Day 3: Mumbai Maze
Day 4: Mumbai Meddling
An early start had us getting ready quickly and chugging our daily smoothie before running out the door to hop a rick to the train station. There was no doubt that it was rush hour as the people of Mumbai were all out in full force. After getting our tickets to Churchgate, which is in downtown Mumbai, we joined the crowds making their way into the station. The poverty here does not shock me because I have seen extreme poverty before but there was a little boy probably around 3 or 4 years old whose arms and legs were much too short for his body laying on his back in the middle of the bridge you use to change platforms, with a cup on his belly, just staring at the ceiling happy as a clam, parents nowhere to be seen. It was bone chilling but you just walk by, along with everybody else as there is nothing you can do, and it made my soul shiver because he could be trampled by the stampede of people and it felt like nobody would even notice but just like the crowd, we continued by and just like that he was forgotten and we were gone. The trains were much busier today and we were pushed into the train with the crowd, jumping in the ladies only carriage .
The train arrived in Churchgate on time and after about our 7th attempt a taxi agreed to take us using the meter (when in Mumbai always ask for the meter when getting in a taxi, if they say no, get a different taxi!). It drove us to the visa office where my friend got out before continuing on to the Taj Hotel where it dropped me off. My friend and I had agreed to meet at the Starbucks on the back side of the Taj. I took my time, wandering around admiring the Gateway of India and the marina before deciding to make my way to our meeting point. Unfortunately however, although the Starbucks was actually very close, the person I asked for directions sent me the wrong way. There I was walking up and down a very busy road unsuccessfully asking for directions for a good half hour. I had just about given up and decided to hop a rick back to the Taj Hotel, when I saw a fellow tourist, complete with proper bulky tortoise shell back pack whom I asked for directions. He sent me down a road that basically took me straight back to where the Taxi had dropped me off and I was relieved and annoyed to find the Starbucks directly behind the hotel on a quaint little street. I looked around for judging eyes
and shamefully entered the nicest Starbucks I had ever set foot in to soak up the ac and zen out with a green tea frap while writing and waiting for my friend to arrive. Not long had passed before she entered through the door and after quenching her thirst we set out for the Gateway of India ,a massive monumental arch close to where the ferry's board for the Elephanta Caves. Unfortunately for us the Elephanta
caves were closed on Mondays, we were luckier than some of the other tourists as this was brought to our attention before buying our tickets for the ferry. Despite the change in plans, it was nice to be able to take our time to enjoy the Gateway of India and the stunning Taj Mahal hotel. Shutter clicking like mad at the beautiful monuments and the boats lining the shore I got lost in my viewfinder and basked in the beauty of Mumbai. At the
gateway I was pulled away from my viewfinder several times by friendly faces asking for photos with me, two men actually paid a
photographer to take pictures with me which was quite funny and seemed rather odd, but my deal was I would only take a picture with them if they would take a picture with me, so I ended up getting some fun pictures with the locals.
The Taj Hotel is stunning and after following it the whole way around, we stumbled upon some really gorgeous (and expensive) little boutique shops. The first one was called Bombay Electric and I fell in love with a dress that turned out to be silk and well over $200 along with two pairs of earrings and a scarf. Had I bought them all I would have spent about $500 but I restrained for obvious reasons and didn't buy a thing. It is strange to see the huge contrast in wealth as explicitly as we had on this day. It is hard to fathom spending $200 on one article of clothing when you think of what that could do for so many of the people we had passed throughout the day. Just down the road was another boutique shop called Good Earth filled with various home goods, it had the prettiest lantern that I was incredibly tempted to buy but for the time managed to refrain. After the shops it was time to head back to Starbucks for some green tea lemonade which rid me of my pounding head (thanks to the refreshing blend of caffeine and hydration) and ventured back out to make our way to the museum district where we walked around snapping pics of the massive buildings before going into Fab India where my purse was once again tempted to open for some gorgeous scarves. It was not as hard to leave Fab India as the ac had gone out and the shop was intensely hot. To cool down it was time to make our way to a fantastic little outdoor stand for mango lassis just around the corner from Fab India. A mango lassi is the most amazing drink. Not too sweet, not too sour, not too thick and not too watery. It quenches your thirst while satiating your appetite and satisfying your sweet tooth. Standing under the awning, enjoying this fabulous treat while listening to the beautiful Hindi being spoken around you there was no doubt that you were in a truly magical place. Stomachs and taste buds pleasantly situated we walked back to the train station where we managed to make it through the crowds into the ladies carriage for the long ride back to Bandra West. After nipping in to the flat for a quick refresh we popped back out for some panipuri before bed. Munching on these exquisite treats, which can only be described as balls of puff pastry filled with a somewhat sweet & spicy, cold & wet chutney, I soaked up the moment and looked forward to what the rest of my adventure would bring.
There is no better way to start the day then with a fresh spinach, mango and banana smoothie.
(Start by placing the spinach in boiling water, leaving it to wilt while chopping up the mango and banana. After pouring some fresh pineapple juice into the blender, simply squeeze in half a lime, add ice and your prepared produce, blend and enjoy!)
