Mumbai Magic?
I spoke to soon, just as I completed typing the text for my blog post about our flight day I turned around and the horizon had changed colour as lots of large clouds rolled in from the direction of the sea. By the time Drew went down to take some photos the clouds were almost upon us, and then there was a huge downpour of rain. The Monsoon is still very much in these parts, though twenty minutes later the torrent of rain simply moved on and it became sunny and hot once more (Temperature is around 27 Celsius, but humidity is about 85% - which is very humid).
Having left our packed suitcases outside our room we went down to the Lobby to await our trip through Mumbai. Given that the Hotel had 500 of the 645 passengers staying in it this was a case of immense disorganisation. Instead of either letting passengers bring their own luggage down and identifying it, or sorting it by room number or floor, the luggage was put together and then people had to find their luggage and indicate which it was while the other 500 people were doing the same! Still an hour or so later we were safely away on Bus 4 for our two hour guided drive through Mumbai on our way to the Cruise Ship Terminal.
The Park Plaza Royal Palms Hotel is in the North of Mumbai, so we had to drive the full length of the city, including a large traffic jam before getting to the ship.
In yesterday's blog post I talked about the Shanty Town style accommodation we saw on the arrival evening. The tour guide today, a native of Mumbai, kept referring to them as Slums. I think I was being a bit to politically correct to use a phrase like that. But I'll adopt the local's idiom. The number, and density, of population living in these 'slums' is astounding. According to the guide the strength of the Mumbai economy, with industry, finance and Bollywood all contributing to strong economic growth, attracts people from the countryside into the city. Indeed many of the people are better-off working for 600 rupees (Pounds Stirling 6.77) a month rather than have a subsistence style lifestyle in the countryside. The tour guide herself employs a cleaner, a nanny, a cook and a gardener with wages ranging from 600 Rupees a month for the cleaner to 1000 Rupees a month for the cook.
The absolute poverty of people living under blankets or big blue tarps is quite astounding to the Western eye. One of the families on our bus was from Venezuela, and while the fella said Venezuela has poverty it is never of this absolute variety, like him most people were astounded by the site. I realise, from Drew's reaction, that without actually seeing the living conditions it is not easy to conceive of them. I'd told Drew about the conditions from my previous experience but hearing it did not make him realise quite how hard things could be for people.
On with the tour, luckily the bus was air-conditioned so we had some comfort, as the traffic was astounding. Roads with four lanes marked on them would have six lanes of traffic trying to squeeze in. The old taxis the motorized rickshaws, cars new and old, mini buses and buses packed with people and with luggage on the roof, all of this is to be seen in Mumbai. The guide was clearly very proud of Bollywood, our tour took us through that part of town, though not to the studios themselves. The title of this post, without the question mark, is a reference to a title of one of the films. Like the majority of these films it is based on a love triangle, but the most famous actor and the most famous actress make it together by the end! Plus the sex scene is replaced with swans flying, and other animal activities, the image of love rather than the actuality of sex more common in European films!
Ganesh, the Hindu elephant headed god has a festival at this time of year. Many of the homes, shops and restaurants were decorated with lights and other symbols of celebration. We passed a number of temples which were also decorated for this special celebration. Mumbai, so we were told, has a special association with Ganesh, so this is the town festival as well as the national religious one. Other than these sites the guide focused on social and religious trends and pointed out colonial and post colonial architecture. The centre of Mumbai is a City on a grand scale with Romanesque and Victorian buildings side by side. The guide made a long journey go by speedily so we seemed to arrive at the dock quite quickly.
At 1.45 p.m. we quickly passed through the booking procedures and saw the ship for the first time. From the ground level it looks top-heavy, as if it should topple over, but evidently it does not. Pictures of us just before embarkation are on flickr.
