A day in Mumbai - Wetter than thou

Now, being British, you would think that a little rain is hardly headline news, and I know you are all having your share back home, so I won't go on about it.

We had a lie in today, as we feel we totally earnt it, and it was raining very hard this morning at 6am, so we decided more sleep would be a better option.

Our day technically started with lunch at the hotel, Steph had a risotto made with egg plant (apparently if you don't eat meat here then your diet is all about the egg plant), and I had a mozzarella and tomato sarnie and the best coffee I have ever had. Although that could be due to the quiting smoking and me getting my sense of taste back. On a side note, I am now 48 hours in, and hating it, but must be strong. If I turn into a git without cigarettes, then you're all gonna pay! Starting with Steph!

After lunch, we packed a day sack, and headed for Marine Drive. We walked along the sea front, with our focus being Chowpatty beach. About a mile in it started to drizzle a little, but we were brave and didn't reach for our kagools. A little rain is nothing to us. It eased, and then warmed up again, and we began to dry off. This lasted about five minutes, and I think our "rain? Tsk. Come and have a go if you think your hard enough" attitude was about to be throughly destroyed. Let me take the time now to discribe the rain. It is heavy, like a great bathroom shower. Strong like a presure washer Persistent like a Mumbai cab driver.

Imagine now if you will, the rest of this narative taking place in this intense rain storm. I will include wetness ratings.

We made it to chowpatty beach, and found that because indians are not crazy, the beach is pretty empty when it is raining. They all run for cover, and they find it in the strangest places. Huddled under bridges, in shop door ways, and even in the shadow of a tree trunk! Wetness rating: dripping.

We thought it might be an idea to find a shop to shelter in, but couldn't find one that might have a towel, changing room, drying room, fresh clothes, warm tea and an umbrella. So we pressed onward around the north cost of the bay. Wetness rating: soaked.

Next stop was right to the end of the spit of land that forms the north side of the bay. We were looking for the Banganga Tank. Its the oldest sacred Hindu site in Mumbai, thought to be the centre of the world! Essentially, its a rectangle of water. Pretty, but a bit like a public outdoor swimming pool that's dirty, with no one swimming in it. It was tough to find, and we had to ask where it was. Wetness rating: pushed in a pool, with your clothes on.

We then pretty much sailed up the hill, negotiating rivers, and lakes formed in the raod by the rain (which has by this point, still not eased up at all). The Kamala Nehru park was ok, maybe better in the dry. Again, it was pretty, and the views were great across the bay, and back down to chowpatty beach. The crows were out in force, looking haggared, but they kept themselves to themselves, and even struck a pose or two. Wetness rating: soaked to the bone marrow.

Opposite the park were the Pherozeshah Mehta Gardens or Hanging Gardens. However, that name completely mis-sells the experience. Unless they hang people there. It was a little bit like a garden from Disney Land, with strange dustbins made to to look like penguines.

In summary, I don't mean to be negative about these places, but I think that Mumbai is just not really a "beautiful places to go" kind of place.