEN TO THEM AND JUST WALK ON. If you wish to go to the caves by yourself, all you have to do is go behind the Gateway of India, and there will be a man or two who will be holding roundtrip tickets to the island and back. As a rule of thumb, foreigners pay more in anything tourist-related in India, so don't be surprised if you'll see Indians paying way way less than you (unless of course, you're Indian.) The ticket/receipt (or if applicable, the price table/chart) will show you the amount, so you won't have to worry about ticket vendors getting more cash than what's needed. Anyway, as I was saying, only buy tickets from the man/men standing by the dock near the boats. (If you're not sure, just look at all the other people getting tickets and buy from the same guy as they did.) Now once you're on the ferry, you may stay at the lower level, or if you wish to take photos like me, you need to pay an extra 10 rupees to go up the deck. (NOTE: The caves are closed on Mondays, as most tourist attractions are.)

- It was an extremely hot almost-noon ride to the island, and everyone on the deck were trying their best to find some shade after taking photos. There was someone selling refreshments like drinks and chips, and those who bought chips enjoyed themselves by feeding not themselves, but the seagulls. By the way, just as you're leaving the harbor, don't forget to take a photo of the Gateway of India and the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel from the sea. This was the same view that King George V and Queen Mary saw when they visited India in 1911.

Postcard-worthy!!

Feeding the birds. (That's not me of couse.)

There were naval ships all around.

- Upon arriving at Elephanta Island, I took the "toy train" ride from the harbor to the hill's footsteps. Seeing that I had to go up a few hundred steps to the top of the hill where the caves are, I decided to take lunch at one of the small clean eateries at the base.

My vegetarian thali (vegetarian platter.) I am not vegetarian but India's vegetarian dishes make it fun to be vegetarian!!

- The covered uphill climb was lined with souvenir colorful stalls so there were interesting things to look at to take your mind off the blood, sweat, and tears that are needed to reach the top of the hill. On top, there are several Hindu-Buddhist caves that may date back as far as the 2nd century BCE. The island and the caves are called "Elephanta" due to the elephant statues that the Portuguese saw when they arrived in India. The caves also fell into disuse when the Portuguese arrived, partly restored during the British era in the 1600s, and further restores especially after it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Currently, Cave Number 1 has the best preserved statues, while the other smaller caves are in really bad shape.

After a long long climb.

Cheese.

Cave Number 1.

Amazing how these pillars have survived the endless years of making history!!

Shiva slaying the demon Andhaka.

Giant statues.

Shiva lingam.

Nataraja (Shiva as the lord of dance.)

Trimurti - Brahma, Vishnu, and at the middle, Shiva.

Ardhanarishvara (half man - half woman.)

Praying.

Can't stop looking at it. It's a lot bigger than it looks.

Please be mindful of your trash. The monkey, however, was enjoying a popsicle it stole from 

Outside Cave Number 3.

- Apart from the caves, visitors are also entertained by the (giant) monkeys that roam around the caves. Of course, it is always best to be cautious as monkeys are swift, and may take things that you don't wish to lose - like your sunglasses, phone, camera, your ice cream, etc.

A family of monkeys.

They're just like people.

I think it's my first time to see a pregnant monkey.

Cows, cows everywhere.

This is the Indian way of life.

It's really as if they know they're being photographed.

- Finally, I made it back to the dock and rode back to Mumbai Harbor. I had a little rest and a little cold refreshing drink at the Starbucks behind the Taj Palace Hotel, before walking along the streets of Mumbai. I passed by the Rajabai Clock Tower, a mid-1800s Gothic clock tower modeled after the Big Ben, people playing cricket, and checked out Mumbai's "Fashion Street" along the northern end of Mahatma Gandhi Road. Fashion Street sold more modern stuff, so I didn't see anything that interested me. Also, it was quite hard to shop since the stalls are all lined up at the crowded side walk.

Photo of the harbor view.

There is better lighting for the Gateway of India in the afternoon.

See!!

Rajabai Clock Tower near the Oval Maidan; view from Mahatma Gandhi Road.

People playing cricket on the street (probably university students who live close by, since the Rajabai Clock Tower is currently part of the University of Mumbai.) 

More Indo-Gothic buildings.

- I ended my day by arriving at Chhatrapaji Shivaji Terminus (CST), also known as Victoria Terminus, to ride a suburban train back to my hostel in Bandra. The CST was built in the late 1880s, and still functions as a railway station today. It is not only an iconic train station, but it is currentl the southernmost train station, together with Churchgate Station in another train line.

CST/Victoria Terminus.

I like how the Indian flag adds a pop of color.

And it's still being used!!

Interior.

- Riding a suburban train in Mumbai is quite an experience, but nothing to be worried about. Just go ONLY to the ticket counter or ticket machines and buy a ticket - either first or second class (but to be honest there isn't much of a difference in terms of the experience of riding the train compared to the difference between the tickets of the two classes.) The tickets are quite cheap, but varies depending on where you wish to go. After purchasing a ticket, make sure you know which platform you're supposed to go (just ask the ticket person or a policeman in the station.) The trains are quite huge, but be careful because the doors do not close. Also note that there is a specific carriage only for women or for the elderly (just check the labels at the platform.) Since it was a Sunday, the "rush hour" was not much of a rush hour, so it did not seem like the usual Mumbai suburban train nightmare like the videos on Mumbai's trains being shared on Facebook.

Mumbai's trains.

Doors don't close.

Just how things are in Mumbai's trains.

View from the overpass to the different platforms.

My first "Mumbaikar" (Mumbai local) experience.

- It did not take long before I got to Bandra station, had dinner, and went back to my hostel to rest. My first day going around Mumbai - and India - was quite successful despite getting lost a few times. However, the nice people of Mumbai, especially the policemen, helped me find my way (apart from my maps). Of course, I also can't deny that my survival Hindi helped me quite a lot in getting around, though Indians generally understand some English as they were part of the British Empire before. Anyway, because of my generally pleasant experience during the day, I was more than ready to see what more Mumbai has to offer to me.

Mumbai's black-and-yellow auto-rickshaws outside Bandra Station.

Must ride one of these!!

- Don't forget to read Part 2 here, Part 3 here, Part 4 here, Part 5 here, Part 6 here, and Part 7 here!!