Mumbai, India

We arrived in Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, the capital of the Indian State of Maharashtra three days ago. We are still in the Arabian Sea on the western coast of India. 

History lesson for the day:

Mumbai is India’s Gateway to the West. More than half of India’s foreign trade comes through this port. It is the commercial and entertainment center of India. Mumbai was  originally made up of 7 islands. These 7 islands were ceded to Charles II of England in 1661 by the Portuguese as dowry for Catherine de Braganza. They then were leased to the British East India Co for  a measly $20 a year. We all know the “rest of the story” ----British colonization. The Brits merged all the islands into a single land mass, established many civil engineering projects, built railways, etc. etc. During American’s Civil War, Bombay became the world’s chief cotton trading market, resulting in a boom in the economy and enhancing Bombay’s stature in the world.  In 1947 India gained its independency from England. Mumbai is now India’s most populous city (20 million) and it’s busiest seaport. 

We spent the last two days visiting the sights of this huge city. Compared to Dubai, it is a poor, poor, poor stepchild; decaying and graying in architecture and seething and teeming with humanity. The buildings are very old and rundown; vestiges of the British Empire. New buildings emerge and dwarf the decay. Mumbai is old and overgrowing at the seams whereas Dubai is new in the last 30 years and expanding upward, glittery and gold. It is like day and night to visit each city.

80,000 taxis are on the streets in Mumbai along with millions of residents and loads of tourists alike. Morning rush hour snakes through the city at a snail’s pace. We spent half of one day riding around in a taxi, another half day in a tour bus with a guide seeing the highlights and hearing about its history and culture. Our tour guide said that the climate has changed. More rain comes in the monsoon season (over 100 inches this year!) and the heat stays longer after the summer is over.

 A walk along any street brings beggars and hawkers. They swarm. They beg and beg. It is overwhelming and difficult and sad. You cannot help them all. Yet the city thrives: people are making a living, trying to do the best they can do and laugher is heard and smiles abound. Mothers feed and hug their babies. Children ride to school on scooters sandwiched between parents. They wave at the tourists who take their picture. School children visiting Old Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard in the Hanging Garden Park wave and smile and laugh and play. Life, however difficult, is lived on the streets of Mumbai. The words “a sea of humanity” now have real meaning for us.

Our pictures show the sights of Mumbai through a camera lens. It is a city that awakens ALL of your senses. Photos cannot convey the smells of the spice in the foods being cooked or the incense being burned in the temples, nor the feel of the heat and humidity, or the sounds of constant honking of car and motorcycle horns or the feel of another human being tugging at your arm begging. 

Welcome to India. 

Gateway to India.

Gateway to India with helicopter training exercise.

Too heavy to ride my bicycle, so I push!

Goods are moved throughout this big city by bus, car, bicycle, motor scooter and heads.

School children at the Park for an outing.

No photos of the police please! But I was on the bus sir. Police station, bunkers and all.

Part of the old English architecture at the Prince of Wales Museum. 

Flowers for purchase for the temple.

Lunches being readied and put on bicycles for delivery to offices. Another marvel. How do they keep it all straight?

Pull the bag up and hang it to dry.

This laundry went around the block! Amazing how it works.

Young girl styling in Mumbai.

Hope they don't mean the building behind the sign.

This is normal for Indians and shocks Americans! Kids being taken to school.

Gandhi's sparse bedroom.

I loved teaching my 3rd. grade students about this man!

Wonder why the driver wears a helmet, but not the passengers?

Our highlights of Mumbai were visiting two museums: The Prince of Wales Museum and the home where Gandhi lived while in Mumbai. His home is now a museum dedicated to him and his life work. Both museums were interesting and worth visiting.  We also were intrigued by the city's laundry. 1,000 men (yup men!) wash the city's laundry in a HUGE area near the train station. They have bins and scrub by hand on cement troughs. It looks like backbreaking work. Then, they pull the enormous containers of clean clothes up through a hole in the ceiling and hang it up to dry. Hmmm, wonder what they do during the monsoon?