India Archives - Wanderwiles

The high-speed Gatimaan train from Agra to Delhi

Waiting on the Gatimaan Express at Agra Cantt train station

We wanted to make the trip from Agra to Delhi on our own, so I began researching Indian trains. Right away, the relatively new Gatimaan Express train caught my eye. The Gatimaan Express makes the trip from Agra to Delhi (and vice versa) once per day in each direction. The Gatimaan actually goes beyond Agra to Gwalior and Jhansi, but it seems largely geared towards people in Delhi wanting to see Agra and the Taj Mahal on a day trip. The Gatimaan leaves Delhi’s Hazrat Nizamuddin station at 8:10 am IST and returns from Agra in the evening at 5:50pm.

Whenever train travel is on my radar, The Man in Seat 61 is one of my first Internet go-to sites. As always, I found a wealth of information on the site. But, I also found some concerns. Stories of problems abounded: with the Indian Railways website, with using non-Indian addresses and credit cards, with fake security guards at the train stations, with luggage hijacked by porters, with train station taxi scams, and on and on. Oh, India.

I’m happy to report that I had no problems creating an account directly with Indian Railways or with buying our tickets online with an American credit card. The Man in Seat 61 had suggested an easier-to-use intermediary agency, but if my experience is any indication, Indian Railways has ironed out the kinks. I received our tickets promptly by email and was asked to take a screen shot of them and not to print out the tickets “unless extremely necessary.” I booked the highest class (Executive Class) because at 2990 INR ($41.93 US) for both of us, why not? Seats become available 120 days in advance and reservations are necessary. Popular routes do book up on the high-speed trains. I calendared the day tickets were to open and booked ASAP. This is one of those situations where planning makes things a lot easier and cheaper.

Despite warnings, we had no issues at Agra Cantt station. It’s a busy place, but it’s India so pretty much everywhere is busy. The train was on time and our car was comfortable if not luxurious. We were served a hot meal that was tasty and filling if not gourmet. The ride itself was smooth and uneventful. I enjoyed chatting with an extended family of Indians living overseas in France and Spain who’d returned to India to celebrate a major anniversary of the matriarch and patriarch of the clan.

Executive Class dinner on the Gatimaan Express from Agra to Delhi

At speeds of 99mph, travel on the Gatimaan Express from Agra to Delhi takes 1 hour 40 minutes and reaches Delhi’s Hazrat Nizamuddin station at 7:30pm, which means we arrived after dark. Thankfully, we heeded warnings and had a good grip on our luggage as the train pulled into the station. Sure enough, would-be porters streamed aboard, blocking passengers attempting to exit and trying to wrest our luggage away from us. It took some pretty harsh refusals to get them to accept rejection and get out of the way.

Our next challenge came in getting a ride to our hotel. I’d read many warnings about taxis in Delhi and a favorite scam whereby passengers are told the street on which their hotel sits is blocked for a festival so the driver will have to take them somewhere else. Basically, passengers have ended up getting “kidnapped” and either pay a hefty sum to be returned to their original destination or coerced into using the services of scam “travel agents” and different hotels. (The 20-something son of the lady seated behind me on the train had a friend who’d endured this particular scam as well.) My original plan had been to use a transfer service offered by the Gatimaan Express, but the link to that service on the Indian Railways site was broken and no one on the train had heard of it. My back up plan was Uber which had worked like a champ in Jaipur. No such luck in Delhi. In our three stops in Delhi, Uber never worked. The app would find a ride, say it was attempting to book it, then fail to do so. Great.

Eventually, we resigned ourselves to the taxi/tuk tuk gamble and braved the throng waiting at the front of the station. After some haggling, we were led to a taxi operated by a taciturn Sikh who delivered us to our hotel in Connaught Place with no hassle save for the perpetual Delhi traffic.

Note: Per the email I received with our tickets, ” E-Ticket can be cancelled online till preparation of charts (which is normally 4 to 6 hours before the scheduled departure of the train from the originating stations. (For trains starting up to 12 noon the chart preparation is usually done on the previous night)) OR 4 hours before the scheduled departure of boarding the train in case of confirmed ticket OR 30 minutes before the scheduled departure of boarding the train in case of RAC/WL whichever is earlier.”

Agra: the Taj Mahal at last!

Admiring the Taj Mahal from the shade of the southern portico

Our guide from the previous day’s visit to Agra Fort met us at Coral Court Homestay to walk with us to the nearby entrance to the Taj Mahal. Visiting the Taj was a highlight of this 3-month travel extravaganza, but I worried a little that the iconic landmark would be a let down after the countless images I’d seen over my lifetime. I needn’t have worried. The Taj Mahal was spectacular and we loved every minute of our leisurely visit on a gorgeous day.

View of the huge gateway leading to the Taj from the grassy courtyard just inside the main entrance gate

We opted to skip sunrise at the Taj, something that’s touted a lot, but which sounded to me like a gimmick…and I just plain didn’t want to get up that early. Besides, we’d put off our visit to the Taj until this year so that we’d see it just after the major cleaning that had its domes covered in purifying mud for much of 2018. I had no particular desire to see it turned pinkish by the rising sun. I wanted to see its freshly-restored gleaming white. The choice turned out to be a good one. We chatted with fellow guests at Coral Court Homestay who got up for a sunrise visit and said they were disappointed to find the entrance queue long and the Taj Mahal grounds crowded. They said it was pretty, though. We arrived around 10am to find only a short line and sparse crowds. And the Taj a brilliant white in the sunshine. The April weather was ideal, too: warm in the sun, cool in the shade. Fantastic!

