I slept most of the following day and wasn’t up to eating anything at all. Luckily the hotel offers plenty of free bottles of water that I made use of.

I checked out and made my way down to outside the Peninsula where the bus back to Kowloon station only makes one stop instead of 4 or so if I caught the one from outside the Sheraton.

I checked in at the in town check in and then caught the train back to HKG. Security was pretty swift and the queues for emigration were horrendous and I was so pleased that I was able to use the e-gate. I went to the CX F lounge and drank water whilst I waited. There was a gate change for my flight from 27 to 61 so I walked down to the Pier for a while before my flight where I had some more water.

I walked up to the gate around the time boarding was due to commence and shortly after it did and I joined the short queue for elites.

Flight CX 0663 HKG-BOM Seat 12A (Business)
Aircraft: A333
Departure time: 20:10

When I originally changed from CGK to BOM this flight was supposed to be operated with an F cabin and by a 747 but CX did the dirty on me again a few weeks after my change and switched to the 333.

At my seat I stashed my bag and took my seat. My jacket was taken and I was offered bubbly, OJ or water. Yes I took water.


The captain announced a flight time of 6 hours and 3 minutes. We pushed back at 20:15 and taxied out for a take off time of 20:29.
Menus were handed out and amenity kits with Jurlique products were handed out.



Menu



Wine List


I asked for water only during the flight and slept most of the way to Mumbai.

We touched down at 00:07. The ISM had apologised earlier that they didn’t have immigration and customs forms on board but she assured us they would be at the door of the plane when we arrived.

Of course they weren’t. It was a long, long walk to immigrations where there were no customs forms and only a few immigrations forms. I filled in the immigration form and waited to see an agent who then told me as a visa on arrival I needed to go to a special desk the other side of a wall. I went back over there where the signage had said ‘domestic connections’. On the way I noticed a lot of people looking for immigration forms that had run out.

Inside I saw a visa on arrival desk. He processed me by taking my photo and taking my prints and said I could get customs forms inside the custom hall.

I grabbed a custom form and walked over to the belt where my bag showed up as I walked up.
I filled in the form and made my way out to my waiting driver who took me to my hotel for the next 2 nights.

There was a WMD at the door of the hotel and my bags needed to go through a scanner before entering the ITC Grand Central Mumbai. The desk agent was dealing with a family arguing that their stay was pre-paid as a BA holiday and the agent saying they had no record of payment from BA. Well done BA. They eventually agreed to let the family settle in to their room and contact BA to send confirmation of the payment.

The bellhop had started to check me in by photocopying my passport and immigration stamp page. The desk agent then confirmed my request for a non-smoking room; there had been none at the time of booking and I had requested one if it became available.

The agent explained the benefits of my package and the bellhop escorted me up to my room. On entering the elevator I thought this looks familiar. Then on entering the room I though OMG this is almost a clone of the Westin in Tokyo. The carpet, fixtures, tiles were all the same. Very odd.


ITC Grand Central Room


ITC Grand Central Room


ITC Grand Central Room


ITC Grand Central Room


ITC Grand Central Room


I crashed for the night still not feeling 100 per cent and set my alarm for 09:00 in the morning. When I woke I was feeling much better and not to make this too graphic, was able to fart without fear.

Breakfast was on the restaurant on the second level and consisted of a buffet with the usual western, some Chinese options, Thai curry and rice and several different Indian dishes. I decided as I hadn’t eaten for 48 hours I had better take it easy. I went with some dim sum, rice, fruit, yoghurt, banana and toast. All very boring when all these tempting Indian dishes looked and smelt so great.

After breakfast I went down to the concierge to confirm the details of the following days outing. I decided after having just eaten I had better stay at the hotel and have a chill day. I pottered in my room on the internet and reading until the cleaner came along. I then went up to the Point Of View on the top floor of the building where I was able to admire the view and have a cup of tea and read my book.

