Today we had breakfast at the hotel before getting picked up about 10:30 for our bus tour of Mumbai. We were the first stop and then we went to Mahim to pick up all the others.
The first stop was Dobhi Ghat - a huge open air laundry (and associated village) where all of the Mumbai hotels and hospitals get their washing done. The place is set up with individual wash pens where the washers soak and beat the sheets and clothes by hand. According to the young boy who was telling me about the place approximately 5000 live and work here.
The next stop was Mani Bhavan which was Ghandi's Mumbai headquarters for about 17 years from 1917 to 1934. There is not a lot of excitement here - it comes across initially as pretty boring. However there is clearly something magnetic about the man and his achievements - we left thinking that it was probably our favourite stop in Mumbai.
On the ground floor they show all the stamps from around the world issued to commemorate his life, as well as a large library (behind glass).
The second floor has a series of old articles and quotes on the walls, as well as a short audio-visual presentation. Some of the articles and letters are quite fascinating.
The third floor has one room that has been preserved as it was / may have been when Ghandi used it. The real treat on this level was a series of approximately 20 dioramas highlighting major events in the life of Ghandi. These were a great was to tell the story for both adults and children.
After this we went to the Hanging Gardens - so called because they sit on the side of a steep hill. The gardens weren't that impressive, but in a city as crowded as Mumbai I guess any significant public space (especially a green one) becomes culturally important. It did had a play space for kids modelled on the "Old Lady who lived in a Shoe" !
We drove past Victoria Terminus which is the major railway station and is an impressive piece of design and construction. It is rumoured that the plans for Victoria Terminus and Flinders St Station were mis-delivered but there is no solid evidence to support that proposition.
We also drove down the streets that James and Jocelyn lived on when they lived in Bombay, and saw the school that Jocelyn first taught at.
Our guide also took us to a couple of local sporting goods stores where Xavier was able to fulfil the major desire of his trip and buy a cricket bat in India !
After this Joe, Xavier, Ronin & Bryony returned to our hotel for a swim and a rest whilst the others went for a bit more shopping. We all got picked up about 19:30 to head over to Eddie and Doreen's for dinner.
We had a lovely night at Eddie and Doreen's with tasty food, good company, parlour games and a fair bit of singing - led in the main part by the melliferous tones of Uncle Eddie.
We got back to the hotel around midnight and we are getting picked up again in two hours for our early morning flight to Aurangabad. Yes, that right - three nights of hotel charges for 48.5 hours of accomodation!
Location:Mumbai (Maharashtra)
