We slept in until about 9.30am had quick showers and headed out into the heat and humidity. I think it was a bit cooler today but I might just be getting a bit used to it. We went back down to the sea front to see the Gateway of India again as we hadn't managed to get very close last night to take any decent photos. While we were down taking photos we were approached by a tout trying to sell us different tours, we eventually agreed to go on a 3-4hr tour of different places for Rs750 each (£7.50), we were shown to our car and driver and off we went, first stop was the mahalakshmi dhobi ghats which is the world's largest outdoor laundry, we got to walk about a bit and take some photos. It's all very impressive looking but the water running from the clothes looked pretty manky! Our guide took us up two flights on some rickety old ladders to stand on the dodgy corrugated iron roofs so we could get a better look - it was scary! Next stop, fisherman's village where, surprise surprise, all the fishermen live. There isn't much to tell about this place as we didn't hang about long, the smell of fish was pungent! We drove past and stopped at a few things that I won't bore you with but along the way our driver stopped on a motorway over pass to let us out to take photos, apparently they're allowed to do what they like here! We drove past, but weren't allowed up to, the Tower of Silence. This is walled area where the Parsi faith leave their dead on top of the towers to be 'cleaned' by vultures and the weather. Only those of the Parsi faith are allowed into this walled area but, luckily for us (not), our tour guide had some pictures on his phone of the dead bodies he could show us. The last stop was Gandhi's house which has been turned into a museum.
Once back in Colaba we went and bought some fruit and Indian crisp type things which were yummy, only Rs10 and a welcome break from curry. We were then advised by some "helpful" locals to go to the tourist information ran by the government to get some local info and maps. It was just around the corner from our accommodation but it became clear quite quickly that I wasn't government run when they started to try to sell us more tours! They mapped out our whole trip and included flights, our own driver at parts and accommodation but at Rs159000 (£1600) we politely told them thanks but no thanks. They did however convince us to go on a tour of the big slum that was in slumdog millionaire tomorrow for Rs1250 for the two of us which we've since been told, by some nice Indian boys we met while out for dinner, is a very good price for this tour. The driver will come and collect us at the hotel at 10.30am tomorrow. We went in search of food after the "government" tourist info place and some shop man told us to go to a place called Bulimia which he said was cheap, but really good. He wasn't wrong, we had some veggie shish kebabs and some chapatti type thing. Very tasty and very cheap at Rs315 for the two of us. All in all, a great first two days in Mumbai. Oh, also, it's not called bulimia...I did think that was an odd name for a food place.
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