Just beyond the gateway shown in the previous photo

Our guide, paid for and included in the Jaipur to Agra drive and touring we’d hired from Pushpendra (see my earlier post), had tried to talk us out of using his services at the Taj. We’d arrived too late from Jaipur the day before and had only been able to tour Agra Fort, having to put off the Taj Mahal for today. Despite the guide’s obvious reluctance (Why work another day when he could pocket the pay and do nothing?), he turned up to walk us to the Taj then provided cheerful and informative service. He delighted in posing us for what seemed like dozens of touristy photos and tended to speed along when I wanted to just stop and gape and take my own photos. We were glad we insisted on using him, but also happy to send him on his way after we toured inside the mausoleum so we could just stroll and sit and admire the incredible beauty around us.

We mounted stairs to the vast raised plaza where the Taj Mahal mausoleum sits, flanked by two mosques (one in use and the other primarily for symmetry and show). Separate tickets were required to enter the mausoleum and we joined a short line to file through. Photographs weren’t allowed inside the mausoleum where two replica cenotaphs sit in an ornate upper room of intricately carved marble and semi-precious stones. The real sarcophagi are in a lower room at garden level.

Back outside, we explored the wide terrace with its view of the river below and park across the way. Large flocks of black kites, eagle-like birds of prey, swirled and glided around the towers and central dome of the Taj. Indian tourists in an array of colorful regional clothes added to the overwhelming beauty of the place.

Black kites (birds of prey) circling a Taj Mahal minaret

Colorful locals near one of the identical mosques that flanks the Taj Mahal

View from a mosque flanking the Taj Mahal

After a quick visit to the mosque, we bid good-bye to our guide and set out to explore the square gardens with their central fountain and a small museum on the west side of the complex. We ended up strolling a long red stone portico that joined with the grand entrance at the south end of the gardens. Exhibits depicting historic and architectural sites around India lined the portico. We enjoyed browsing the exhibits, then gave over to the ultimate pleasure of the place: just sitting in the shade admiring the Taj Majal.

Red stone portico connecting to the grand gateway leading to the Taj Mahal. The *exhibits depict architectural and historical sites around India*.

Practical info:

Taj Mahal tickets are available at both the Western Gate and the Eastern Gate (where we entered) from one hour before Sunrise up to 45 Minutes before Sunset. Tickets are 1100INR ($15.34 US) for foreigners plus another 200INR ($2.79) to enter the mausoleum. There’s a 50INR (70¢ US) discount on the general ticket for buying online. We found the guide informative and helpful, but not a necessity. Allow plenty of time just to bask in the beauty. The Taj Mahal is not the place to rush.

En route from Jaipur to Agra: Chand Baori and Fatehpur Sikri

We opted to hire a driver to take us from Jaipur to Agra, splurging a bit for an SUV so David could stretch his legs. I wanted to make two stops en route: Chand Baori, an ancient step well and Fatehpur Sikri, a town founded as the capital of Mughal Empire in 1571 by Emperor Akbar and later completely abandoned in 1610.

Chand Baori is located in a small village a short distance off Hwy 21 that connects Jaipur and Agra. We’d heard mixed accounts of the road in India, but this stretch of Hwy 21 is modern, wide and in excellent shape. The road out to the village of Abhaneri where the step well is located is good, too. Our driver dropped us off just at the entrance of Chand Baori, parking to wait for us at a market set up across the street. Surprised to find free entrance, we ignored the many guides hawking their services and entered to stroll around the 100 ft. deep well, admiring its 13 story depth and 3500 steps. Architectural stone artifacts lined porticos around the well. The oldest parts of the well date to the 8th century, but upper parts date back to the Mughal period in the 18th century. Chand Baori has appeared in several movies, including the The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

The turn-off to Abhaneri and Chand Baori is only about a third of the distance between Jaipur and Agra, so we settled back in to continue our journey. Our driver stopped at a large, mostly empty, but tourist-oriented spot for lunch and a bathroom break before heading on to the main attraction before Agra: Fatehpur Sikri.

Fatehpur Sikri is not far from Agra, maybe 5/6 of the distance we traveled from Jaipur and just off Hwy 21. There’s a lot to see here and we could have spent a lot more time, but I was focused on the red stone palace complex where Emperor Akbar built three palaces which legend claims to have been for each of his three favorite wives, one Hindu, one Muslim and one Christian. Architecture in the palace complex is an intriguing mix of the three cultures.

The minute we pulled into the parking lot, we were approached by tuk tuk drivers wanting to take us to the palace complex which is not within walking distance from the parking lot. I’d read that there was a cheap shuttle bus and didn’t like the idea of putting ourselves in the hands and vehicle of a stranger, so we declined and made our way along a wide sidewalk past several booths selling souvenirs to a parking lot with buses. We found the shuttle which was about to leave. We boarded with a crowd of tourists, asking about a ticket, but being waved on. We descended in a similar melee and were once again waved on by what appeared to be the guide for a tour group. Since no one would sell us a ticket, we got a free ride to the nearby palace. We weren’t going to raise a fuss over that so moved on to buy an entrance ticket to the palace complex.

We entered into a vast paved courtyard, a kingfisher bird perched on the wall making an iconic adornment to the elegant buildings. Again, we were approached by would-be guides, but plaques in English offered ample explanation for us, so we declined. The first building we came to was the Diwan-i-Khas or Hall of Private Audience, a square building with a famous octagonal central pillar carved with bands of geometric and floral designs. It supports a circular platform for Emperor Akbar, which is connected to each corner of the building on the first floor, by four stone walkways. Here the emperor listened to representatives of different religions discuss their faiths and gave private audience.

