Mumbai 3: Old Town and Colaba

I started from Hutatma Chowk, or Flora fountain.. near the biggest train station in Mumbai, Victoria Terminus.
As all other roads and streets in Mumbai.. the road was so packed with vehicles, buses, trucks.. but no auto rickshaw can enter this area.
Hutatma Chowk is a round about to intersect 4 main roads. It has some statue with old style - british influence.

This is the old town area which buildings have a great influence by british design and all are old building.. if we don't see the people and the wheater.. then would be very easy to mistake it with some old cities in Europe.

The things that still amazed me in India is the number of people.. yes I come from Indonesia which population is over than 250 mill people already.. but see India and you then will know what it means by " a lot of people".
People just are everywhere.. walking, working, playing, sitting down and chatting, eating..
And numbers of vehicles in the street, the taxi swerving around, so hectic and so lively.

I went out from the taxi and strolling along the big street towards the Gate of India. Passed several landmark as the art gallery, Price of wales Museum, Times building, library.. I like this part of the city. And seems that it is a tourist area, since I saw a lot of foreigner walking around as well.

Then I reach the end of the road, which also the end of the land since there is the cape, facing the Arabian Sea. Gate of India located as the landmark and tourist attraction. Huge.. and again British style of gate.. lots of people coming to see and take some pictures.

I saw a little boy, trying to get empty bottles people threw into the water. He used a net to catch the bottle.

The sun was so hot..but still bearable.. much better than what I tought I will find in India.

I keep walking to the right, going along the Chowpatty beach and passing the Grand Taj-Hotel, the most luxurious hotel in Mumbai.

Then I keep walking and try to find the way to go to Colaba. Finally I turn right again, entering a small alley with a school kids gathering around. The streets is small, old, with big treets on the side of it and lots of leaves falling down.

Then I arrived at colaba highway.I remember about Malioboro Street - Yogyakarta when I walked around colaba.. Long streets with lots of seller along. They mostly sell traditional souvenirs, mostly clothes. India have beautiful textile, clothes for sari, shawl, tunic, bags, etc. One side of the street is the modern and fancy shops and the other side, the pedestrian path is covered with the small stalls.

I passed Leopold Bar, the bar which name I know from "Shantaram" - book by Gregory David Roberts. In the books, this bar mentioned as the places for the main role hand around with his friends. I was so surprised when I found this place, eventough I know that the books in not a fiction and based on a true story.. but it still feel like I found a wardrobe in Narnia..:). I didn't go inside, just take some pictures and went away.. as I am a kampong-tourist, taking pictures for all the things.

I keep walking and find myself in Fashion street, as the name tells us.. this is a normal street with clothes hanging to be seen and bargained and sold. Was not so interesting as colaba highway. Then this street connected back to the biggest market: Crawford Market.

As seen in the picture: this market with official name : Mahatma Joytirao Phule Market, named after Arthur Crawford, the first Municipal commisioner of the city. FMI (For my information) that this place is the first place in mumbai which lit up by electricity in 1882.

This place is of course, crowded of people and sold items. I walked to the small alleys which ends up in a big-white-gothic style mosque.. very beautiful, called Jama mosque. The streets were packed with - you named- goods, the household items, food, fruits, veggie, clothes, textile... and that I didn't enter the real market building yet. The market area is ended with slums, where people stays in card-boxes houses.

On the other day, I went to Bandra, another Mumbai's suburb, with a most posh environment compare to other suburbs, it has nick name as "Queen of the Suburbs". It is well-known for its chatolic churches and the Juhu beach which border its area with Santa Cruz, other Suburbs.

I enter Mount Mary's Church, biggest they have in Bandra.. and most famous. The chuch located in a hill, overlooking the ocean. The building is also in European style, but can be seen quite clear that this building is newer compare to those in Old town. In front of the church, there is a small statue and prayer place with a big Mother Mary's statue. People went up and pray. There are couple of sellers on the way entering the church, selling candles and all church souvenirs.

When I went down from the church, then I arrived at the long beach and pedestrian path - Juhu beach. Very nice spot to walk and enjoy the sea breeze. The streets are quite clean and well maintained. The beach doesn't seem to good for any water activities, though. The houses in this area is wellknown as the most expensive houses and owned by famous and rich people. And yes, it can be seen.. with the nice style of the building and environment.

I continued this path and turned right to find linking road, a counterpart for Colaba + Fashion Street. Lots of seller, have good textile (again), traditional shoes and bags. I just wend around and around without noticing the direction where I was going to. I bought some Indian-snacks in small shop, with spicy masala and nuts.

After It was a bit unbearable, then I stopped in a shop and asked which direction to Powai, from there I took a taxi back.