Mumbai

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Mumbai is a city of contrasts - skyscrapers and shacks within spitting distance of each other. It would still be very easy to arrive, stay in the tourist areas, visit the sights and find Mumbai to be a very prosperous city. When we flew over Mumbai a few weeks early we had crossed over acres of shacks built from corrugated sheets and on our journey out to the airport enroute to Beijing we drove through areas where the people where living in cramped, squalid conditions. Just like Delhi, there is a huge contrast in the haves and have nots. We arrived into the railway station (CST, amazing architecture!) very early in the morning and despite the early hour the place was packed. Our first item on the sightseeing list was the Gateway of India but as it was undergoing restoration, scaffolding marred the view somewhat. The best way to get around was on foot and we headed to all the major sights, not that Mumbai has many. We took the ferry over to Elephaanta Island were there is a huge rock cut temple. A guide was included in the ferry price and he gave good explanations of the bas reliefs cut into the rock. We popped into the High Court, a hive of activity and joined the Mumbaikers in their evening walk along Marine Drive up to Chowpatty Beach. We also went to the cinema to see Slumdog Millionaire (1.20e for the two of us!!) which we enjoyed and found very amusing after our travels in India.

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