We met our guide, Regini, and a driver, at the Green Gate of the Port at 7:15 this morning. Regini proceeded to guide us through much of Mumbai that we didn’t see yesterday. First we went to the Sassoon Dock/Fisherman’s Wharf, where hundreds of fishermen were on the docks, preparing and selling their catch. It was a colorful, busy scene.
We visited St. John’s Evangelist Church, also known as the Afghan Church. Regini asked the caretaker to open the church for us. We were the only visitors. The church was built by the British to commemorate the dead of the First Afghan War and the 1842 retreat from Kabul, when the British Army was almost completely annihilated while occupying Kabul. The church was beautiful!
We drove through the Military Area of Mumbai, the Banking Area, to Marine Drive and the Sea Promenade. We stopped at a Dhabi Ghat, an open air laundry to walk about. We stopped at a second Fisherman’s Village, with a small beach area, where fisherman live and work.
We drove through Malabar Hill, the expensive residential area of Mumbai, and the most expensive home in the world, with 27 floors in the height of a 60 story building, space for 600 staff, and costing about $2 billion. The home is near to Mahatma Ghandi’s home and museum. We stopped at the Sacred Banganga Water Tank nearby, dating to the 12th century, and forming a temple complex. The water in the tank is regarded as a subsidiary of the Ganges and is considered sacred.
Our next stop was the Crawford Market, with fruits, vegetables, meats, household, and fabrics sold. I shopped for fabrics and bought several pieces for under $25 total. We made a stop at a second Dhabi Ghat, open air laundry, with skyscraper buildings ever closer. It was an amazing day in an amazing city! We’ve never seen such a busy city, with so many people on the streets walking, shopping, working, and virtually every woman wearing colorful clothes. Loved it!
