Elephanta Island

Why is it sometimes that even things don’t go the way you’d planned, they turn out for the best? I had planned to go to Elephanta Island today with two colleagues, at about 10.30 (timed to make the most of the day: it’s a 6 hour round trip to the Island, what with car to Gateway of India (a good hour), queueing for a boat (30 mins) two 45-minute boat rides and a couple of hours on the island). Anyway, 10.30 came and went, with no sign of them. However, in that waiting period just after the “ETD”, Sam made her final appearance as she headed off to the airport. Had I left at 10.30 I’d have missed her. And lucky that I didn’t, because the hotel realised that they don’t take Debit cards, so she was left with no way to pay other than jumping in an auto-rickshaw and visiting a bank to take out some cash. So I was able to flex my plastic and pay her bill (Sam… remember I’m from the call centre that does debt collection! [I’m sure she’ll be a good credit risk though]). Turned out for the best!

Anyway, then as Sam was leaving, two of the SMEs from Pune turned up (Shabana and Chetna I think…) who had come over for the weekend to see Maneer and Asad. In a moment of weakness they said they’d join me on my day out (foolish people!) so I said I’d wait for them. When we eventually all met up (including Asad and Maneer) it turns out that they wanted to go shopping rather than sit on a boat (understandable), so I decided to be bold, brave, independent etc. and just go alone. Confidence! Goes against all the company guidelines but I reckoned that I’d be safe as I was going with a driver in a pre-arranged car, I had a mobile and when I got to the Gateway of India I’d be going on a paid trip so it was unlikely that the whole boat would be hijacked or anything tedious that involves the British Embassy.

The trip down to the GoI seems to be longer each time. Just as I start to think “we must be nearly there now” we turn a corner onto a landmark that I recognise, that’s still miles from the destination. It took a good hour. I bought my ticket from a vendor (they all cost the same and all the boats are run communally so you don’t have to shop around) – Rs120 return – and then went to queue up for a boat. It was about a half hour wait until I got to the head of the queue.

Just as I was nearing the front, I was bemused / embarrassed by a group of seven Western tourists who barged or were pushed to the front of the queue. I don’t know if they promoted themselves, or whether some fixer moved them up the line, but anyway, it didn’t look good: white people pushing in front of locals. I stayed my ground in the queue very smugly. We ended up on the same boat.

The boat trip was pleasant: the water wasn’t too bumpy and although the boat looked as if it was held together with the pitch between the boards, it made the crossing at a good pace. It’s about 6 miles. I made sure to sit in the side that was away from the sun – luckily this also gave better views of the sights and the island.When we arrived at the island, I walked along the long pier to dry land. There’s a little train that does the same trip, for Rs4 (5p!) but I enjoyed stretching my legs – there’s not much opportunity to walk here without bumping into people, except on a treadmill in the hotel basement. It was hot, very hot, although there was some wind from the sea to cool things down a little.

As I stepped onto dry land, I started to realise exactly how hot it was. Very. And a humid heat too. There had been a torrential downpour around breakfast time (bouncing, bubbling raindrops and large puddles forming) – however rather than clearing the air, it just gave the sun some water to evaporate and make things even more humid. I went through the tourist tax barrier (you have to pay about Rs25 I think – or was it Rs5? I can’t remember. Small change, anyway).

I used a public loo (Rs2) which wasn’t terribly pleasant (a hole-in-the-ground squat with no loo paper: lucky I had come prepared for such eventualities, including some anti-bacterial hand gel given to me by Meg at New Year), but better than walking around crossing my legs (not physically possible anyway). Then up the hill to the caves.
The climb is quite tough – not particularly long or steep (although it starts gentle then increases), and there are good steps all the way, but because of the heat and the traders. They have stalls set up all the way along the path, with tarpaulin tents over the path (which does keep it a bit cooler). On the way up it is nice to loiter a little to avoid getting too pink and puffy (there are sedan chairs you can hire for about £4 return, but I spurned them utterly) and I have developed a nice smile and “no thanks” for the traders. If I wanted to buy a wooden box / alabaster elephant / bead necklace / t-shirt / statue of Siva then I’d buy it back on the mainland for half the price and not have to lug it up the hill with me.

