Magical Mumbai Markets

Day 1: Magical Mumbai.
Never have I found myself so comfortable in a city so large and so foreign. I have picked up a couple ultra basic Hindi words but other then hi, bye, what's your name, next, straight and thank you I am totally at a loss for what is going on around me. People in Mumbai are so different from the people I came across in Delhi. They keep much more to themselves and other than being asked a million times to take my picture with various children, men, and women I have felt like I am managing to blend in. Today we went shopping in the local markets and bought lots of fresh fruit and veg, it is mango season so I plan on overdosing on it while I am here. The street vendors are very pleasant and don't drag you into their shops or pester you while you are there which has definitely encouraged me to be more bold and explore more than I usually would. My darling friend has fresh flowers in her room that she buys from a local flower vendor, making her room smell divine. Love it! Wish flowers were this affordable in the States!!! The lifestyle in Mumbai is so strange because it is very zen while at the same time being inexplicably hectic. There are people everywhere busy bustling around, however despite their busy antics the city has an overwhelmingly relaxing feel to it. People appear to really take their time to enjoy life and that rubs off on you. After the  market, it was time for showers & a nap, before getting ready to head out to watch the sunset from the other side of Mumbai. 

Crowds gathering at Haji Ali

Over the incredibly impressive Worli-Bandra sea link bridge into Worli. We went straight in to a fancy textile shop, only leaving to rush to the Haji Ali Mosque for a miraculous sunset. The Haji Ali mosque is built in the middle of a Mumbai bay in the Arabian Sea so you have to walk across a long bridge to get to the impressive house of worship. The Muslim prayers sound so beautiful and made the sun setting into the thick smog all the more impressive. The banks surrounding the Mosque were jam-packed with people enjoying the breathtaking views and there was at least one person on each corner selling cups of hot tea. The rocky beach below was littered with people playing among the boulders and dipping their toes in the sea. Once the sun had set it was time to make our way back towards the main road. The colorful shops we had passed while approaching the mosque seemed all the more radiant at night tempting your mind to buy a memoir. Once making it passed the shops with our wallets still full, we waited at the road to hail a cab back to the flat.

Haji Ali at Night

People on the Banks of Haji Ali

Day 2: Mumbai Markets



Inside The Bagel Shop in Bandra West

Roosters crowing, up early, off to The Bagel Shop in Bandra West. It is the cutest little coffee shop just a short walk around the corner from the flat. After my brilliant friend got some work done it was time to explore the markets! A quick journey in a rickshaw to Bandra and we were happily devouring various tasty Indian street treats in between popping in and out of local shops. We ended up walking what felt like miles to a popular local pastry shop called Theobroma, where you could not help but treat yourself to one of the many decadent pastries. 

Leaving the highly coveted air conditioning it was time to make our way back to the flat for showers & a nap before heading back in to the market for fabric and fresh produce. On the way back we decided to walk past the beach to watch another brilliant sunset. There was a fisherman with a young boy who we enjoyed watching in the setting sun for a while before leaving to visit Mohammed the tailor's shop. Leaving our fabric and ideas with Mohammed we headed back to the flat and talked until we fell asleep. (to read more about my experiences with this clever tailor read Saturday's post, "The Fabric of India")

It had only been two days and I had already fallen in love with Mumbai, a stunning city with a beautiful soul and I could not wait to get to know it better.

Locals Fishing in the Indian Ocean