Up for breakfast before heading out. Karen explained that she's coeliac and within minutes she had a plateful of wheat/gluten free food specially prepared. The place we ate is one of five places to eat in this hotel (The Trident). Then it was into the car and off for a tour of Mumbai.
First stop was the Pherozshah Meta Gardens (The Hanging Gardens). This is a public garden built on top of a huge water reservoir. There's some really nice topiary and flower displays. There's also a small garden reserved especially for senior citizens, called the 2nd Innings Garden. It's a really nice touch.
Next to the gardens, and hidden in the trees is the Silent Tower, where the Zoroastrian funerals take place. The bodies are placed in an open space in the tower, and birds of prey dispose of the corpse. With the birds of prey being scare in the city, as they find easy pickings at the dumps on the outskirts of the city, they are having to occasionally resort to using lime, and magnifiers to amplify the suns rays, to dispose of the bodies.
Next stop was a Krishna temple, which was really nice. The guide explained a lot about Krishna, and then we got talking to one of the monks. He gave us some information booklets, about Krishna, and about the temple itself. Then we had a look in the temple shop where we picked up some cow urine and cow dung soap. (Possibly the strangest presents I'll ever take back from a holiday), and I got the autobiography of the resident Swami, who was originally from America, and hitch hiked across Europe, to India, and some beads. The shop was incredibly cheap, but they run it on a "not for profit" basis. Any profits they make are from donations.
Next stop was the Gandhi museum, which was housed in the building he lived and worked from. It's a fascinating place. On the way out, I bought a book of thoughts and saying of Gandhi, which I thought was going to be really expensive as it was printed on handmade paper, but it was really reasonable.
The final stop on today's tour was the museum formerly known as the Prince Albert Museum (the new name is very very long. Google it). It's got a lot of really good exhibits, and reminded me a bit of the Burrell in Glasgow, purely on the variation of exhibits. There's pottery, paintings, and archaeological exhibits as well as historic weapons.
First stop was the Pherozshah Meta Gardens (The Hanging Gardens). This is a public garden built on top of a huge water reservoir. There's some really nice topiary and flower displays. There's also a small garden reserved especially for senior citizens, called the 2nd Innings Garden. It's a really nice touch.
Karen in the Hanging Gardens
Next to the gardens, and hidden in the trees is the Silent Tower, where the Zoroastrian funerals take place. The bodies are placed in an open space in the tower, and birds of prey dispose of the corpse. With the birds of prey being scare in the city, as they find easy pickings at the dumps on the outskirts of the city, they are having to occasionally resort to using lime, and magnifiers to amplify the suns rays, to dispose of the bodies.
Next stop was a Krishna temple, which was really nice. The guide explained a lot about Krishna, and then we got talking to one of the monks. He gave us some information booklets, about Krishna, and about the temple itself. Then we had a look in the temple shop where we picked up some cow urine and cow dung soap. (Possibly the strangest presents I'll ever take back from a holiday), and I got the autobiography of the resident Swami, who was originally from America, and hitch hiked across Europe, to India, and some beads. The shop was incredibly cheap, but they run it on a "not for profit" basis. Any profits they make are from donations.
The altar in the Krishna temple, Mumbai
Next stop was the Gandhi museum, which was housed in the building he lived and worked from. It's a fascinating place. On the way out, I bought a book of thoughts and saying of Gandhi, which I thought was going to be really expensive as it was printed on handmade paper, but it was really reasonable.
The final stop on today's tour was the museum formerly known as the Prince Albert Museum (the new name is very very long. Google it). It's got a lot of really good exhibits, and reminded me a bit of the Burrell in Glasgow, purely on the variation of exhibits. There's pottery, paintings, and archaeological exhibits as well as historic weapons.
The museum
Back at the hotel, and it was time for a swim. Coming back in from the pool, we noticed a memorial to staff and customers who died in a suicide bombing here a few years ago.
We decided to go out tonight and headed to a street a couple of blocks away from the hotel that has a lot of places to eat. So what do you eat when you're in Mumbai, India? Chinese of course! Very nice it was too.
On the way back to the hotel, we crossed over to walk along the promenade, which makes the Corniche in Beiruit look paltry. It's that impressive. While we were walking along, the heavens opened, and it was torrential. The only plus is that the rain is warm. Everyone was running for cover under the palm trees and laughing. You couldn't help smiling despite getting soaked. By the time we got back to the hotel, we both looked like a couple of drowned rats. It's the most fun I've had getting soaked.
Soaked in Mumbai
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