Carved central pillar in the Hall of Private Audience at Fatehpur Sikri

We wandered the complex exploring palaces and treasury buildings, pools and courtyards. We could only see a portion of the hilltop complex in the time we had, but we saw a lot and enjoyed the visit. With Agra and a visit to the Agra Fort yet ahead, we decided to head back to our driver. Things didn’t go as smoothly on the way back and we waited 15 minutes or so for the next shuttle bus back to the parking area. We had to pay this time, too, but the price was negligible.

Practical info:

Chand Baori was free when we went there, but I have read that the Indian government plans to start charging a 200INF ($2.80 US) entry fee for foreigners.

Entrance to Fatehpur Sikri is 550INR ($7.70 US) for foreigners. It is open sunrise to sunset. The shuttle bus from the parking lot is 10INR (14¢ US). The ride is 5 minutes or less. You could walk, but it’s a fair distance, uphill and hot. Take or buy water.

The driver I hired was supposed to be “Pushpendra” with Jaipertraveling.com, highly recommended on Tripadvisor. It turned out that he sent another driver. I booked well in advance and Pushpendra was very accommodating when PayPal would not let me pay a requested deposit in rupees. He took my reservation on faith, letting me pay on arrival. While that was good, communication was lacking when we got to Jaipur and I had some concerns although our driver showed up as promised. Also, there was some confusion as a guide was promised, but that turned out to be a guide we would meet in Agra for the Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal. Our driver spoke virtually no English which caused some confusion about the day’s plans and we had no guide for either Chand Baori or Fatehpur Sikri although that turned out to be no big deal at either place. The SUV and driver were not cheap by Indian standards at 8000INR ($112 US), but the driver was good and the vehicle new, spacious and immaculate. The non-stop drive alone is 4h30 and our driver waited patiently for us at three long stops, then had to drive back to Jaipur. Also, this included fuel and the guide in Agra, who ended up coming back the next day to take us to the Taj. Pushpendra later apologized for the communication gaps, and in the end, all was very satisfactory.

Jaipur and the Amber Fort by tuk tuk

We hired driver Abès for a full-day of Jaipur and environs by tuk tuk. David and I are both fans of tuk tuks. We enjoy the exhilarating feel of being in the thick of things, weaving through traffic, eye-to-eye with those in other vehicles, then enjoying the breeze when our driver hits a straightaway. I try not to focus on the fact there are no seatbelts much less airbags or even walls in these vehicles. They’re fun! Since tuk tuks are vehicles of southeast Asia, it’s often hot, but surprisingly not as much as you might expect. With the temperate springtime weather in Jaipur, we strongly preferred tuk tuks to taxis. And, boy, are they cheap.

Abès and his brother’s tuk tuk, our chariot for the day

We started our day early, heading back to the Pink City to visit the City Palace. Also known as Maharajah Sawai Man Singh Museum, the City Palace is much more extensive than Hawa Mahal (the Palace of the Winds) and houses artifacts including textiles, clothing, weapons and decorative arts. The palace was built between 1729 and 1732. Guards in period costumes stand watch at the many ornate gates and doorways in the extensive palace. There’s also a restaurant on-site. Entry to the City Palace is expensive by Indian standards at 700INR ($9.83 US) pp. There was even a special visit to the Royal Apartments on offer for 3500INR ($49.15). Photos of the apartments were lovely, but we declined. We spent an hour or so in the palace.

After the City Palace, we left the Pink City to stop at the royal mausoleums. We were the only tourists visiting these beautiful white structures, a peaceful break after the bustle of the Pink City.

Next up was our major destination for the day, the Amber Fort. (See top photo.) Also known as the Amer Fort or Amer Palace, the fort sits on a hill 11 km outside of Jaipur. Construction began on the Amber Fort in 1592 on the remains of an 11th-century fort. The Amber Fort and six other hill forts in Rajasthan were declared UNESCO World Heritage sites in 2013. Its architecture–consisting of four courtyards and gardens plus palaces and halls made of sandstone and marble–is a mix of Rajput (Hindu) and Mughal (Islamic) styles. This extensive palace and fort was the seat of power in Rajasthan until the capital was moved to Jaipur in 1727. Entry to the Amber Fort is 550INR ($7.71 US) for foreigners and 25INR for Indians. For students, it’s 25/10INR.

Traffic en route to the Amber Fort was interesting.

The Amber Fort is definitely more a palace than a fort here.

After spending almost two hours in the Amber Fort, we headed back to Jaipur for a quick stop to view the beautiful Jal Mahal (“Water Palace”) in the middle of the Man Sagar Lake. Then, Abès insisted we make a few shopping stops, assuring us there would be no pressure to buy. Right. We were skeptical, but the stops at a textile factory and a rug maker turned out to be interesting and there really wasn’t much pressure. But, David –who’d never been treated to the roll-out-the-rugs routine– was smitten by a large silk rug… so now we homeless vagabonds have yet another rug to add to our collection of rolled-up rugs. Oh well, the price was right and he’s a happy man (and he does unroll it in a back room when we’re at my parents’).

Block printing cloth in a textile factory

Our last stop for the day was the Hanuman Temple. Hanuman is the Hindu monkey god and we find his temples are usually interesting… and full of monkeys. We thought we were heading to the famous monkey temple outside of Jaipur, Galta Ji. And it turns out we did, sort of. Abes dropped us off at the base of a long uphill walk past many monkeys and other animals, including a deformed cow with a “twin” growing out of its rear which we were told was holy. We passed hovels with open walls where rats ran over and around beds. Residents came out to put vermillion on my forehead. I resisted at first, but finally gave in to a little girl who expected nothing from me. All along the way, monkeys slept, played, fought and fed on offerings left for them by pilgrims.

