We were relatively late getting in to Mumbai, about 10:30, so most people had finished breakfast by then and were able to watch the various stages of docking, starting with getting the local pilot aboard in the outer approaches .....
Interesting to note that none of the crew of the pilot cutter or the pilot himself were wearing life-jackets in case they should fall off the open decks. And the pilot himself had a steep and precarious climb up the rope ladder which is just visible hanging from an open hatch in the side of Boudicca. The elfs have yet to reach this part of this part of the world it would seem.
Good reason to have a pilot with local knowledge here, apart from the intricacies of the docking itself, the approach to the cruise terminal at Mumbai was amazing - I would have loved to see it on the ship's radar, talk about congested! First the oilfields: .....
And multiple other big ships .....
Indian Navy ships on exercise ....
Ferries of all sizes darting hither and thither ....
Also, looking quite impressive through the haze was INS Vikramaditya, an ex-Russian aircraft carrier. There were many other Indian Navy ships all around us as well. As a nuclear power they take their defence seriously it would seem.
The welcome as we approached the cruise terminal was a little mixed, on the one hand a man energetically and diligently sweeping a red carpet for us and a friendly mural ...
and on the other hand a very visible group of soldiers with pistols & machine guns ....
It seemed a bit unnecessary for a group of 491 pensioners all of whom had been searched multiple times before boarding the plane and ship that brought us here.
In due course we were allowed off the ship and after the multiple visa checks were bussed to the port gates where a horde of very pushy taxi drivers really refused to take no for an answer. Some followed us for quite a way trying to change our minds.
Once we were free of them, we had significant dangers to face walking to anywhere of interest. In places the pavements were only delineated from the road by a line rather than a kerb. The scooter and m/c riders in particular seemed to think that this meant it was perfectly okay for them to undertake the cars & taxis by riding where we, and many others, were walking.
Somehow we got safely to one of the many significant tourist destinations - the Taj Mahal Hotel. One of the top hotels in India apparently, and all the more popular in India because it was started by an Indian while they were still under colonial rule.
Right by the Taj Mahal is the impressive Gateway to India monument. It was intended to be an impressive entry point for ships arriving in Bombay (as it then was) and also:
"Erected to commemorate the landing in India of their Imperial Majesties King George V and Queen Mary on the 2nd December MCMXI", as the sizeable inscriptions either side of the monument proclaim. Unfortunately getting a decent photo from the sunny side is only possible from a boat, and there were no end of vendors entreating us to do that (as with the taxis) so we ignored them as well and I just used my wide angle lens instead.
A little further away we happened across this museum in an impressive colonial building, but were unimpressed with the 500 rupees entry charge (especially when Indians got in for only 85 rupees). In fact (as we later discovered) 500 rupees is about £5 so not that expensive but we heard from some fellow travellers that it wasn't that interesting.
After quite a lot more walking, trying to not get too lost, we found our way back to Boudicca and our 'home' comforts, air conditioning especially.
A bit of time to explore the ship further as there were still many parts we hadn't discovered such as the golf practice nets right up at the top.
Spoilsports !
In due course the sun set over the busy port but that only seemed to make Mumbai even busier.
and just as dangerous with quite a few cars, taxis and scooters with no headlights or in some cases no lights at all.
A bit further on was a totally OTT wedding venue. This is just the front façade, behind it was a huge open area with more glitzy stuff at the far end. Looking on the WWW though, it seems most wedding venues in Mumbai are similar.
Then, almost as much a tourist destination in its own right, Victoria Terminus (station) or to give its proper (modern) name, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. Yet another spectacular bit of colonial engineering with modern floodlighting.
Back to the ship for another sumptuous dinner and spectacular entertainment from a local group of singers, dancers and musicians (they weren't all miserable!) .....
The dancers, apart from the solo acts, danced in a group of six which was at times remarkably like English Morris dancers.
And so to bed; a day at sea and then Porbandar and a bit of bird-watching..
The welcome as we approached the cruise terminal was a little mixed, on the one hand a man energetically and diligently sweeping a red carpet for us and a friendly mural ...
and on the other hand a very visible group of soldiers with pistols & machine guns ....
It seemed a bit unnecessary for a group of 491 pensioners all of whom had been searched multiple times before boarding the plane and ship that brought us here.
In due course we were allowed off the ship and after the multiple visa checks were bussed to the port gates where a horde of very pushy taxi drivers really refused to take no for an answer. Some followed us for quite a way trying to change our minds.
Once we were free of them, we had significant dangers to face walking to anywhere of interest. In places the pavements were only delineated from the road by a line rather than a kerb. The scooter and m/c riders in particular seemed to think that this meant it was perfectly okay for them to undertake the cars & taxis by riding where we, and many others, were walking.
Somehow we got safely to one of the many significant tourist destinations - the Taj Mahal Hotel. One of the top hotels in India apparently, and all the more popular in India because it was started by an Indian while they were still under colonial rule.
Right by the Taj Mahal is the impressive Gateway to India monument. It was intended to be an impressive entry point for ships arriving in Bombay (as it then was) and also:
"Erected to commemorate the landing in India of their Imperial Majesties King George V and Queen Mary on the 2nd December MCMXI", as the sizeable inscriptions either side of the monument proclaim. Unfortunately getting a decent photo from the sunny side is only possible from a boat, and there were no end of vendors entreating us to do that (as with the taxis) so we ignored them as well and I just used my wide angle lens instead.
A little further away we happened across this museum in an impressive colonial building, but were unimpressed with the 500 rupees entry charge (especially when Indians got in for only 85 rupees). In fact (as we later discovered) 500 rupees is about £5 so not that expensive but we heard from some fellow travellers that it wasn't that interesting.
After quite a lot more walking, trying to not get too lost, we found our way back to Boudicca and our 'home' comforts, air conditioning especially.
A bit of time to explore the ship further as there were still many parts we hadn't discovered such as the golf practice nets right up at the top.
Spoilsports !
In due course the sun set over the busy port but that only seemed to make Mumbai even busier.
We joined a bus tour: 'Mumbai by night' which sounded interesting and indeed it was. The traffic seemed just as busy ......
and just as dangerous with quite a few cars, taxis and scooters with no headlights or in some cases no lights at all.
But soon enough we got back to the Gateway to India which was nicely floodlit and every bit as busy with Indian tourists, as well as other nationalities, as it was earlier in the day.
A bit further on was a totally OTT wedding venue. This is just the front façade, behind it was a huge open area with more glitzy stuff at the far end. Looking on the WWW though, it seems most wedding venues in Mumbai are similar.
Then, almost as much a tourist destination in its own right, Victoria Terminus (station) or to give its proper (modern) name, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. Yet another spectacular bit of colonial engineering with modern floodlighting.
Back to the ship for another sumptuous dinner and spectacular entertainment from a local group of singers, dancers and musicians (they weren't all miserable!) .....
The dancers, apart from the solo acts, danced in a group of six which was at times remarkably like English Morris dancers.
And so to bed; a day at sea and then Porbandar and a bit of bird-watching..
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