Meet me in Mumbai or Reunited and it Feels so Good - Day 1

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Mumbai, honestly, was uneventful. Unless you count the car ride through the crowded bazaar where my driver locked the doors, told me I wasn’t allowed to use my camera, and then proceeded to repeatedly tell me how unsafe it was. Or the (minor) car accident we got into after picking up Jared from the airport. Or the inadvertent drive by the slums where Slumdog Millionaire was filmed. So, I guess there were a few things…but all in all, pretty quiet. I landed in Mumbai and went straight to sleep. The next morning after breakfast, I went on a city tour, to take in some sights. Mumbai is HUGE - something like 14 million people - and it’s crammed into this space that, although not tiny, is CRAMPED for that many people. The population density is about 23,000 people per square kilometer. As a point of reference, Chicago’s population density is about 5,000 per square km, Tokyo’s is about 6,000 and NYC’s is 10,600. Just think about that for a second. Okay, just a bit longer. The result: chaos.

Most of the day was spent in the car peering out at city life. The slums are prevalent in Mumbai and it’s sometimes hard to see the beauty of the city through them, but it is there. You just have to be patient and let your eyes adjust, and then it pops out at you. The garlands of flowers, the vibrant colors of the sarees, the men strolling hand in hand (relatively common for men to do in India), the little kids running around playing soccer. There’s just so much going on at all times, in all directions, that it’s hard to “see” anything.

Finally that night Jared and I got to see each other. Finally. It was too bad that by the time he landed it was dark, and we were heading back to the airport that morning at 3:30 am so it was dark then, too. But the city is in constant motion at all times of the day/night, so he still got to see some of it. And then, sleepy and in awe that we had actually made it this far, that this honeymoon was actually going to happen, we boarded the plane to Goa. (Cue foreboding music….)

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Comments

[Mike]

My Planned Trip
I am planning a trip to Mumbai and then go Goa with some friends. Any recommendations for places we have to check out, or places we must avoid? Any insight at all.. as this is my first trip to India? Great blog.

[The Girkles]

Thanks! Goa is wonderful. Be sure to go to the south end (north end is too hectic and party filled...unless that's what you're looking for) and hit up Turtle Beach. It is truly a slice of heaven. If you're in Palolem, hit up Fernando's on the beach for some red snapper tandoori style. Also, the Village Guesthouse was really a great mix of luxury/affordability and Goran and Janet are an interesting pair. Most of all, be sure to just enjoy the peace of it all. We went when it was still somewhat off season, so I'm not sure how attainable that is in the on-season, but it really is a great place to unwind and detach. Have a great time!