Mumbai and out.

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We're back in Mumbai. This time to stay a little longer than the 2 hours we spent here 5 weeks ago.

Mumbai is a bit of an enigma. It's a big Indian city but it's a lot different than others like Delhi and Chennai. It's cleaner, more modern and there are more western stye shops and hotels. In some ways this is good, you can get an espresso or a salad. In some ways it's not so good, there are McDonald's, Nike and Pizza Huts. Things that were not what I was looking for from my India experience. Still it is what it is and that too is India. A country on the verge of changing drastically, forever. So in a sense Mumbai is India in a nutshell, Indian values coming face to face with western excesses. A confrontation that I'm not sure will happen smoothly.

Mumbai is a nightmare to commute in. Three kilometres wide and 40 km long. Add 16 million people and you get a 90 minute cab ride from the airport to the main tourist area of Colaba. Luckily once you're there you can walk to all of the major sites. The area is mostly British colonial and is in much better condition than similar areas in other cities. Mumbai was the gateway to India and this is reflected in the large number of grand civic and commercial buildings in Colaba.

One other nice thing about Mumbai was that we met up with A.K. A friend that we met on our GAP tour. She and her family were amazing. They showed us around, took us to the most interesting restaurant and invited us into their home. It was a great way to end the trek through India, by meeting a family and getting to know the people just a little bit better. We can't thank them enough for that.

We are getting tired though, and we can feel that it's time to start heading home. It's time for a nice relaxing week in London.

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Photos

Face of Mumbai.
Dreaming of better things to come.

Taj Mahal Hotel
Reminiscent of the colonial past.

Lunch on the waterfront.
A nice sunny place to have a bite to eat.

Unique housing solutions.
Housing comes in many forms in India.

Gateway to India.
The waterfront area in Colaba. Still impressive after 100 years.

Our favorite restaurant.
This place opened at dusk and did a brisk business until late. The tables were all on the street and if you couldn't get a table you just laid out your meal on a parked car. Fast food at it's finest.

Family travel in India.
This is how most families get around, sometimes with up to 5 on a motorcycle.

My new job.
I was offered the position of "Primary food liaison officer".

Comments

[Darryl the goalie]

good stuff!
hey Les, been enjoying the blogs. love that McMotorcycle pic!