Elephanta Island and other things or Day 2 MUMBAI

With its large and growing population, India has a need for transportation – MASS TRANSPORTATION! Lynn had arranged for us to take a city tour on our first full day in Mumbai. Our two, young and helpful, teenager guides had it all set up and we did it.  Walking about  this gigantic city would have been impossible but we did a large area near the harbor and I vetoed any greater distances. Mumbai is retail or discount or just plain bargaining. I’m not good at it so to immunize myself I didn’t buy on that trip.  Well we walked mostly around the area near our hotel or basically just within walking distance for complainers like me and in a climatic condition which would be only slightly above the heat-humidity ratio of a  sausa. Challenging but  It was great and strange and enlightening and sad within every twenty five steps.

We were taken to a small building where much of the works of Ghandi were stored.  Needless to say he is very respected and should be. The walls were decorated with some impressive Ghandi statement. One caught my eye:

     “There is an indefinable mysterious power that pervades everything. I feel it thought I do not see it. That informing power or spirit is God.”

We, at the invitation of our hostesses, stopped for some refreshments and lunch, Eating is some countries and India being one of those causes we of the gentler stomachs of the West to watch what they consume. Some of these dishes do not react well with our epicurean sensitivities and cultured palates,  You would thnk after eating hot dogs from a corner vender or day old pizza, we would have toughened up!  Nope! Being careful is the rule!  And don’t droing the water!!!But we are on vacation and did I mentioned it was a free lunch -  TRY IT!

Now we were additionally blessed to have two Co-tourist who although now Canadian were originally Indians. These two women, mother and daughter, were great company, great translators and good deciders of what we should eat and what we shouldn’t.  Also then were a kind and laughing for my comments! Great side kicks and friends.

After lunch we were unable to get two cabs so again walking was the method of movement. Now there are more cabs in Mumbai than anyone could imagine but the number of people make a the ratio more favorable to walking. Crossing streets are a challenge. Remember that the US traffic patters are WRONG and BACKWARD! Here, Right is Left and Left is Right.  The driver sit towards the center of the road, but gave me the impression that he was routing around in the glove box and the vehicle was going in its own selected direction. Now surprising with the size of the crowds, many being walkers often attempting to cross streets, teeming with speedy traffic more interested in using their horns than their brakes, there are not an ambulance on every corner. We may have been taught to look – Left, Right Left but  here that would be a unpublished suicide note.  Some dircve gave me the line that here in India there are three things that every drivers needs.  Good Brakes, Good Horn and Good Luck!

Bottom line after our walk-run and car jumping, we took a city bus ride.  WE and 100,000 others per bus. The buses have open doors and the ceiling is covered with innumerable overhead individual handles – of course that’s another game – Grab-it-if-you-can. Short people are out of luck or at least may be out the open side door if the bus takes a turn. Crowded- no need to comment-a pick pocket’s paradise. Lynn wore a waist belt under her clothes and I had a packet that fit around my neck, hanging down under my shirts over my belly – didn’t add to that slender look for which I was shooting. Following our bus trip, we pilled out or should I say were pushed out by those who seemed to have a place that were going-HOME! We were at the train station. It was late in the after noon. People who come into the city of Mumbai were going home. A sea of faces, each had the facial determination of one of us in 6:00 o’clock “rush”traffic. Again, overhead hand belts and crowded, thank God for Lynn’s lighter complexion or I wouldn’t have know her since there was a great  number of people that separated and like us Indian come in a variety of heights.  Lynn was one of the few sari-less women.  Indian women are beautiful and their choice of color are brilliant. Red, saffron, orange, purple with wood block patterns – you can’t say whichis the prettier or prettiest since you opinion will only last a moment until you see the next lady. Many women wear the red dot on the forehead – the bindi.  A sign for a married women, or if men, a faithful and deep believer !  No not in Marriage - in Hinduism. See you in Elephanta Island II