We went up the gangplank to be greeted by Eleanor, a girl from Porthcawl, who give us final details and put our hand luggage through security. It was then to the lift and up from the entry (fourth floor) to our level (7). A short walk forward and we were at Room 7005, otherwise known as the Marquesus Suite. Even though we knew it would be spacious we were astounded by quite how spacious. Within a few minutes our room steward, a Mexican lady called Ana, arrived to greet us and show us around the room and its faculties. A large bunch of flowers, a bowl of fruit and complimentary drinks were all on the table awaiting us my, only reaction is WOW, this really is luxury and being cosseted. After exploring the room thoroughly we went to explore the rest of the Ship, and at 2.30 went to the top of the Ship to the Panoramic Buffet for a spot of lunch (foodies read on below).
We then visited the Internet Cafe to see if we could log-in and blog the previous post, however the system would not go live until after we had left port. By the time we finished visiting the various restaurants and bars, looking not drinking honest, and returned to our cabin the luggage had arrived, so we went through the unpacking process. This took a while, more because there was way more space than we had luggage, so we spread it around not to leave to many empty cupboards.
Unpacking completed we went out onto the balcony which is also huge, again see the photos, and sat looking out at the dock and towards the sea. At 5.45 p.m. we decided to use some of our complementary drinks (a G&T for both of us) and toast the departure of the ship, as it gradually left station and moved out towards the open sea we continued to watch the hard work going on with the ropes (there is probably a nautical word for this!) and the guidance of the ship, and treated ourselves to a Vodka and Tonic to wash the G&T down. By 6.45 we were safely at sea for our 116 miles journey to Goa.
At 7.15 p.m. we went to the Club Bar (drinkers please join the foodies below) and were served by a lovely Philippine guMichaeld Micheal. We then went into dinner (the Club Restaurant) to meet our table sharers.
Contrary to common consent I'm not a gregarious person, I like people I like and would happily spend many hours with them, but I find meeting new people really challenging. Somehow you feel you have to work hard at it. So I went into dinner with trepidation. The people at the table were already seated when we arrived, they had gone straight in while we were Martini drinking, they include an accountant and his wife from Essex (Peter and Jean), a retired Banker and his wife (Gareth, a welsh man, and Hazel) and a lovely couple from Cleethorpes (Frank and Hazel). We managed to keep chatting for the evening and had a nice meal. The rest of the group went to the show while Drew and I retired to the bar. When that bar closed it was up to the Pacific Lounge (top floor) where we ignored the disco and had two more drinks.
By 12.30 we were in bed ready to sleep before the excitements of the next day.
Food and Drink
Lunch up on Deck 9, the Panoramic Buffet, Drew and I had some Mexican Bean soup for starters, which was light and refreshing. I then went for cold cuts (ham, pork loin and procuitto) and salad (toms, romaine lettuce, pulses and balsamic vinegar), while Drew had two lovely slices of Roast Beef, pasta in a tomato sauce and salad.
For the drinkers among us we started to work our way through the martinis in the Club Bar, which has a special pre-meal menu. Drew started with Raspberry Martini (Absolut vodka with Raspberry juice) and I with a Apple Tini (Absolut Vodka with Sour Apple Schnapps lovely) and then I had a Lemon Tini (Absolut Citron Vodka with sweet and sour) and Drew a Dr No (This 007 themed bar used Stoli Vodka and blue Curacao for this).
Dinner was lovely, our Philippine server Leo, was very attentive. I had Shrimp (Prawns as we call them, the ship is American) Cocktail in a mango-Tomatillo Salsa and Drew Spring Rolls in a honey-soy, sesame and mustard seed sauce. I then had a Nebraska Prime Beef with string beans and baked potato, I was really impressed I asked for my beef rare, and though serving 600 people they served mine with just the right amount of blood. Drew opted for Filet of Zander with green asparagus tips which he also liked. For dessert drew had lemon Cheesecake and I had the cheeseboard it was Stilton and Munster cheese tonight. We drank this with a bottle and a half, thanks to Peter and Jean who were drinking the same of Gavi di Gavi.
