20250511 Regent Seven Seas Voyager Cruise Bangkok to Dubai, Day 20 - Agra to Delhi to Mumbai

Regent Seven Seas Voyager Bangkok to Dubai Day 20 - Agra to Delhi to Mumbai - back to the ship

It was another early morning as we departed at 7:30 for Delhi.  

One last look out of our window - it was hazy today and hard to see the Taj Mahal

Even with the haze, it was nice to get a last look

As we waited to board, a musician entertained everyone in the lobby

The roads in Agra are narrow, and the wiring hangs low. As we drove through the city, our bus snagged a wire. The driver stopped, and folks tried to free the wire, but it was stuck. The solution? Drive on. We ripped that cable apart, likely killing the Internet for a large group of people. Welcome to India.

We settled in for the long drive to Delhi, retracing our path from a few days ago. After a little more than an hour, we made a comfort stop and then continued on our way. Traffic on the highway was light, and we were making good time.

Roadside sculptures

The easy eight-step emergency exit instructions on the bus

A Lord Shiva statue along the road

As we came into Delhi a short four hours later, we saw the Swaminarayan Akshardham Hindu temple.

It is the eighth-largest Hindu temple in the world in terms of area

Indian drivers use their horns. Even on the highway, we would hear the occasional horn as cars passed. The heavier the traffic, the more frequent the horns. Our guide said that honking is India's 23rd most popular unofficial language.

Helmet on mom and dad, but not so much for junior

Another view of India Gate war memorial

Getting close to the airport

The Mahatma Gandhi statue at the entrance to the airport

We reached the airport in Delhi in about four hours as planned. There was a bit of confusion at the airport about how luggage would be checked in, but the guides worked it out, and we went to security. Security was as nuts here as it was in Cochin. Empty everything that even looked like it was electronics. Crazy. A 500ml bottle of water? No problem - it's allowed. I just don't get it.

We got to our gate and boarded a nearly full Airbus A321. Knee room was non-existent, and we were happy it was only a two-hour flight to Mumbai. Mumbai, renamed from Bombay in 1995 to get away from British influence, is a huge metropolitan area with many contrasts.

After everyone gathered their luggage, we boarded coaches for the roughly 45-minute ride to the ship. A local guide came on and narrated the ride.

Between 23 and 24 million people live in Metro Mumbai, more than the population of Florida. There is a distinct split between the "haves" and "have-nots" in India, and that is evident when looking at the housing.

Slums in front of high-rises

The Bandra-Worli Sea Link Bridge

Slums right at the waterline

The Mumbai skyline

A Christian display at the waterfront

The Haji Ali Dargah - it is only accessible at low tide because the water blocks access at other times

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus train station

Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai

An evening market

The General Post Office

We arrived at the cruise terminal and made our way through exit immigration  and back onto the ship

Our experience returning to the ship was much better than when we got back from Angkor Wat. That time, there was nobody there, and we schlepped our luggage up a steep gangway. This time, the Cruise Director and General Manager were there, greeting people.  Porters helped with luggage, and cold champagne was waiting. Quite the change.

We had a couple of drinks in the Observation Bar to wind down our long travel day before hitting Compass Rose for a nice dinner.

We just don't understand these decorative Versace chargers that decorate the table but are removed before anything is served

We sailed from Mumbai a little after 8:00, and we bid farewell to India. It was a great mid-cruise journey to see the Taj Mahal, and we're happy we did it. It's one more thing checked off on our list of places we want to see.

Tonight, we shift our clocks back 30 minutes to align with the rest of the world. We'll move one more hour before we reach Dubai. Tomorrow is a sea day. Tuesday is mostly a sea day as we reach Dubai about 4:00 in the afternoon.