HOP SKIP & JUMP
LT COL NOEL ELLIS
15/X/2021
The other day we were so excited to return back to Mumbai after almost two years of restrictions of the pandemic. The weather has improved and cooled. Rains have finally bid farewell.
We do a ‘hop skip and jump’ to reach Mumbai. A hop to Mandva jetty by our own car. Skip is to skip the sea by ferry to reach the Gateway. Then jump on to a Cab to reach our destination. Three modes of transport and very convenient at that.
Our priority was to get my wife’s ‘health card’ issued and also use the canteen cards. It had been ages since we visited any CSD canteen. We were not sure if the canteens were back to normal, but still we wanted to validate the cards.
As we approached Mandva jetty, I had to stop my car to admire so many beauties. What shape! What colour! What size! What model! Perfect as perfect could be. I am talking about all high-end cars which came rolling off the Ro-Ro service. Mercs, Jags, Audis, BMWs, Bentleys and you name it. I am not sure of the occupants as the screen guards were too dark, except a few lovely through bred dogs which had their tongues hanging out panting. So was mine just admiring them. My day was made.
We could have ‘rolled on’ but driving in Mumbai is a pain. Finding a parking spot before attracting ‘mama’s’ ticket and negotiating the various one-way is terrible. These days one finds a challan at home without you even knowing it. It was not worth taking a chance. The normal ferry was good enough and thereafter a ‘Chauffeur driven cab’.
As we walked the approach ramp, the boat was blowing its horn. It was that stable ‘catamaran’ which most of us like to hop on to. We waved fanatically to the person gathering the moorings. My daughter ran to tell them that my parents are half way, if you could hold it and they did because people are very accommodating here. Panting puffing, we boarded and found the ferry totally revamped during the pandemic days. The arrangements were better than an aircraft.
The saving grace was that under every seat there was a life jacket. Earlier we would try and locate them, just in case the ferry would make merry and drink water. AC on full blast took care of the little sweat that broke out. We were skipping, rather skimming across to the Gateway of India.
Our friend Chacha, who sold Vada pav and chai since the time we started using this ferry service in 2012 was still there. Earlier this ferry used to be open air with plastic chairs on the deck. You find one and sit or there used to be benches along the periphery. Now there were push back cushioned seats. Chacha had refined his tone, only to raise his voice and snap his fingers to draw our attention for us to hear the menu over the unbearable engine noise, which one could hardly hear now. Many moons back we could smell diesel too.
For old times’ sake we ordered a coffee and two vadas. The ticket rates had doubled and so had the rates of his Vada pav. Another change was that now he served us in our seats like the air hostesses in planes. Earlier it was order, go to a makeshift counter in the rear and collect your stuff.
Then there was a eureka moment for us. The famous Aryan Khan case cruiser was anchored right on our path. “CORDELLA” was pristine white. Somehow as if it drew its colour from the white powder which was caught with some guys. My ‘Sherlock Holmes’ mind got to work and as we brushed past it. One kept looking for ‘packets’ stuck on the sides with chewing gum. I rapped myself on the head to stop being an idiot, then took a photo and came to my seat to enjoy the rest of the journey.
The excitement to see a Submarine or a Frigate in those waters is always there. A Sea King Helicopter was flying overhead taking care of our security. A few barges were anchored, waiting to collect cargo from mother ships, bobbing up and down and rocking to the water our barge had churned up.
Gateway was insight and so was Taj. It was after ages that one was seeing those iconic places again. On alighting, photographers flocked us to get ourselves photographed holding the dome of the Taj in a pinch or holding the Gateway in both your hands. They thought we were tourists.
For our task we hailed a cab & moved on. When will we do the ‘triple jump’ again? I wonder!!!!!!!
JAI HIND© NOEL ELLIS
Comments
Post a Comment