We then went back to the Club bar for a brandy and port (me for the first, drew for the second.) The bar was closing so we had to go up to the disco, but sat well away from the noise (sorry music or dance lovers, but it is not our type of thing) for a (well two in fact) Raspberry Mojito for Drew and the same 24K Margarita (1800 Tequila, Gran Marnier and Couantriau) for me. A nice way to help you sleep!!.
Having left our packed suitcases outside our room we went down to the Lobby to await our trip through Mumbai. Given that the Hotel had 500 of the 645 passengers staying in it this was a case of immense disorganisation. Instead of either letting passengers bring their own luggage down and identifying it, or sorting it by room number or floor, the luggage was put together and then people had to find their luggage and indicate which it was while the other 500 people were doing the same! Still an hour or so later we were safely away on Bus 4 for our two hour guided drive through Mumbai on our way to the Cruise Ship Terminal.
The Park Plaza Royal Palms Hotel is in the North of Mumbai, so we had to drive the full length of the city, including a large traffic jam before getting to the ship.
In yesterday's blog post I talked about the Shanty Town style accommodation we saw on the arrival evening. The tour guide today, a native of Mumbai, kept referring to them as Slums. I think I was being a bit to politically correct to use a phrase like that. But I'll adopt the local's idiom. The number, and density, of population living in these 'slums' is astounding. According to the guide the strength of the Mumbai economy, with industry, finance and Bollywood all contributing to strong economic growth, attracts people from the countryside into the city. Indeed many of the people are better-off working for 600 rupees (Pounds Stirling 6.77) a month rather than have a subsistence style lifestyle in the countryside. The tour guide herself employs a cleaner, a nanny, a cook and a gardener with wages ranging from 600 Rupees a month for the cleaner to 1000 Rupees a month for the cook.
The absolute poverty of people living under blankets or big blue tarps is quite astounding to the Western eye. One of the families on our bus was from Venezuela, and while the fella said Venezuela has poverty it is never of this absolute variety, like him most people were astounded by the site. I realise, from Drew's reaction, that without actually seeing the living conditions it is not easy to conceive of them. I'd told Drew about the conditions from my previous experience but hearing it did not make him realise quite how hard things could be for people.
On with the tour, luckily the bus was air-conditioned so we had some comfort, as the traffic was astounding. Roads with four lanes marked on them would have six lanes of traffic trying to squeeze in. The old taxis the motorized rickshaws, cars new and old, mini buses and buses packed with people and with luggage on the roof, all of this is to be seen in Mumbai. The guide was clearly very proud of Bollywood, our tour took us through that part of town, though not to the studios themselves. The title of this post, without the question mark, is a reference to a title of one of the films. Like the majority of these films it is based on a love triangle, but the most famous actor and the most famous actress make it together by the end! Plus the sex scene is replaced with swans flying, and other animal activities, the image of love rather than the actuality of sex more common in European films!
Ganesh, the Hindu elephant headed god has a festival at this time of year. Many of the homes, shops and restaurants were decorated with lights and other symbols of celebration. We passed a number of temples which were also decorated for this special celebration. Mumbai, so we were told, has a special association with Ganesh, so this is the town festival as well as the national religious one. Other than these sites the guide focused on social and religious trends and pointed out colonial and post colonial architecture. The centre of Mumbai is a City on a grand scale with Romanesque and Victorian buildings side by side. The guide made a long journey go by speedily so we seemed to arrive at the dock quite quickly.
At 1.45 p.m. we quickly passed through the booking procedures and saw the ship for the first time. From the ground level it looks top-heavy, as if it should topple over, but evidently it does not. Pictures of us just before embarkation are on flickr.
We went up the gangplank to be greeted by Eleanor, a girl from Porthcawl, who give us final details and put our hand luggage through security. It was then to the lift and up from the entry (fourth floor) to our level (7). A short walk forward and we were at Room 7005, otherwise known as the Marquesus Suite. Even though we knew it would be spacious we were astounded by quite how spacious. Within a few minutes our room steward, a Mexican lady called Ana, arrived to greet us and show us around the room and its faculties. A large bunch of flowers, a bowl of fruit and complimentary drinks were all on the table awaiting us my, only reaction is WOW, this really is luxury and being cosseted. After exploring the room thoroughly we went to explore the rest of the Ship, and at 2.30 went to the top of the Ship to the Panoramic Buffet for a spot of lunch (foodies read on below).
