Mumbai

Two days in hot and steamy Mumbai - 33c during the day and 26c at night!   We stay at
The Sea Palace Hotel, down the other end of the road from the Taj Hotel and the Gateway of India.   It's lovely looking out on the bay and refreshing breezes come off the sea.

The first day, shopping for the Emporium, stocking up on beads, buttons, sequins etc.
Fabindia for household linen and other goodies, and a new find, Good Earth.   Wonderful table ware.  Awarded myself with a bone china leopard cup!   Other goodies included some cutlery, which means we will have to go back again to complete the set.

Lunch in Cafe Mondegar.   A great place for people watching and Kingfisher beer on tap.

A walk in Mumbai

The next day we explored the Fort area.  It was fascinating looking at the 

old buildings. The docks, originally owned by the East India Company are

now used by the Indian Navy.   

I managed to take this picture before the heavy presence of security guards 

and police made it known we were in a secure area.   In fact, we were right

outside the Stock Exchange and in the middle of the financial area of Mumbai

about five minutes walk away is St. Thomas' Church the first

English church in Bombay.   Building started in  1669.  The walls

had risen by l5ft when building ceased for thirty years. Richard Cobbe.

formally vicar of Whitchurch, Dorset,  organised the completion of the

church which was opened for Divine Service on Christmas Day 1718

Inside the walls and floors are lined with memorials and tributes to people from every walk of life.   Tales of bravery in battle, whether on land and sea.  Loses due to disease or accidents.   What a strange and alien land it must have seemed.     

Pause for thought.

There is another connection with Dorset.    The Rev. John Hutchins of Swyre, Wareham, Dorset wrote The History and Antiquities of Dorset.    His daughter, Anne Martha married at St. Thomas's Church on 3 June 1766,  John Bellassis then a major of artillery in the service of East Indian Company , later major-general and commander of the forces at Bombay.  She died at Bombay on 14 May 1797 and her husband on 11 February 1808. 

down a back street, a bakery shop  that look likes it has been around for a long time

street scene - looking through a cafe window as pavement 

vendor sell bananas to a taxi driver

friends - while Keith was checking out the music at Rhythm House

this charming group were taking photos of themselves, and then

me with them.    They live In Nagpur and were spending a few

days in Mumbai.    So I took photos of them.

Back in Colaba a bangra band lead a wedding procession

exuberant wedding guests

The evening was spent having supper and a beer on the roof of the hotel.   

Watching the lights in the harbour and enjoying the warm night air.

In the morning after a stroll down to the Gateway of India and back,  it was

time to go to the airport and home.