Mumbai and the clock is ticking

Well as soon as I stepped of the train my task had only just begun. After trying a few more respectable lodgings which were all full at 9pm on a Friday evening I reluctantly went to a shall we say less respectable lodging, Maria. As they say in the classic "... and suddenly that name Will never be the same to me..." (West Side Story). Definitely the case for the tiny room, free from the distractions of windows and ventilation, allowing you to appreciate the mould and mildew and try to avoid turning the lights on. The bathroom wasn't so much a bathroom, rather a portion of the room that had been tiled and had a tap inserted into a wall. Toilets were strictly squat type and located down the hall.

But it didn't really matter, the manger brought me a hot bucket of water for my shower and I was soon fast asleep. The next morning I wasn't woken up by the bright Indian sun, rather screaming in the hallway was my sign to wake up and tackle this city in 1 day.

Heading to the docks first I had my first dry wretch of the day before hailing a cab and heading to the most famous of Mumbai's landmarks, India Gateway. It was here that I began to realize that the architectural legacy of this place was far greater than I could have expected. The city is filled with a fantastic collection of Victorian, Deco and Classical architecture many of the finer buildings are in remarkable condition and many more are currently under renovations. One such building is the High Court, an enormous edifice of blue stone and soaring pitched roofs. After sweet talking the police officers that guard the main entrance and promising them that I wouldn't take any photos I explored the four storeys of corridors, court rooms,. libraries and offices that make up this mammoth structure. The police officers had their revenge, inviting me to sit down with them on my exit. We chatted about the cricket, India, Australia, jobs, money and yes you guessed it, sex (again). What's with these guys. After about half an hour I said my frewells to the regiment , who by that stage also included their sergeant.

After getting my fill of architecture is was a quick ride to Mani Bhavan (also under renovation), the Mahatma Gandhi Museum. Although a little spartan in its displays it was still an enormously insightful and inspiring place. The story and legacy is Gandhi is explained simply and elegantly.

The rest of the afternoon was spent at the Haki Ali mosque, Mumbai's answer to St Kilda's pier restaurant. This mosque, similarly is located at the end of a long pier, however the strong smell of rotting fish and the horrible state of the building (together with the beggars that follow you up the concourse) spoil the atmosphere somewhat. I enjoyed a long walk along Chowpatty Beach, with its Art Deco flats and palm trees reminiscent of Miami and then headed back home to Colaba, the tourist centre, exhausted. Time to catch a train cross country. 31hrs to Varanasi.