The flight from Goa to Mumbai via Jet Air took a little over an hour and I was soon on my way in a prepaid taxi to a hostel I had plumped for as it was only 15 minutes from the airport I would be returning to in less than 48 hours for the homeward flight that would signal the end of my time in India.
Now I had taken a screen save of the directions to the hostel and even a picture of the map but my non English speaking Indian driver was totally at a loss to follow either and believe it or not it took over an hour to find the hostel and then only after telephoning the hostel.
His demands for extra money fell on deaf ears as pre-pay means just that and I was not going to be held responsible for his ineptness. The fare with prepaid taxis as I have often mentioned is usually cheaper than a normal cab although 380 Rupee for a 15 minute journey seemed excessive but I will come back to that later.
The hostel was in an area of Mumbai near a train station called Andehri and to be honest had nothing going for it other than close proximity to the airport and as I later discovered "Street Food".
After settling in and a shower I wandered the area taking in the sights and my first taste of an Arabic food, "Chicken Shawarma" was a real treat at 90 Rupee.
Later, I entertained a cheese Masala Dosa which although a little spicier than I would have liked was excellent after which I cooled the mouth down with some Indian ice cream and made my way back to the hostel for an early night as I wanted to do a day sightseeing in the morning.
Next day, after a breakfast of Porridge, banana and honey I set off to find the sightseeing bus I was informed left at 10 am, however, I spent over an hour trying to find anyone who spoke English to give me directions and by the time I did, I'd missed the bus.
Although Mumbai is not the capital, it is a major city and yet I found it quite inhospitable and the people the most unhelpful in all of my travels around India.
After lunch I decided to wander my neighbour hood and shoot pictures of the locals selling their wares under the flyover. From fruit sellers to the chai wallah, the peanut seller to the girls selling saris all with a smile on their face. These are the people I will remember with fondness from my time here.
I had eventually managed to get a cab to take me to the airport from "Ole" an online cab company and the cab turned up on time and got me to the airport in 15 minutes and for only 175 Rupee so I will make sure when I return to India I have an "Ole" app on my phone. But for now I must say goodbye and thank you to all the people I have met along the way who made my stay in India so enjoyable.
