3 min read
India, Mumbai
The hustle and bustle of Mumbai is unlike anything I've ever seen. Amidst the chaos, tuk-tuks and scooters, there are so many friendly faces. Definitely worth the visit! I stayed in Bandra West, at a hostel called Namastey Mumbai Backpackers, and met some amazing people!
Hello World!
I draft this whilst sitting in Goa (my stop after Mumbai) watching the sunset!
On my first day in Mumbai, I met Jay who travels the world cutting and styling hair on cruise ships! He introduced me to his friend Yasin who works at the hostel.
Jay took me partying that night and I demonstrated why I shouldn’t ever be allowed to dance. We had great food and I had my first trip in an Auto Rickshaw (tuk tuk) 🛺
The next day, Jay took me to Colaba on an old British train that crosses Mumbai. Our stop was called Churchgate, if that wasn’t a dead giveaway ;)
On the way we saw cricket games and I was introduced to sugar cane juice (AMAZING).
We visited the famous Leopold cafe on Colaba Causeway, where I got a falooga, a very creamy dessert drink.
We then passed the Taj Mahal Palace (which is different to the Taj Mahal) and visited the Gateway Of India.
In the early hours of the morning one night I was unpacking my bags on the floor in the dark when one of my dorm mates tripped over me. It was my fault really, I should have had a torch on.
But that’s how I met Senthil. A wild and funny guy who knew his way around Bandra West. He invited me to a theatre show that night at the Chimbai Village Theatre, and we were joined by others from the hostel.
No spoilers, but the show titled “No Clear Rule” had a good twist, that in truth I should have seen coming!
We then went for dinner and then onto the Irish bar!
The following day we explored Bandra West, which is apparently the “place to be” in Mumbai and Senthil showed me the best place to get a Sitaphal milkshake (a custard apple milkshake).
On my way back, I accidentally found my way into a “Bombay Zine Fest” and learnt what a Zine was - a type of magazine that is made by a single person or small group. It was an amazing event and I’m so glad I stumbled upon it.
Here’s a Zine I brought :)
From there I had dinner with the gang and then it was time to catch my sleeper bus to Goa!
I should mention, it was my friend Alfiya who recommended Mumbai as my first stop (she’s biased because she was born there 😉), but it was still a great first stop on my travels across India!
Catch you next time!
