11/16/11 Written in Bangalore with a fast wifi connection.
The Mumbai "laundromat"
In the pre dawn hour of the 13th, the bellman walked us under the umbrella to the waiting motor boat and bid us good travels. This was the first time on this trip that I was sorry to leave a place. Slowly we glided across the calm lake and docked as the sun came up. Shortly our driver arrived and we headed for the airport and our flight to Mumbai, or, as we learned from several Indian old timers who refuse to change, Bombay. We landed there and were in another car with another driver and guide before 8:30am. The good news was that we still had a full day to see the city. Our first stop, of all places, was at the city’s laundromat—an outdoor facility which we could look down upon from an elevated roadway. There dozens of workers slaving away in at least an acre of washing vats and overhanging lines for drying the clothing. If the clothes we have laundered at the hotel come to this place, it is no wonder things look brownish and roughed up. Everything looks to be washed in dirty water and beaten to a pulp before being hung out to dry. What a way to start the day.
Ghandi's residence 1917- 1934
From there we drove to the home and museum of Muhatma Gandhi. We saw the room he worked in just as it was when he was alive, his large library with books in several languages and tired photo galleries depicting scenes from his life. The place was packed with locals and foreigners alike, all being respectfully quiet. Many of his sayings were posted on the walls as we walked from room to room. It was a spiritual experience being in the house and learning about him. I feel like I want to read a biography of his life. It is a wonder to contemplate that he and Mother Teresa, two of the world’s greatest 20th century saints, both spent their lives tending to the poor and oppressed people of India.
Then we drove to the heart of the city to visit the Taj Hotel (the one where terrorists killed many people and then torched in 2008). Got a salad in the room overlooking the boat harbor and the Gateway of India Arch, built in honor of King George V’s 1911 visit. Looks a lot like the Arch of Triumph in Paris and an even larger copy cat arch in Pyongyang, North Korea. Although very grandly British, the hotel did not impress us as an inviting place to stay. We were happy to walk around it and move on to the even more grand and very old Victoria Railroad Station.
The CST or old Victoria Station, Bombay
It is a living World Heritage Site with 6 million people moving through the station every day. We were there on a relatively quiet Sunday and were glad it was not any more crowded. Our Mumbai guide, Nayana, said the crowds during the week are crushing. No thank you. Outside the station were other buildings from the same period including Bombay University, the Court House and a “Big Ben” clock tower. The whole area was ultra victorian.
By this time we were pretty hot and sticky. Mumbai is the hottest, stickiest place we have been in India so far and we were ready to be in the air conditioned car for awhile. As we drove along, Nayana described the sights we were seeing until we came upon a huge field full of people playing cricket.
Cricket on a Sunday afternoon in Mumbai
Mark wanted to get a grasp of the game, so we all got out of the car and watched a few amateur teams play. Gradually we began to get a sense of it, but half an hour in the sticky heat was enough for me. Another 10 minutes and Mark gave up too. We drove along the curving Marine Drive, which fronts on Back Bay and links the down town with Malabar Hill where we visited another Jain Temple and learned that Nayana is also a Jain like our guide in Khajeraho.
Dome ceiling in Jain Temple, Mumbai
So far, our limited experience of Jain believers suggests that they take their religion very seriously, unlike the Hindu’s who have a much more relaxed approach to their faith. This Jain temple was not as splendid as the others we have seen, but it is a working temple with the strong smell of old flowers, spices and incense and has many richly painted statues and carvings. She was keen to tell us much more than we could or wanted to absorb in the sweltering heat and odors. Out of the temple we walked into a pleasant garden, which was crowded with Sunday strollers. Finally I asked her how many people lived in Mumbai and she told us 20 million–the most populated city in India.
By this time, between the heat and the crowds and the early hour we got up, we were ready for a quiet air conditioned room to ourselves–something most Mumbai dwellers probably rarely experience. The Taj Lands End–a fairly new hotel not far from the airport–was our home for the night. We had pizza and pasta and went to bed early as we have another early flight to Aurangabad. Apparently, the domestic flights in India are scheduled for early morning so the international flights can have the slots in the afternoons and evenings. One wrinkle affecting us is Kingfisher, one of the carriers on which we have been booked, which has run out of money and cancelled a number of flights, including two we were to take. Fortunately for us, ATJ has been on the ball and rescheduled connections so we have not missed a beat.
Adventures with Julia 