Jean Johnson

Every year, one of my non-negotiable goals is to explore new destinations. It's like a personal tradition that I keep following annually. When the year starts I typically initiate the planning for that year's trip, which includes the destinations, rough budget calculations etc. This time, I am here to share with you one such trip which includes Mumbai and some places in Rajasthan. In this blog , I aim to recount my experience in Mumbai and how we end up spending an extra day here.

DAY 1 : THE BEGINNING

Me and my friends, after extensive planning, decided to visit rajasthan. For this we booked flights and Mumbai was just a one day intermediary stop for us. We caught the vistara flight to Mumbai at 6:00 am. I was very excited for this flight because I had only traveled once in flight, that too when I was 5 years old. I keep constantly asking doubts about luggage, the procedure to follow at airport, etc out of excitement of doing something new. The boarding went smoothly and we waited for our flight. I was assigned the window seat, and was eagerly waiting for the lift off. The flight took off pretty smoothly. As the plane ascended into the sky, I could see the gradual change in the landscape below, the cityscape shrinking into miniature buildings, and the vastness of the sky engulfing us.

The experience of flying was surreal, I witnessed the breathtaking views from above as we soared through the clouds. At some point of time the land was not visible, we were flying above the cloud which created a unique view of a sea made up of soft vibrant wooly cotton. Soon, it was time for descent as we approached Mumbai. Looking out of the window, I could see the sprawling cityscape, with its towering skyscrapers, long highways, bustling streets and you can also see the slums. The pilot guided the plane towards the runway of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj airport, and as we made our descent, I could feel the excitement building up. The landing was gentle, and as the plane touched down, I was brimming with mixed emotions, and was filled with anticipation for the adventures awaiting for us in the city of Mumbai.

We had less time to spend in Mumbai, because we had to board the next train to Jaipur (Rajasthan) which would arrive around 5 pm. So we booked an uber and went to the area near the railway station. While traveling I noticed some contrast in its landscape. The deeper we enter the city, we can see that the city is mixed with luxurious skyscrapers and large slum settlements. While observing these things several thoughts crossed my mind about the lives within those slums, the challenges they face, how the economically blooming side and the impoverished neighborhoods coexist side by side.

At 12 pm we opted to enter burger king, to have some light snacks and to escape the afternoon heat. We searched online and called some friends to enquire about some good restaurants to eat lunch. After around one hour we found a food place and decided to eat lunch from there. We ended up in a restaurant called “Lucky Restaurant”, hoping to eat some delicious food. And to be honest the restaurant food was delicious. While looking around we found autographs of famous personalities like, Sachin Tendulkar, M.S Dhoni, etc . I think they must have visited the restaurant, since it was known to serve good food. If you are visiting this place try their caramel custard which was tasty. We still had some time left before we boarded on our train, so we walked to a nearby lake named “bandra talao”. The lake side was flocked with pigeons and some goats. The water was not very clean but there were some benches available for sitting. We decided to rest there, clicked some photos of the lake and nearby buildings etc.

After that we got an auto rickshaw and went to the railway station and started waiting for the train while having some friendly conversations. The train was supposed to be at the platform and it was time to depart. But the train did not arrive. We asked a person and showed them our ticket, the reply shocked us. He said that this train will be at the other main terminal which was like 1 km away. Upon hearing this news we rushed outside, got a taxi and reached the railway station, but the train had already left the station. We have already booked and planned our Rajasthan trip, so we have to somehow make it to Jaipur. We started to discuss brainstorming ideas, from renting a car to booking a bus to Jaipur etc was said in the discussion but most of the plans had some issues. At last we checked the flight ticket and luckily for us tomorrow the ticket was at 10:00 pm and that too at low cost. We settled on the plan to book those tickets. Now this is how we ended up spending an extra day at Mumbai.

After booking a stay we booked the flights and roamed around the streets of Mumbai at night. Most of the restaurants were closed. Finally we found a vegetarian restaurant and had dinner. Once back at the hotel, we had planned a rough itinerary for tomorrow. After that we kept on talking, shared some stories and experiences and I learned that even in dire situations if you have good people with you, then any situation can be transformed into a journey filled with possibility and adventure.

DAY 2: EXPLORATION

Our unexpected extra day in this vibrant city started late. Some of my friends were feeling sick and needed some rest, so we ended up spending the afternoon at the accommodation. After we checked out the stay, we booked a cab and went straight to the location near the Gateway of India. There we stumbled upon a nicely decorated casual dining outlet named “Effingut Mumbai”, where we had some tasty pizzas and beverages. After having the delicious food, we made our way to the Gateway of India. Excitement buzzed in the air, but little did we know that the place was very crowded, also it was Republic Day. The festivities had drawn lots of people to this historic landmark. Despite the crowd, we managed to capture glimpses of the magnificent structure.

However the entry inside was restricted because it was getting ready for hosting some event. Nevertheless, the energy of the day infused our spirits with enthusiasm as we snapped photos and traversed through the crowd.Wandering further, our eyes caught sight of the majestic Taj Hotel, standing as a symbol of elegance in the city full of hustle and bustle. With every click of our cameras, we captured the essence of Mumbai's rich heritage and modernity, while merging with the crowd as one of them in the vast place. With time ticking, we bid farewell to Mumbai's iconic sights and headed towards the airport.

As we embarked on our journey to the airport, the sky painted a beautiful mesmerizing canvas of colors, announcing the end of the day. The city skyline silhouette against the backdrop of the setting sun created a scene like a cinematic beauty, straight out of some film. From within our car, we watched the transformation of Mumbai into a tapestry of golden hues, a fitting farewell to the city of extremes.

Amidst the splendor of Mumbai's skyline, I couldn't help but reflect on the contrasts we had witnessed during our brief stay. The luxury skyscrapers and sprawling slum settlements painted a striking picture of the city's socio-economic diversity. It served as a reminder of the resilience and resourcefulness of its residents, navigating life's challenges within the towering structures of progress. As night descended upon Mumbai, we boarded our 10 pm flight, bidding farewell to the city that had captured our hearts in unexpected ways. Touching down in Jaipur on the morning of January 27th, we carried with us memories of Mumbai's warmth, chaos, and spirit, ready to embrace the next chapter of our journey through Rajasthan's enchanting landscapes.