Beginning our walk up to the Hanuman Sun Temple. So much going on in this photo.

Woman at the entry to ruins along the way to the Sun Temple

At the top of our climb was a small temple with a sweeping view over Jaipur. Monkeys lounged on the walls around it, but the building was nothing like the photos I’d seen of Galta Ji with its large pool. I found out later this was the Sun Temple, a part of the larger Galta Ji complex which was another 2 km away along some path we never saw. Oh well, this temple was uncrowded and we were welcomed by a monk and encouraged to pray. We paid our respects to the god and enjoyed the view. This little temple was a fascinating stop in its own right and we were happy to call it a day.

The Pink City of Jaipur, India

Jaipur’s Pink City viewed from the Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds)

I was excited that Jaipur was our first stop in India after Myanmar. After last year’s visit to the west coast of India, it was time to do the famous Golden Triagle: Delhi, Jaipur and Agra. Flying from Yangon to Jaipur (via Bangkok) meant we could travel just two legs of the triangle since we planned to fly out of Delhi to Kathmandu.

I’d read about Jaipur for decades, dreaming over photos of the fabled Pink City, walled forts and luxurious hotels. Since Jaipur was just one stop on a 3-month odyssey, I skipped the expensive iconic hotels and found a wonderful bit of luxury at a very affordable price at the Pearl Palace Heritage Hotel. The Pink City and all the other wonders of Jaipur still awaited, though.

Our flight arrived at Jaipur in the wee hours, so we slept in before heading to my first must-see, the Pink City. Expectations exceeded reality a bit when our tuk tuk dropped us off just inside one of the main gates of this old section of town.

Yes, there are lovely old buildings, but there’s also a lot that’s run down and strewn with trash. We wandered the sidewalks in front of the clothing section, admiring the brightly colored items on display, but quickly being reminded of a major downside of India: It’s impossible to stop without being swarmed by vendors and various “helpful” sorts. It can be exhausting. It’s frustrating, especially when we might consider shopping if only we could be left alone. I know it’s cultural and we find it many places, but India raises it to a new level. I laugh that I need to gird my loins and brace myself before heading out in India. The noise, the crowds, the squalor, the colors, the smells…and the beauty. It’s easy to reach sensory overload fast.

I had to snap this photo quickly before the next vendor descended.

We walked towards the famous Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds), opting to get lunch at the rooftop Wind View Café across the street before heading to the palace itself. The simple meal with an awesome view of the palace and bustling main street below was tasty and cheap.

The palace was built in 1799 and designed to look like Lord Krishna’s crown. With its shallow rooms, the building seems little more than a facade behind the many-windowed front where royal ladies would come catch glimpses of the market streets. (See top photo.) There’s little furniture, only a few displays, and not much in the way of historical explanation, but we had fun exploring and the courtyards and terraces are extensive, offering views over the city and the mountains and fortifications beyond. The graceful architecture and elaborate carved and painted designs on doors and ceilings provide the artwork on display.

View from Hawa Mahal. The sloped structure in the distance is the observatory, Jantar Mantar.

Hawa Mahal is connected by a passage to the City Palace, but the entrances are separate. We ran out of time to do the second palace, so saved that for our next day’s explorations. We wandered more of the fascinating and overwhelming streets of the Pink City before heading home to Pearl Palace Heritage Hotel.

Pink City street scene. The man in the foreground is making pots.

Practical info:

Entrance to Hawa Mahal is 200INR for foreign tourists and 25INR for foreign students. For Indians, the fee is 50/5INF. The palace is open 9:00am-4:30pm daily. The Hawa Mahal web site lists the prices as substantially less, but I’m giving the prices actually posted and charged at the palace. There is also a composite ticket for seven sites available, but it didn’t include the City Palace so we passed on that. To enter Hawa Mahal, go around the left side of the building (as you face the front), then turn right at the first pedestrian street to find the entrance.

Pearl Palace Heritage Hotel in Jaipur, India

Breakfast area in Pearl Palace Heritage Hotel

I don’t often do straight-up lodging reviews and then only when there’s something really worth mentioning. Pearl Palace Heritage Hotel in Jaipur is one of those places that deserves a separate write-up. Located in a neighborhood that’s gated at night, Pearl Palace Heritage Hotel is safe, convenient, clean, comfortable and reasonably priced, but above all, it’s gorgeous. Housed in an elegant historic building, the decor is over-the-top in places, but fun and displaying impressive craftsmanship and artistry. The hotel has been named #1 Romantic Indian Hotel on Tripadvisor and a portion of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 2 was shot there in 2014. Photos are necessary to do this place justice, so here you go:

Our luxury king room in Pearl Palace Heritage Hotel

The walls in our bedroom were covered-to-ceiling with brightly colored paintings reflecting Hindu deities. A framed card informed us that our room was named “Patachitra” and explained that “patta” means cloth and “chitra” means picture. Patachitra is a form of Bengali narrative art dating back to 1AD and used with songs to tell Hindu stories. The art is hand-done and depicts the large-eyed style of Jamini Roy, an Indian artist of the 1930’s. The hotel owner also provided his own booklet filled with fascinating information about Jaipur, Indian culture, history and religions, etc. The bed and monogrammed linens were by far the most comfortable and luxurious we experienced in India. Air conditioning worked as expected, the room was quiet at night. The bathroom continued in the highly-adorned manner of the bedroom, but in monochromatic hand-painted tiles.

The hallways of Pearl Palace Heritage Hotel sport graceful arches, bas-relief carvings, colorful wall paintings, carved wooden doors and decorative tile floors. Stairways are lined with historic photos.

