Welcome to Mumbai

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We left Pune in the early morning and were driven to Mumbai, a few hours drive northwest. Leaving Pune as well as entering Mumbai we noticed the immense amount of development on the outskirts of the cities. Giant new buildings were being constructed all over and by the looks of many billboards, more are to come. It was interesting to have a strong visual of all this 9% economic growth we are always hearing about.

The highway was three lanes, in very good shape and without traffic!!!

Outside of Mumbai there was a very striking scene of a wetland with a beautiful, (presumably) traditional style small home made of thatched leaves and wood. A small wooden boat was tied up out front on a thin winding river. Behind this lovely scene, looming in the distance were two or three enormous construction sites where large concrete skeletons of buildings were already towering into the sky.

I continually think we have reached Mumbai only to find out it is just another satellite city or suburb. I know we are in Mumbai when we hit traffic.

We stopped at the Tata Institute for Social Sciences to meet with some university colleagues. We had lunch, a tour of the campus and then JB gave a lecture on climate change and development. Afterwards we waded through traffic across the main artery of the city until we reached our hotel. Only a few blocks from the sea. We had yet another delicious dinner and I stuffed myself, yet again.

The next day we visited VJTI to present our research and listen to some of the student's presentations. I of course freaked out at the large number of people in the room and mumbled my way through. We then had a tour of the mechanical engineering department, watched a quick and inspiring round of tug of war being played as an interdepartmental competition, listened to another very good JB lecture, inaugurated their Energy Club, and walked across a paper bridge. Yes, a paper bridge.

Ate dinner at a ridiculously fancy hotel restaurant. I must say absolutely delicious. We said our goodbyes to the rest of the study group and packed our bags for the last length of the journey to see the Taj Mahal.

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Photos

bullock cart
you know, just cruising down the highway in Mumbai

Mumbai taxis
I love how every city has their own kind of taxi. In Chennai it was the white Ambassador. Here in Mumbai it is the black and yellow Fiat. Also all the auto-rickshaws vary in color by city.

matchy
such a cool, young couple riding through the city. I wonder if they color coordinated. seriously.

the paper bridge!
some VJTI students came up with this idea and made it all by themselves. Only a few hundred people traversed it before me since its inauguration 2 days before!

the India Gate
sadly it was under a lot of ugly scaffolding

laughing yoga
we found we were not alone in our 6am trip to the India gate. No tourists but lots of laughing yoga practitioners, chai tea vendors, a few wandering old men and lots and lots of pigeons.

sunrise 2
the Arabian sea!

funny shot
I either got him in prayer or stretching. can't decide which...