Feeling charged up and ready to face the heat we packed away some bananas and grapes and ventured out for the day. Deciding to head in to Matunga for Indian sweets we hailed a cab and were off. The taxi drove us through the Dharavi slums where Slumdog Millionaire was filmed. The slum was fascinating to see up close and personal. It really was just as it had been depicted in the movie, all the way down to the kids playing cricket in the streets and along the railroad tracks. The Dharavi slum is notorious for the extreme poverty of its inhabitants, but looking out of my window all I saw was smiling faces among the heart wrenching living conditions. Living in such a material world it is inspiring to see such joy in the faces of people that have so little.
By the time we found ourselves in Matunga my mind was still in the slums we had long since departed and I had to bring myself back in to the moment. The taxi stopped at a busy round about and after hurrying out we were wandering down the road. All of a sudden the most beautiful temple appeared. The Asthika Samaj is a wonderfully ornate building sandwiched randomly in the middle of a busy street of boring buildings. Without the temple the area was just a bunch of shops for various fabrics and edible goods.
We were not in Matunga for long before heading towards the nearest train station. This was my first experience on the trains in India and it was fabulous! After buying our tickets at a standard machine, we ascended a massive staircase which lead us to a bridge to the various platforms. On each platform their is a sign marking the waiting area for the ladies only carriage making it easy to choose the right carriage once the train arrived. Hopping in to a relatively empty carriage we found seats quickly and made ourselves comfortable for the journey. The carriage was like a modern work of art with masses of metal beams and colorful saris. both inside and out of the train my eyes busily drank up the scenery. The views of the various areas of Mumbai through the barred windows gave us a sneak peak at some of the other beautiful areas of Mumbai.
Disembarking was uneventful and once we had oriented ourselves in the station we
went to the road where we found a taxi to take us to Chor Bazaar. The bazaar, also referred to as Thieves Market, was an entangled web of little roads bustling
with men and packed with random odds and ends for sale. From
antique shops to stores selling used car parts if you were looking for
something random you could probably find it here. It was rather odd to notice that we were basically the only women in the bazaar, but it felt like I was the only one who noticed. After walking for some time it quickly became apparent that we were well and truly lost so
we decided to ask a shop keeper for directions. My cheeks shone bright red when after stopping to ask for directions, the man chuckled as he pointed straight at the shop cater corner to his. Thankfully it didn't take long for my cheeks to settle back into the permanent pink they had adopted in the heat. Finally entering the vintage Bollywood poster shop that marked the X on our map, the shop attended quickly turned on the AC while offering any assistance needed. Once inside you were exposed to a feast of Indian movie
culture from all the decades. The shop attendant was incredibly friendly and informative, telling us about all of the films that seemed intriguing as we flipped few a massive variety of artistic Bollywood posters spanning every year and genre. After making our selections it was time to head back into the unrelenting Indian summer sun. We decided to make our way back via the Dhobi Ghat, a slum where it appears that all of the laundry from Mumbai is
done. Looking down into the slum from the train platform all you can see is line after line filled with clothes drying in the wind. Indian fabric is not short on color making the Dhobi Ghat simply beautiful to behold. It was once again an incredibly pensive journey and I found myself pulling myself out of my thoughts to disembark the busy train along with sharp elbows readily bruising the ribs of anyone around them.
It had been a long day out in the sun and the best decision for dinner was definitely to be lazy and order delivery. As we were in India there was no better option than some local Indian food. I could not tell you what I ate but it was fantastic! We sat in watching a movie stuffing our faces before deciding to call it an early night, after taking yet another shower, it was finally time for bed. (I don't think I have ever had as many showers on a daily basis as I have in Mumbai, every time we walk back in the flat for even a short stop I jump in the shower, the heat and humidity is at a whole different level from Houston)
(Start by placing the spinach in boiling water, leaving it to wilt while chopping up the mango and banana. After pouring some fresh pineapple juice into the blender, simply squeeze in half a lime, add ice and your prepared produce, blend and enjoy!)
Feeling charged up and ready to face the heat we packed away some bananas and grapes and ventured out for the day. Deciding to head in to Matunga for Indian sweets we hailed a cab and were off. The taxi drove us through the Dharavi slums where Slumdog Millionaire was filmed. The slum was fascinating to see up close and personal. It really was just as it had been depicted in the movie, all the way down to the kids playing cricket in the streets and along the railroad tracks. The Dharavi slum is notorious for the extreme poverty of its inhabitants, but looking out of my window all I saw was smiling faces among the heart wrenching living conditions. Living in such a material world it is inspiring to see such joy in the faces of people that have so little.
By the time we found ourselves in Matunga my mind was still in the slums we had long since departed and I had to bring myself back in to the moment. The taxi stopped at a busy round about and after hurrying out we were wandering down the road. All of a sudden the most beautiful temple appeared. The Asthika Samaj is a wonderfully ornate building sandwiched randomly in the middle of a busy street of boring buildings. Without the temple the area was just a bunch of shops for various fabrics and edible goods.