Hallway outside our room. The floor tiles are different on each floor of the hotel.

*The photos along the stairs are fascinating.* (There is an elevator as well.)

Staff is friendly and helpful, too. The only negative to staying at Pearl Palace Heritage Hotel was the lack of a restaurant, but a rooftop restaurant is being built. Meanwhile, breakfast is delivered from nearby sister hotel, Pearl Palace, where we twice enjoyed a rooftop dinner. It’s a short tuk tuk ride away or a ten minute walk. The only minor downside there is the lack of a liquor license, so no wine or beer with dinner.

Front of the Pearl Palace Heritage Hotel. Scaffolding is related to building of the rooftop restaurant. The small round balconies are attached to some top-tier rooms.

Practical info:

I booked Pearl Palace Heritage Hotel on Hotels.com using the Topcashback portal for a rebate. The room I wanted was a “luxury king room” per the hotel website and cost $146.13 for three nights ($43.49/night plus $15.66 “tax recovery charges and service fees”), including breakfast, which we could choose to take in our room or in the breakfast area. More expensive rooms have small balconies and are more monochrome with carved stone predominating in the decor. They are lovely, too, but I couldn’t resist the fantastic painting that covered our room.

NOTE: Be careful not to confuse Pearl Palace Heritage Hotel with its sister hotel, Pearl Palace Hotel. The similarity in names is confusing. The other hotel is nice as well and its rooftop restaurant charming, but the decor cannot compete.

We arrived after midnight on our flight from Yangon via Bangkok and, at my request, the hotel sent a car to pick us up for 450 INR ($6.34 US). I definitely recommend this if arriving late. We ended up using the same driver, Ali, and his brother, Abès, in a tuk tuk and were very happy with the service. We used Ali’s tuk tuk once for a ride to the Pink City and once for a full day tour with Abès. Uber worked well in Jaipur (using our T-mobile included international Internet again) and we were able to use Uber to get back from the Pink City for a ridiculously cheap 35 cents or so. Simply acting like we were using our phones to call an Uber usually had tuk tuk drivers negotiating.

Port of Mumbai (Bombay), India

We’d booked a small group (10 person) tour of the city of Mumbai with fellow Cruise Critic-ers. We were with the same group with whom we’d done the houseboat excursion in the Alappuzha Backwaters and Cochin so it felt like a group of old friends. The cruise terminal in Mumbai is not particularly large or impressive. They’ve broken ground on a new terminal or terminal extension just beside the existing one. Inside the terminal there is some duty free shops with scarves, jewelry and the like. There’s also another security check and immigration check before you can exit the far side.

This is not a port that you can walk out of. Only authorized vehicles are allowed just outside the main terminal door, although our private tour bus (the same company, Muziris Heritage Day Tours, we used in Cochin–see practical info at the end of this post) was able to pick us up just beyond a barrier to the right as we exited (just in front of the construction site for the new terminal building).

Breaking ground on a new cruise port terminal next to the existing one

Unlike Cochin where we had a 10-passenger mini-bus, this time we were in a full-sized motor coach, a mixed bag. Our guide for the day was a diminutive older Indian woman with a sizable hunchback. Despite her infirmity and her petite size, she was spry and a quick walker. She also spoke excellent English and told us her name means monsoon rain.

Our tour followed an itinerary that seemed pretty prevalent: We drove through colonial English buildings to a main train station to watch the dabbawalas on their amazingly-organized daily delivery of lunch from home to Mumbai’s office workers.

Dabbawalas delivering lunches from the trains

Dabbawalas putting lunches on bikes for delivery to office workers

Then, we caught a local train for about a 15-minute ride to Mahalaxmi to view the huge outdoor laundry of Mumbai.

Mindboggling Mumbai laundry. Imagine trying to get each item back to its owner!

David and I both succumbed there to the impressive sales pitches of a young girl of 9 selling magnets and a lovely young teenage girl selling purses. They’d learned English, they said, selling on the streets. An impressive feat, and we could only wish the future held more real schooling for these bright, but poor, girls.

Our bus picked us back up at the laundry and drove us to the Krishna Radhagopinath Temple to view a ceremony in progress.

Krishna Ceremony in Radhagopinath Temple

We rode along the seafront promenade to the Gateway of India, a 1924 triumphal arch built to commemorate the visit of English King George V and Queen Mary. Locals gathered at the large square in front of the arch, taking photos of themselves…and us. Throughout India, we were asked to pose for photos with locals. Our guide confirmed that the motivation was our “white skin.”

After the Gateway, we had an hour to kill at the swank Taj Mahal Palacce Hotel. This was our least favorite part of the tour as the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel is Mumbai’s equivalent of the Ritz, with equivalent prices for restaurant options and high-end Western designer shops. There was nothing of interest to us there (other than the heavenly air conditioning and luxe restrooms).

Our group split up here and David and I ended up ducking into Le 15 Café in Colaba, a French café just around the corner from the Taj Mahal Palace. It wasn’t the Indian food we’d envisioned for our last meal in India, but they did take credit cards (We had no rupees and didn’t want to change money this late in the game.), had great air conditioning, decent prices and good sandwiches. We also struck up a conversation with a young woman from New Jersey who’d moved back to her parents’ home city to try her luck starting an IT business.

Traffic in Mumbai: even worse than usual while roads are torn up to build a subway

After lunch, we battled our way through Mumbai traffic, past the University of Mumbai to a photo stop in front of the classic Victoria Station (see lead photo above), and on to Crawford Market, also known as Mahatma Jotibe Phule Market. The market was a large, bustling affair selling produce to locals as well as dry goods and spices to locals and tourists. Traffic is especially horrific in Mumbai now as the roads are torn up everywhere while the city installs a much-needed subway system.