At the top I paid my entrance fee (Rs10 for Indians, Rs250 for foreigners: seems fair enough! I wish they did that at Edinburgh Castle!) and went inside. I had bought a guide book from a chap on the pier. The Lonely Planet guide book warned me not to pay Rs250 that they ask for it at the Gateway of India, that it only costs Rs50 on the island. So I managed to haggle the trader down from his asking price of Rs150 down to Rs60. Then I got all guilty-feeling and paid. I could have easily paid him the Rs150 he asked for; I was only haggling out of principle. Anyway, the guide book eased me past the locals who were offering their services as a guide (I’m sure they are interesting, in fact I chatted to one later as I was sitting watching some monkeys – as was his customer – and he spoke good English and could have shown me around properly if I’d paid, but I prefer to go at my own pace: and with a guide book you always have the information to refer to again if you need it!) and into the caves.

They are dark inside (well, naturally!) so I didn’t get any good photos of the main statues. But the overall feel of the place was pleasant: cooler, quiet (didn’t feel busy, although there were lots of people around on the island).

There are no actual elephants on the island (sorry) – there was a statue of one but the Portugese used it for target practice in the 17thC and then it eroded away a lot. What there are, are caves with huge Hindu carvings. It’s actually a World Heritage site. See some pictures:I like the way the columns seem to bulge at the top under the weight of the rock!)The Westerners I’d seen on the boat turned up and further distracted me by their inappropriate clothing (mini shorts and sleeveless tops: have they no respect??!!! – obviously not been through Lee’s Cultural Training ☺).

After exploring the caves, I took a walk around outside and discovered an “off road” path around the back of the hill, which was marked “Shortcut to Cannon Hill”. So I followed it: a rough path and quite steep in places (would be tricky when wet) and eventually worked my way to the top of the hill. Beaten to it by the Westerners. Anyway, I ended up close enough to be within earshot of them, and realised that they were all Yanks (actual ones, Meg – I spoke to one eventually and found out they were from Noo Joysey). So that explains that then. “It’s not that they’re wicked, or naturally bad, it’s knowing they’re foreign that makes them so mad”. Only joking. Honest. I think. And they are students too, so even more reasons to be sorry for them. I’ve probably just offended half my readership now so I’ll stop picking on the nice Noo Joysey students and move on.

From the top (well, I call it the top, there was more up above me but I managed to ignore it very efficiently) I went down a different way (the wide, gentle path that I presumed was the long way around) – to find when I got to the bottom that there was a sign confidently announcing that this was the Short Cut. No idea where the main track was: the only other paths I saw had been made by cows or goats or monkeys. I saw this inspiring flowerbed en route! Anyway, I was delivered back to the top of the “main steps” so it seemed appropriate to descend and head back to the boats (last one leaves 5.30pm). It stayed hot. I bought myself a cold drink from a respectable-looking stall (there was one woman with a milk-can full of water who was offering to top up bottles, but I decided to be cautious and pay 35p for a bottled drink.

The Americans found their way onto my boat too (I think they were following me: either that or there is an “average” pace at which one sees the island and we both kept to it). And I sat with my legs in the sun (still no tan) and sipped from my drink and ate a couple of biscuits (no lunch today) and generally had a pleasant trip. At the far end, I moseyed gently from the boat to my car (driver was half-dressed and just waking up from a nap when I got there: poor chap looked very stressed to have me arrive and see him all unprofessional like that) and was whisked away. Luxury!

Back to hotel, shower, change, found some friends in the bar and had a quick drink (plans for tomorrow look as if it’s only me+1 going to the hill station. Oh well) then supper, then back to room to update blogs, chat on Skype (disturbing echo effects so I could hear my voice played back 1 second after I’d spoken. Horrid! Don’t like listening to myself). It was also quite choppy & staccato so not easy to chat properly. But it was nice to be in touch with home none the less. Life keeps going on without me of course!