Later on the evening I went back up to the lounge for evening cocktails and was mortified that they didn’t have Ginger Ale! I had to make do with the classic scotch and soda. My dinner consisted of a few chicken skewers, some vegetable rolls and some cheese and crackers. I wasn’t feeling that hungry despite eating little that day.

My flight out of BOM was at 01:00 the next day so I decided to make the most of the full day by booking a car and guide to show me around Mumbai. We started by visiting the world’s largest laundry at Dhobi Ghat. There are over 800 wash pens along with commercial washers and driers, that latter they need to use during the wet season.


Dhobi Ghat


Dhobi Ghat


Dhobi Ghat


Our next stop was the former residence of Mahatma Gandhi that has been turned into a museum of his life. He was obviously well before his time when he was attempting reform in South Africa in his youth.


Gandhi Museum


Gandhi Museum


After this we attempted to visit the Victoria terminus railway station but mad traffic and closed roads prevented this for the time being.

We stopped out the front of the ‘Little Big Ben’ that marked the Bombay University. Formally known as the Rajabai Clock Tower.


Rajabai Clock Tower


Rajabai Clock Tower


Playing Cricket


Next we kept on going down to the Gateway of India built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary. It was quite an impressive structure just to mark a visit by a royal couple. You don’t see that sort of thing happening much these days.


Gateway of India


Opposite the gateway is the famous Taj Hotel and a statue of the King who’s name adorns many of the cities major facilities. That being Chhatrapati Shivaji; the international airport, the old Victoria terminus railway station both are now named after this emperor.


Statue of Shivaji


Taj Hotel


After this I was let loose in the Prince Of Wales museum for an hour where I got an interesting glimpse at the development of India art over the centuries.


Prince of Wales Museum


Prince of Wales Museum


After this we found that the road past the railway terminus was once again open and we stopped by for a quick photo shoot. The station is supposed to be modelled after London’s St Pancras station.


Victoria Terminus Railway Station


Victoria Terminus Railway Station


Victoria Terminus Railway Station

Next we drove along Marine drive that marks a wall that keeps out the sea and was a fundamental part of what make Mumbai Mumbai. Without this wall and other defences the old area of Mumbai used to consist of 7 islands and not the one large landmass it is today.

At the end of Marine drive is what appeared to be the only hill in Mumbai. We drove to the top to the exotically named ‘Hanging Gardens’ that didn’t seem to live up to their name.


Looking down over Chowpatty Beach



The guide explained that just near here was a Parsi funeral site where bodies are left to be eaten by the birds. As such there is quite a lot of bird life in the area.


Views from Hanging Gardens Mumbai


Two huge tanks that hold the cities water were also built here and they had the problem of guano in the drinking water that isn’t the best idea. So the British decided to cover over the tanks and build this garden on top. Hence the garden is hanging over the water tanks. They aren’t much to look at but the views from just across the street down over the beach were quite lovely.


Hanging Gardens Mumbai



Next up we drove past out along a new roadway that cuts an hour off the journey to Bandra and the Mount Mary Church. At this church there was a holy statue of Mary that was stolen by thieves to take the gold that had been on her arm. One night a local fisherman had a dream that he saw the Mary and the next day he fished her out of the sea, without her golden arm though. He gave the statue back to the church who gave her a new arm and set her at the head of the church.

Unfortunately my photo didn’t work out for some reason and I didn’t notice at the time, so you will have to google her if you are interested.


Mount Mary Church


Mount Mary Church


Mount Mary Church


The church had been in this area for hundreds of years and had been destroyed many times, the current one is around 100 years old. I found it quite interesting that people of all faiths were worshiping here including Hindu and Christians praying together.

It was a fair drive back to my hotel where I was able to grab my suitcase and go to the spa to have a shower. I then went to the restaurant to get something to eat as I was starving. I had some lovely Lamb biryani that I washed down with a Kingfisher beer.

Now I just had to wait out a few hours before heading to the airport for my flight back to HKG.


More photos of my day in Mumbai