Crawford Market, also known as Mahatma Jotibe Phule Market

Crawford Market a/k/a Mahatma Jotibe Phule Market

All in all, we enjoyed seeing Mumbai, although it was our least favorite India stop on this cruise. Unlike our other ports of call in India (Cochin and Goa), Mumbai has banned cows on the streets and tuk tuks. We saw lots of garbage and poverty as elsewhere in India, but there was definitely a more cosmopolitan, urbane vibe to Mumbai. Of course, this was a only brief glimpse of the city, so opinion here is limited to our experience and the tour we took in Mumbai versus what we did in the ports of Cochin and Goa.

I had mixed feelings overall about this tour of Mumbai. The main con for us was the lunch break at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. I wasn’t wild about the larger motor coach, but watching taxis stuck in traffic, I couldn’t help but think we were cooler and more comfortable. Sitting higher also allowed us to see over the mass of cars (and we weren’t breathing exhaust fumes like many of the people we saw in cars, taxis and on motorcycles). The biggest pros were our knowledgeable guide, the professionalism of the tour company, and the quality of the bus. Our guide’s timing was excellent so that we managed to be on site just as the dabbawalas, those amazing lunch delivery men, began their routine near the train station. We also arrived just in time to watch a ceremony at the Krishna Radhagopinath Temple, remaining right up until the end. We passed another group of tourists on our way out whose guide had delivered them to the spot just in time to miss the ceremony entirely.

________________________________

Practical Stuff: We paid Muziris Heritage Day Tours $80 per person for this tour. The bus was clean, in good condition, and well-air-conditioned. It arrived and dropped us off promptly. We were able to pay in US dollars at the end of the tour. They also accepted credit cards with a 3% surcharge.

Port of Mormugao (Goa), India: Old Goa and Colva Beach

12-2019 NOTE: SEE COMMENT FROM MARTIN FOLLOWING THIS POST REGARDING CHANGES FOR THE WORSE AT THE MORMUGAO PORT.

I decided that Goa was the Indian port where we’d go it on our own. Researching ahead of the trip, I’d read warnings about Goa port taxis (the “taxi mafia”) and local newspapers decried the state of affairs at the port and the port authority’s slow pace at installing a promised taxi stand with fixed prices that cruise ship passengers could trust. Happily, we arrived to find that a taxi stand was now in place and the system works smoothly and cheaply. Goa turned out to be fun, cheap, and just what we wanted.

Immigration booths are set up on the dock just outside the ship’s ramps. Just beyond immigration is a money exchange that takes both cash and debit cards. Right next to the money exchange is the official taxi stand. Cash is required for the taxis. Eight tours are offered in guests’ choice of a compact car or SUV. Alternatively, you can create your own itinerary and rent either a car or SUV for 8 hours with either 100, 125 or 150 kilometers. Any overage is charged at a very reasonably 14 rupees/km to be paid directly to the driver. All vehicles are air-conditioned.

Ship-side immigration booths in Goa; convenient and fast

We opted for 8 hours with a compact taxi and 100 kilometers since I wanted to see Old Goa (“Velha Goa”) and then spend time on one of Goa’s famous beaches. (I calculated distance and drive time in advance using Google Maps: We’d basically be traveling a triangle with about 1 hour of driving on each leg.) Our total cost was 1700 rupees (just under $30), an awesome deal, especially when compared to the sky-high tour prices offered by Celebrity. (For example, Celebrity wanted $109.75 each–$219.50!–for transfer to and from a beach where we’d get 4 hours free time and lunch at a beach-side restaurant. And no Old Goa included in that excursion.)

Money changing under the blue tent to the right; taxi/tour vouchers for sale under the blue tent to the left

Simple, cheap options for hiring taxis and booking tours on the spot at the Mormugao (Goa) port dock

We paid for our taxi, got a voucher in exchange with the license plate number of our taxi and the driver’s name and were directed to walk to the nearby port gate where someone would help us find our taxi.

Voucher we gave to our taxi driver (with personal info redacted)

There’s a bit of a chaotic air outside the gate with lots of taxis and drivers milling about, but with the help of some of the drivers standing around, we quickly found our taxi.

I was a little worried at first when our driver brusquely shrugged off my first choice of a South Goa beach, saying he would take us to another just a bit farther on that was also on my list of 3 beaches I was interested in (provided by a native-Goan assistant waiter on the ship). Not absolutely wedded to my first choice, I went along with his suggestion. Our next point of contention came when we pulled out of the port and he seemed to disagree with David’s request to roll up the window and turn on the air conditioning. A crazy idea in the brutal heat! We told him we’d get out of the car if he didn’t turn on the air conditioning and he acceded. After those initial conflicts, I was worried we’d be stuck for the day with a surly driver, but he was fine after that and took good care of us for the rest of the day. His English was limited, so some of the subtleties were no doubted missed on all sides.

The main roads we traveled to Old Goa were in great shape and obviously newly paved and expanded. Still, it’s an hour drive from the port at Mormugao to Old Goa due to winding roads and small towns that we had to pass through. We drove through the city of Vasco da Gama, pausing for a quick visit at a Hindu temple before continuing to to Old Goa.

Our first stop in Old Goa was at the ruins of the Church of St. Augustine, built in 1602 by the Portuguese. The sole remaining tower belfry created a dramatic highlight to the extensive ruins of the church and adjoining convent.