We then visited the Internet Cafe to see if we could log-in and blog the previous post, however the system would not go live until after we had left port. By the time we finished visiting the various restaurants and bars, looking not drinking honest, and returned to our cabin the luggage had arrived, so we went through the unpacking process. This took a while, more because there was way more space than we had luggage, so we spread it around not to leave to many empty cupboards.
Unpacking completed we went out onto the balcony which is also huge, again see the photos, and sat looking out at the dock and towards the sea. At 5.45 p.m. we decided to use some of our complementary drinks (a G&T for both of us) and toast the departure of the ship, as it gradually left station and moved out towards the open sea we continued to watch the hard work going on with the ropes (there is probably a nautical word for this!) and the guidance of the ship, and treated ourselves to a Vodka and Tonic to wash the G&T down. By 6.45 we were safely at sea for our 116 miles journey to Goa.
At 7.15 p.m. we went to the Club Bar (drinkers please join the foodies below) and were served by a lovely Philippine guMichaeld Micheal. We then went into dinner (the Club Restaurant) to meet our table sharers.
Contrary to common consent I'm not a gregarious person, I like people I like and would happily spend many hours with them, but I find meeting new people really challenging. Somehow you feel you have to work hard at it. So I went into dinner with trepidation. The people at the table were already seated when we arrived, they had gone straight in while we were Martini drinking, they include an accountant and his wife from Essex (Peter and Jean), a retired Banker and his wife (Gareth, a welsh man, and Hazel) and a lovely couple from Cleethorpes (Frank and Hazel). We managed to keep chatting for the evening and had a nice meal. The rest of the group went to the show while Drew and I retired to the bar. When that bar closed it was up to the Pacific Lounge (top floor) where we ignored the disco and had two more drinks.
By 12.30 we were in bed ready to sleep before the excitements of the next day.
Food and Drink
Lunch up on Deck 9, the Panoramic Buffet, Drew and I had some Mexican Bean soup for starters, which was light and refreshing. I then went for cold cuts (ham, pork loin and procuitto) and salad (toms, romaine lettuce, pulses and balsamic vinegar), while Drew had two lovely slices of Roast Beef, pasta in a tomato sauce and salad.
For the drinkers among us we started to work our way through the martinis in the Club Bar, which has a special pre-meal menu. Drew started with Raspberry Martini (Absolut vodka with Raspberry juice) and I with a Apple Tini (Absolut Vodka with Sour Apple Schnapps lovely) and then I had a Lemon Tini (Absolut Citron Vodka with sweet and sour) and Drew a Dr No (This 007 themed bar used Stoli Vodka and blue Curacao for this).
Dinner was lovely, our Philippine server Leo, was very attentive. I had Shrimp (Prawns as we call them, the ship is American) Cocktail in a mango-Tomatillo Salsa and Drew Spring Rolls in a honey-soy, sesame and mustard seed sauce. I then had a Nebraska Prime Beef with string beans and baked potato, I was really impressed I asked for my beef rare, and though serving 600 people they served mine with just the right amount of blood. Drew opted for Filet of Zander with green asparagus tips which he also liked. For dessert drew had lemon Cheesecake and I had the cheeseboard it was Stilton and Munster cheese tonight. We drank this with a bottle and a half, thanks to Peter and Jean who were drinking the same of Gavi di Gavi.
We then went back to the Club bar for a brandy and port (me for the first, drew for the second.) The bar was closing so we had to go up to the disco, but sat well away from the noise (sorry music or dance lovers, but it is not our type of thing) for a (well two in fact) Raspberry Mojito for Drew and the same 24K Margarita (1800 Tequila, Gran Marnier and Couantriau) for me. A nice way to help you sleep!!.
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