We were not in Matunga for long before heading towards the nearest train station. This was my first experience on the trains in India and it was fabulous! After buying our tickets at a standard machine, we ascended a massive staircase which lead us to a bridge to the various platforms. On each platform their is a sign marking the waiting area for the ladies only carriage making it easy to choose the right carriage once the train arrived. Hopping in to a relatively empty carriage we found seats quickly and made ourselves comfortable for the journey. The carriage was like a modern work of art with masses of metal beams and colorful saris. both inside and out of the train my eyes busily drank up the scenery. The views of the various areas of Mumbai through the barred windows gave us a sneak peak at some of the other beautiful areas of Mumbai.
Disembarking was uneventful and once we had oriented ourselves in the station we
 |
| Chor Bazaar |
 |
| The Dhobi Ghat |
It had been a long day out in the sun and the best decision for dinner was definitely to be lazy and order delivery. As we were in India there was no better option than some local Indian food. I could not tell you what I ate but it was fantastic! We sat in watching a movie stuffing our faces before deciding to call it an early night, after taking yet another shower, it was finally time for bed. (I don't think I have ever had as many showers on a daily basis as I have in Mumbai, every time we walk back in the flat for even a short stop I jump in the shower, the heat and humidity is at a whole different level from Houston)
Day 4: Mumbai Meddling
An early start had us getting ready quickly and chugging our daily smoothie before running out the door to hop a rick to the train station. There was no doubt that it was rush hour as the people of Mumbai were all out in full force. After getting our tickets to Churchgate, which is in downtown Mumbai, we joined the crowds making their way into the station. The poverty here does not shock me because I have seen extreme poverty before but there was a little boy probably around 3 or 4 years old whose arms and legs were much too short for his body laying on his back in the middle of the bridge you use to change platforms, with a cup on his belly, just staring at the ceiling happy as a clam, parents nowhere to be seen. It was bone chilling but you just walk by, along with everybody else as there is nothing you can do, and it made my soul shiver because he could be trampled by the stampede of people and it felt like nobody would even notice but just like the crowd, we continued by and just like that he was forgotten and we were gone. The trains were much busier today and we were pushed into the train with the crowd, jumping in the ladies only carriage .
 |
| Gateway of India |
The train arrived in Churchgate on time and after about our 7th attempt a taxi agreed to take us using the meter (when in Mumbai always ask for the meter when getting in a taxi, if they say no, get a different taxi!). It drove us to the visa office where my friend got out before continuing on to the Taj Hotel where it dropped me off. My friend and I had agreed to meet at the Starbucks on the back side of the Taj. I took my time, wandering around admiring the Gateway of India and the marina before deciding to make my way to our meeting point. Unfortunately however, although the Starbucks was actually very close, the person I asked for directions sent me the wrong way. There I was walking up and down a very busy road unsuccessfully asking for directions for a good half hour. I had just about given up and decided to hop a rick back to the Taj Hotel, when I saw a fellow tourist, complete with proper bulky tortoise shell back pack whom I asked for directions. He sent me down a road that basically took me straight back to where the Taxi had dropped me off and I was relieved and annoyed to find the Starbucks directly behind the hotel on a quaint little street. I looked around for judging eyes
 |
| Relaxing in Starbucks |
 |
| Shopping at Bombay Electric |
The Taj Hotel is stunning and after following it the whole way around, we stumbled upon some really gorgeous (and expensive) little boutique shops. The first one was called Bombay Electric and I fell in love with a dress that turned out to be silk and well over $200 along with two pairs of earrings and a scarf. Had I bought them all I would have spent about $500 but I restrained for obvious reasons and didn't buy a thing. It is strange to see the huge contrast in wealth as explicitly as we had on this day. It is hard to fathom spending $200 on one article of clothing when you think of what that could do for so many of the people we had passed throughout the day. Just down the road was another boutique shop called Good Earth filled with various home goods, it had the prettiest lantern that I was incredibly tempted to buy but for the time managed to refrain. After the shops it was time to head back to Starbucks for some green tea lemonade which rid me of my pounding head (thanks to the refreshing blend of caffeine and hydration) and ventured back out to make our way to the museum district where we walked around snapping pics of the massive buildings before going into Fab India where my purse was once again tempted to open for some gorgeous scarves. It was not as hard to leave Fab India as the ac had gone out and the shop was intensely hot. To cool down it was time to make our way to a fantastic little outdoor stand for mango lassis just around the corner from Fab India. A mango lassi is the most amazing drink. Not too sweet, not too sour, not too thick and not too watery. It quenches your thirst while satiating your appetite and satisfying your sweet tooth. Standing under the awning, enjoying this fabulous treat while listening to the beautiful Hindi being spoken around you there was no doubt that you were in a truly magical place. Stomachs and taste buds pleasantly situated we walked back to the train station where we managed to make it through the crowds into the ladies carriage for the long ride back to Bandra West. After nipping in to the flat for a quick refresh we popped back out for some panipuri before bed. Munching on these exquisite treats, which can only be described as balls of puff pastry filled with a somewhat sweet & spicy, cold & wet chutney, I soaked up the moment and looked forward to what the rest of my adventure would bring.
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