A nice visual aid at St. Augustine belfry

Our driver waited while we wandered the ruins, then informed us that we would stop at 3 shops before continuing on to the churches that form the center of Old Goa. We weren’t thrilled about the all-too-common store detour, but quickly realized this was something our driver needed to do. We gamely looked around the first store, a glitzy place reminiscent of People’s Stores in China, offering high-priced trinkets, jewelry, furniture and more. There were some lovely things, but we had absolutely no interest. Heck, most of our belongings are in storage during this vagabond period of our life! I tried to talk our driver out of the second store, but had no luck so we made an even shorter stop. (We ran into a group cruise excursion at that 2nd store and we were more than happy to be free to leave as they were stuck until the last person had made a purchase or made their way through the long line for the toilets.) Back in the taxi, I told our driver we would go in the last shop, but only “for him.” No, he insisted, “for you.” We back-and-forthed that a couple of times, but all in good humor. David and I made one last, speedy stop in a nearly empty store–taking advantage of the clean, western-style toilets and no line–and finally we were on our way the few blocks to the center of Old Goa.

Courtyard attached to Bom Jesus Basilica

Our driver let us off near some souvenir stalls, pointed the way to the Bom Jesus Basilica and then indicated how we should proceed to the other sites and where to meet him when we were through. He left the length of our visit entirely up to us.

With the Indian school summer vacation (April-May) in full swing, most of the tourists to the basilica appeared to be Indian families, although we spotted some fellow cruise ship passengers inside. We joined a line to file to the right of the main altar and to a back section of the church that held a holy relic, a large excessively-bloody crucifix and other religious items. We circled an inner courtyard before exiting the basilica to head across the road to the main grounds of the Archeological Survey of India, which consists of a manicured lawn area surrounding seven churches, cathedrals, the basilica and an archeological museum. We opted to skip the museum, but took in the grand Se’ Cathedral and the smaller, but beautifully-painted Church of St. Francis of Assisi (both free-of-charge).

Archaeological Monuments of Old Goa: Se’ Cathedral and the Church and Convent of St. Francis of Assisi

Detail of ceiling painting from Church of St. Francis of Assisi

Walking the short distance back to the road, we met our driver and started off on the approximately 1-hour drive to Colva Beach. I’d originally wanted to visit the smaller, less-visited Betelbatim Beach which is adjacent to Colva, but at our driver’s suggestion/insistence, Colva it was. At first, I was worried that he’d steered us to an over-crowded, cheesy touristy beach, thinking that was what we Westerners must want. The area just around the main access to the beach is dotted with tourist shops and little dive-y cafes. Lots of people milled about, too. Hmm. Not looking great. At least they were locals and we weren’t stuck in a Western-style resort. We walked over a small footbridge to the beach and saw that a string of casual waterfront restaurants spread out to our left along a naturally wide white-sand beach.

The beginning of restaurants along Colva Beach near main entry road

Happily, we could see that the throng thinned out pretty quickly further away from the main access road. We took off our shoes and strolled through the delightfully warm water to the last restaurant, Luke’s Place, attracted by both the look of the place and the location in spite of the uninspiring and less-than-exotic name.

Lots of free lounge chairs in front of Luke’s Place

Noticing another Western couple on two of a string of otherwise-unoccupied lounge chairs under an umbrella in front of the restaurant, I asked if they spoke English and discovered they were English and had been staying near this beach and frequenting this restaurant for two weeks. The woman was wearing a bikini and assured me I’d get no odd looks or hassles for wearing my bathing suit at Colva, despite the fact that all the local women were wading into the ocean in full saris. (I couldn’t believe how casually they treated those gorgeous dresses!) We did have the usual people wanting to take photos with us pale-skinned foreigners. I told David that in our “skimpy” Western bathing suits, it must be for them like Victorian travelers posing with topless natives! The Brits also informed us that the restaurant made excellent food, the large (strong) Kingfisher beer was a good buy, and that the owner would watch our things if we used the lounge chairs and they’d had absolutely no problems. Proving their point, they wandered off for a long stroll, leaving their belongings. This sounded perfect and turned out to be just that.

Luke’s Place, empty on an early afternoon on a weekday

We enjoyed a good, made-to-order Indian food meal (only Indian rupees accepted) with a great view, then planted ourselves on the cushioned loungers to sunbathe a little before swimming in the ocean. I lost my sunglasses to some great body-surfing and stupidity, but oh well. It was high time I retired those anyway…and I felt pretty sure I could find a cheap pair in India to tide me over until I got back home where I had a good pair waiting.

The ride back to the ship was about another hour and we rolled into the port parking lot, using all but about a half a kilometer of the 100 km we’d paid for. Not bad!

Port of Cochin, India: Houseboat through the Alappuzha Backwaters & Old Cochin

Our first stop in India was Cochin (a/k/a Kochi) in the state of Kerala on the southwest coast. My first time in India, Cochin was a port I was really looking forward to and it didn’t disappoint. We loved this stop! I used Cruise Critic connections to book us with a group of ten fellow cruise passengers on a full day tour, including lunch and a cruise on a traditional houseboat on the Alappuzha (a/k/a “Alleppey”) Backwaters near Cochin. (Find details at the end of this post.)

It’s about a 2-hour drive from the port of Cochin to the Alappuzha Backwaters where we boarded our houseboat. Kerala is one of the most prosperous and well-educated states in India with a nearly 94% literacy rate. Women have higher standing than elsewhere in India as it is a traditionally matrilineal society with inheritance following the female line and mothers the heads of households. While more than 50% Hindu, there are large populations of Muslims and Christians in Kerala. The drive to the Backwaters took us through lush green rural areas, small towns, markets, ubiquitous garbage and ramshackle buildings, as well as some upscale-looking homes and apartment buildings; the chaotic hodgepodge we came to expect of India.

