We plan to get some value out of our rail passes and explore the suburbs a little today but first we drop our laundry off at the place right next door to the hotel. "Tonight or tomorrow morning? " We say that tomorrow morning will be fine and head off to Churchgate Station for the short train ride to Mahalaxmi. Immediately outside the station is the viewing point for the famous Dhobi Ghats where most of Mumbai sends its laundry. An impressive sight but things are a little blighted by the souvenier hawkers who won't take no for an answer. We don't spot any of our stuff.
Back on the train heading north to our next stop, Santacruz. We have picked up a small brochure/map listing some of the attractions of the Juhu Beach area and we thought that we would give it the once over. The slight fault with the map is that it does not show any railway stations. Yesterday A initiated D into the mysteries of m-Indicator, an Android App that covers local transport in Mumbai. With this on a smartphone you have all of the info that you need to navigate the system but you need a reliable map once you get off the train. At Santacruz we followed the Skywalk above the streets as it seemed to be heading west, towards the sea.
When the Skywalk ran out we descend to street level and set about bargaining with an auto driver. He looks at us as if we are mad and taps the meter. We jump on and set off for Juhu Beach, home of the stars. We are stunned to be charged 37 rupees for our ride. This is probably the cheapest auto ride we have ever had. If only other cities made the system work. We have no objection to paying a fair price for a ride but in too many places you end up feeling cheated. Once Mr Modi has picked up all of the litter perhaps he could address the issue.
Juhu Beach looks like a pretty run of the mill patch of sand to us. Presumably the guy who parked his truck in the middle of it was not particularly impressed either. We see no stars, just a lot of men in red trilbys who look like some sort of sales team, so decide to move on in search of elevenses. Each in turn we spurn the Ramada Plaza, Starbucks, Cafe Coffee Day and the Marriott. Cafe Moshe's is approved by R and we linger over pots of tea and Marzipan Carrot Cake. Still no Bollywood stars but we probably would not recognise them anyway.
Outside we find an auto driver who takes us back to the station on the meter. We hop a local for the two stop ride to Andheri where the newly built Mumbai Metro intersects with the suburban network. This is on D's 'Must Do' list for this trip. On exiting the railway station we totally fail to spot the prominent signs pointing towards the Metro and instead take a long walk around the local market before realising that we must cross back over the railway to get there. It is all shiny and new, with teams of young ladies in smart uniforms to explain how to use the ticket gate and where to stand on the platform. Compared with Delhi or Kolkata it is pricey - 20 rupees for a two stop ride, but the trains are spacious and spotless. In 20 years or so when it connects the city centre with the airport this will be a really useful system.
A discrete veil will be drawn over lunch. We picked a spot from the tourist brochure that was a much longer walk than the map appeared to indicate. When we got there, all hot and bothered, it was part of a cinema food court with very ordinary, but overpriced food and drink. We auto'd back to Andheri and got a train heading downtown. We had spotted a highly recommended kulfi place listed at the north end of Marine Drive, so we detrained a couple of stops before the terminus and walked to it. The front of the store took the full force of the afternoon sun but the chap pointed round the corner where there were a couple of benches in shady and surprisingly clean alley. The kulfi portions were huge and it was absolutely delicious.
When we had finished there was a taxi waiting by the pavement. We tell him the name of our hotel and hop in. He heads off down Marine Drive but to D's surprise does not turn left at Churchgate. R says not to be silly, a taxi driver will know his way around. He takes us much further south than we have been before and is clearly heading somewhere else. Eventually D's protests get through and a smartly dressed lady pedestrian is asked to interpret. D produces the map and the correct destination is agreed. The driver seems genuinely apologetic and it's not a bad day for a drive. In total our extended tour of South Mumbai costs less than £1.50 and we were not in a hurry so no harm done.
Tonight we are going to eat at the 'Taste of Kerala', close to the hotel and another recommendation by an IndiaMiker. It is unpretentious and is not licensed but we can get by on water in an emergency. We order veg pulao, prawns masala and parothas, a kind of flaky chapati. It is served promptly, is very tasty and unbelievably cheap. The total bill is less than £2.50. As we are leaving D needs a comfort break and asks for directions. A junior waiter is summoned and leads D out of the door, down the street, round a corner, into another restaurant, through a door at the back into some kind of dormitory, and along the dormitory to a gents with no working lights. It would have been quicker to go back to the hotel. Returning to the restaurant D counted 110 paces, a bit like a Wetherspoons.
As we were about to turn in, the room phone rings. Our laundry is ready. The man brings it up to the room in a very neat parcel, washed, dried and pressed beautifully. Every single one of the twenty four items that we sent has a small piece of blue cloth attached with a piece of thin twine. On the cloth is written the Hotel's code number plus our room number. All present and correct after an outing to Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghat. Total bill just over £6. Isn't India just brilliant?
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