Blogs from Maharashtra, India, Asia - page 2

Pictures from the caves. I wish I had had a better camera. Some of the pictures are so dark.... read more

After nearly missing the plane due to traffic on the M25, we boarded our 9 hour flight from Gatwick to Mumbai, arriving at 12.30am local time. We begrudgingly gave a porter 5 quid for carrying our bags less than 10 metres to a taxi and made it safely to our hostel 'Travellers Inn' after a lengthy drive past all the slums and stray dogs in the road. Our first proper day in Mumbai began by being woken up to breakfast in bed - omelette, toast, banana and coffee. We ventured out of the hostel but I was quite nervous to go past the end of the road, since everything looked so different and chaotic and I thought for sure we would get lost. We got our bearings of the area, stopped for a drink to get ... read more

Mumbai or Bombay The old capital city and the souvenier shopping stop We arrived to Mumbai around 8 o ´clock in the morning and the bus dropped us off literally on he side of the highway. We got a cab that surprisingly said he would use the meter to take us to Colaba district. It took us a few other taxis that asked for an extremely large amount of money. We decided to stay in Colaba, which is a district in Mumbai where all the British colonial architecture characterizes it. It is also where most of the tourists stay and also where the few budget hostels are located. The taxi dropped us off near a few hostels and immediately an older Indian man greeted us and offered to take us to a hotel. We refused politely ... read more

"Slumdog Millionaire" or "Shantaram" can't do this city justice. How can they? My tourist brochure and guidebook both rightfully fawn over the city's stats and records. For instance, this peninsula city is the second biggest city in the world after Tokyo for population. Half of those, though, populate the biggest slum in Asia. Less than 5km from the slum is the most expensive house in the world. The city produces an unbelievable 40% of India's total GDP and is home to the flourishing art, literature, business and finance sectors of India, if not Asia. Bombay is as famous for her huge cinema industry as she is infamous for her crime. It's a city who's population has swollen beyond the perameters of human decency, yet continues to adapt, housing thousands of refugees and street families that arrive ... read more

Feb. 5th, 2013 Mumbai airport My flight arrived at the international airport of Mumbai at 11:55PM and my first impression of India was watching all the local people get respectfully and politely on the bus from the airplane to the terminal. In spite of being the largest population in the world I could observed that they were polite and a little more organized and less rude than their fellow Chinese neighbors. I entered immigration and noticed a bunch of lines: visitors, locals, business travelers, visitors with Indian working permits, etc. I could tell that it was a well organized airport. I went through immigration and baggage quickly and without much hazard and headed to find an exchange money place. After I found one I noticed the rate was so crappy compared to the one Kyle had ... read more

Feb. 5th, 2013 2nd day at the ashram Today was my first full day in the ashram. I woke up at 6:15 AM shivering by the cold breeze. The ashram is in an area north of Mumbai in the outskirts near the mountains and so the weather can be cool specially before and after sunrise and sunset. I sat down in the bed and started a thankful meditarion. It helped me see and remind me what are the positive things in my life and what is really important. I felt so great and at peace that the morning yoga practice went through so easily and naturally. After the morning session of yoga, which I have to say was really relaxing and helped stretch and learn basic poses I felt light and so thankful for this experience. ... read more

Feb. 7th- 8th, 2013 Friday I woke up at the usual time for my morning meditation, 6:00 AM, as it was a chilly brisk morning I decided to stay in bed wrapped in a warm blanket and meditate there. I began my meditation, about being able to be free and let the mind stop controlling my thoughts, actions, feelings and others, by taking a few deep breaths inhaling and exhaling on a count of 4 inhaling deeply holding the air and exhaling on the count to 4. It is an exercise I learned at the pranayama class and I have been using it as a tool to release my nerves, anxieties and worries. It really works! After this breathing. exercise, I listened to the guided meditation by Deeprak Chopra center about letting go of control. It ... read more