Our Backwaters houseboat turned out to be a 2-bedroom, 1-story boat of the traditional type, in very good condition. We sat in the bow, just behind the captain at his wheel, on benches that ran along the sides of the boat under the shade of a canopy. Four chairs around a cocktail table and a large dining table occupied the center of the space.

We spent a couple of hours leisurely cruising the Backwaters, making a lazy loop that took us out into a big wide-open lake. We spent most of the time in narrower canals bordered by homes that sit below sea-level and flood regularly each year despite low dams built along stretches of the canals. We passed people bathing, doing laundry, fishing and, in general, going about their daily lives.

The call to prayer began as we passed a small mosque, music played from somewhere out of sight. Many other houseboats and smaller boats plied the waters. It’s a unique place and I really enjoyed the whole experience.

A cook prepared our Indian food lunch in the galley at the stern of the ship, then served us buffet-style on the dining table under the canopy. Due to recent regulations in Kerala, beer is not allowed and we were served juice and water. The food was good and plentiful, if not spicy enough for my tastes.

Boards served as walkways between houseboats which docked several deep.

After our Backwaters cruise, we drove back into Old Cochin. We visited the dhobi khana or town laundry operated by Tamil-speaking members of the Vannar Sangham community of untouchables whose ancestors were brought here by the Dutch in the 1700’s to wash army uniforms. (Even though our guide told us the caste system was no longer followed in Cochin, he seemed to think the Tamil origin of these people explained the difference.). The only woman ironing at the time was using an old ember-filled iron since the electricity was out due to a recent electrical storm. Old-fashioned, labor-intensive cleaning and ironing methods are used. Clothes are starched prior to ironing by dipping in rice water.

Each family of Vannar Sangham has their own washing station in the laundry

Washed clothes are hung to dry on wooden frames in a large field. In monsoon season, they use dryers, but it takes a long time as the workers hang the clothes out whenever they can so have to continually hang them and take them down. Washermen and women can lose half of their income during monsoon season.

No clothespins: Clothes are fastened for drying by tucking ends into twisted rope

We walked along the riverfront to view fishermen using “Chinese nets,” fishing nets of ancient design, operated with weighted structures of the size and shape of a fair-sized sailboat sail. Some of the seafood on offer was entirely new to us like weird, flathead “river lobsters.”

Framing photos wider shows the less-picturesque aspects of India

Flathead river lobsters (front left) were new to us

In another historic neighborhood, we took a short walk to the only remaining synagogue in Cochin which occupies a dead end on a shopping street. The Paradesi Synagogue was built in 1568 by descendants of Spanish, Dutch and other European Jews and is now maintained by the five remaining Jews in the city. A clock tower attached to the synagogue, built in 1760 and under restoration, adds the only architectural detail of interest visible from outside the plain blue synagogue (which is not open to the public). We had a little free time to explore the many shops on the street leading to the synagogue before heading back to the ship.

Old Cochin shopping street viewed with the synagogue’s blue wall on the right

Spice shop. What great smells from this place!

Practical info: Our tour operator was Muziris Heritage Day Tours. Our pre-trip contact (not our guide) was Lijo Jose who was recommended by a fellow cruiser who’d used him before. The company apparently does a lot of cruise excursions and their site has a whole section on those. They were waiting to meet us, holding signs, as we debarked. They did several similar-sized tours on the day we were in port, so have the capability to handle a fair number of customers. We were very happy with the tour, pre-trip communication, houseboat, and the value (especially when compared to the cruise price and product as discussed below). The only snafu in the tour came at the very end when we spent about 15 minutes parked on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere while we waited for someone from the tour company to arrive with a credit card machine for those wishing to pay by card. (We paid cash in U.S. dollars. There was a small charge for credit cards, I believe 3%.)

To give you an idea of just how outrageous cruise excursion prices usually are: We paid $80 each versus the $220.75 apiece the cruise ship wanted for the same itinerary. We had ten people in a very nice, mini-van-style small bus vs. a cruise excursion which would have been 40 or so people on a motor coach. From complaints we heard later, our houseboat was nicer than what the cruise excursion people got. The only downside to our mini-bus was that, while we had three “captain’s chairs” on either side of our main aisle, the remaining four us had to take the four seats across the back that were not as spacious. We had a great group with us, though, and volunteers swapped the front seats for the back seats on the return ride. Given the huge price difference, the small size of our group, and the quality of the tour, we were more than happy.

Back in Antwerp for 6 weeks and a preview of travels to come

David and I are happily back in Antwerp, Belgium, for 6 weeks once again cat- and house-sitting for some of our favorite people and cats in one of our favorite cities. As always when in Belgium, we’ll be exploring this beautiful country and scouting great beer. We’ll spend a month in Paris when we leave here, just to touch base in my old home and enjoy the holiday season before heading back stateside.

Coming up in the spring [March-June]: Another Korean Air First Class mega-flight from DFW to Seoul to Singapore(!), a few weeks in Indonesia (Bali, Java, etc.), then back to Singapore to catch a month cruise to Europe (via Sri Lanka, India (Cochin, Goa, Mumbai), Oman, UAE (Dubai, Abu Dhabi), Suez Canal, Jordan (Petra), Greece, Italy). When we get off the ship in Italy, we’ll spend a couple of weeks in Umbria (in an agrotourism farm) and Tuscany (at a small-town apartment) before flying from Florence back to Antwerp.

If any of these interest you, check back in. I’m also always open to suggestions!