Today I had to get up early to go by private driver to the airport. I was all confident of getting past unnoticed once again with my excess luggage, but this time they caught me: those really small airports have that drawback, very few people, and a lone Portuguese guy among the Indians stands out.
Off I went to the counter and, as I already knew, I had more than the 7 kg allowed, it was 9.5 kg, but I found out that the ticket, although cheap, also included a 15 kg checked bag, problem solved. The 1 hour 30 minute flight was very smooth and I even got a vegetarian snack and water on the way.
On arriving in Mumbai I went to the carousel to get my bag and bags kept coming out until the screen said “baggage delivered”. Me and 2 or 3 others were without our bags, but there was no need to go and talk to anyone, an employee came straight over to ask if I was missing my luggage and, with one simple phone call, it turned up, along with the others that were missing. Apparently they leave the backpacks for last and put them on trays at the end of the baggage delivery.
With my backpack on my back I went off to catch the metro for 70 rupees to south Mumbai, the Colaba area. The trip still took 45 min and another 15 min on foot to the hostel, where I was welcomed by the owner with the air of a general, who had almost a platoon of staff behind the reception desk to whom he was barking orders.
After sorting my things out at the hotel and resting a bit, I went for a walk along Colaba Road, it was already 29 degrees, looks like I won’t be needing my jacket here. I tried a Sukha bhel on the street, with dried fruit and spices, and chatted for a while with a young guy who was coming out of school, where he’d had a test, and with the street vendor.
Then I went to watch the sunset at Cuffe Parade Park, by the Arabian Sea, and walked through the city along a big avenue that had buildings and lovely gardens on one side and a fishermen’s quarter on the other.
I ended up eating a Bread Pakoda, which is an Indian fried bread with mashed potato and spices, and some kachori, which are little pastries filled with lentils and spices.
I finished the night walking along the lively Marine Drive seafront, which was packed with people, and went back to the hostel by bus, which cost me 12 rupees.