After flopping on my bed I decided to snap out it, the journey hadn't been that bad, I was here, I had part two of my arrival plan (shower, walk, find water) and needed to just get on with it. 'Getting on with it' seems to be a theme in Mumbai (but then again so does not getting on with it, people are either very busy or doing nothing) It was definitely the trick to crossing the road, which I realised after waiting for quite a while for a nice long gap in the cars, motorbikes, taxis and tuktuks without much luck. I also learnt quickly that using the pavements was useless, pavements were for sitting on, sleeping on - this was the not getting on with it bit - or for setting up shop. I walked in the gutter like everyone else and hoped I wasn't going go get hit by a car (apparently unlike everyone else, who don't seem to care).
I walked around the block first just to orientate myself and found it was already much cooler than when I had arrived. I then headed to Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus, the main train station and a UNESCO world heritage site due to it's 'Victorian Italianate Gothic Revival architecture and traditional Mhugal buildings' (wikipedia). Unfortunately I missed all this as I managed to walk down the wrong road and ended up at the end of a very very long and deserted platform, underneath a very sad little 'Welcome to CST' sign and no discernible architecture what so ever, Gothic or otherwise. So I walked down the platform and eventually spotted the 'Mhugal buildings' and the hundreds of people pouring into it, but somehow not pouring out. I made my way straight through the building a out into the day light on the other side to get a look at the station, which was difficult for two reasons. First the pavement outside the station was filled with people, animals, stalls and more people. The second being that if you do manage to find a space it doesn't last for long before you're pushed out of the way. So sorry, there are no pictures, I will try again tomorrow from the other side of the road. I then decided to make my way back to the hostel, hoping I could find it. It was just round the corner as was a bank and a cafe where I stocked up on bottled water. I went back to my room, washed my filthy feet and fell asleep.
I walked around the block first just to orientate myself and found it was already much cooler than when I had arrived. I then headed to Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus, the main train station and a UNESCO world heritage site due to it's 'Victorian Italianate Gothic Revival architecture and traditional Mhugal buildings' (wikipedia). Unfortunately I missed all this as I managed to walk down the wrong road and ended up at the end of a very very long and deserted platform, underneath a very sad little 'Welcome to CST' sign and no discernible architecture what so ever, Gothic or otherwise. So I walked down the platform and eventually spotted the 'Mhugal buildings' and the hundreds of people pouring into it, but somehow not pouring out. I made my way straight through the building a out into the day light on the other side to get a look at the station, which was difficult for two reasons. First the pavement outside the station was filled with people, animals, stalls and more people. The second being that if you do manage to find a space it doesn't last for long before you're pushed out of the way. So sorry, there are no pictures, I will try again tomorrow from the other side of the road. I then decided to make my way back to the hostel, hoping I could find it. It was just round the corner as was a bank and a cafe where I stocked up on bottled water. I went back to my room, washed my filthy feet and fell asleep.
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