I’m sure that you are tired of hearing about the dirt in Mumbai so let’s move on to some deep “Touristy” stuff.
Today it’s been arranged for us to travel out across Mumbai Harbor to the Island of Elephanta Island to explore the Elephanta Caves. I love saying Elephanta.
We embark from the Gateway to India aboard a two storey tour boat that chugs for about 45 minutes to the small Island. All manner of tourists are on board but the crowd is sparse mainly due to the fact that we have left on the first boats out.
After watching the city vanish out of view I spend some time people watching and most of my attention is focused on a group of women from Saudi eating potato chips and sipping orange Fanta under their Burkas.
As confining as their Burkas are I do find some humour with their “La Vie en Rose” tote bags. Way to go ladies.
The rest of my focus is placed on another of the team members – Beata.
Beata is also a photographer and a good one too. But I jokingly call her “Bad Beata” as here photography philosophy is just do it and ask for forgiveness later.
We aren’t permitted to go up on to the second deck of the tour boat but we both know that it’s the best vantage for photographs.
I can’t help chuckling as I see her first standing at the base of the ladder to the second floor.
Two minutes later she is half way up the ladder looking casual.
Two minutes after that all I can see is her ankles, the rest of her body through the portal.
Then poof! Beata is gone. That is until the driver starts shouting.
Elephanta Island, originally called Gharapuri (place of Caves), was so named by the Portuguese (Yayyyy Lee) do to the fact that there was originally a large stone Elephant on the shore of the Island. The Elephant collapsed at the beginning of the 19th century and was moved by the British…can you tell that I’m reading from a guide book?
On the Island there are a series of caves that have been sculpted into the rock between 450 and 750 AD. The caves are dedicated to various Indian deities the most impressive being dedicated to Shiva “the destroyer, but without whom creation couldn’t occur” – wouldn’t that title be cool on your business card.
I searched and searched but alas no Elephants but there were some rather aggressive Monkeys.
A highlight of the tour was watching a Monkey attack two unsuspecting male 20 somethings.
The Monkey was after their bag of Lays Chips and I couldn’t help but laugh out loud as they dropped the bag and ran back down the stairs screaming like little girls.
Monkey got his bag-o-chips.
Back on the boat and to the hotel where I went to pick up my first order of shirts…nice. They had screwed up on the cuff but were happy to take the shirt back and promised to deliver at my hotel room by 6 that night.
Awesome service.
Dinner and drinks at the Taj Hotel – very nice but no different from any luxury hotel we have at home. The only real difference was that they check your bags through an x-ray machine when you enter.
Oh! And the parged over bullet holes left behind from the terrorist attack.
Ernie was the first to leave the group tonight and it was sad to see him go. I really enjoyed his company.
Tomorrow the rest of the group will part ways after lunch and then the vacation truly begins.
One more Mumbai blog entry to go and then we are off to Delhi. Mmmmmm love a city that sounds like a great place to eat. I wonder if they serve a good smoke meat on rye? A little coleslaw on the side?
