Mumbai (Bombay)
I am so glad we came to Mumbai; what a great experience. I always wondered what this City was like and we had that opportunity with our terrific guide, Sudha, who gave us an exceptional tour. Mumbai is just as crowded as the rest of the cities we have seen, but as Bravish described it, it is "controlled chaos." Mumbai is much more cosmopolitan than Delhi. Most of the women wear saris, but the 20 somethings are dressed casually in jeans. Women work in professional fields and are more respected as workers than in Delhi.
I have to say that the best part of our trip has been through our interactions with the Indian people. Our female guide here in Mumbai was smart, informative, warm and accommodating. She demonstrated and explained what makes Mumbai beat. Interestingly, we learned that the beggars who bother you constantly are not respected at all. They are deemed lazy and are only teaching their children the same way of life. In fact, begging is the only education their children get, and unfortunately that is all they can do and become. She encouraged us not to engage with them and, in fact, contributing in that manner only encourages them to beg more. I felt relieved that I didn't have to feel guilty for not responding to their constant pleas and tapping on the car windows as we sat in traffic.
A most fascinating aspect about the Indian people is their tenacity. Everyone works very hard as was demonstrated by Dhobi Ghat, the main laundry service which is a respected and historical outdoor business where hundreds of Indian workers -- men only -- wash and clean thousands of garments by hand everyday as its citizens are all busy and many travel hours everyday just getting to their jobs. The clothing is washed and dried naturally in tubs and carefully dried on rooftops or rope lines, and returned wrapped the same day. It is a respected and honored tradition that has carried on through generations.
She next showed us a Gandhi museum dedicated to the man who taught people to be self reliant, primarily through cottage industries, and preached equality for all and opportunities for woman. Gandhi was a man who clearly espoused all that the Indians deemed important. We then saw another example of Mumbai's life blood, the thriving outdoor Crawford market, selling everything you could think of. We then visited Victoria Station, a hubbub of activity as trains are the major transport for getting people about. In fact, India is a country in constant motion. By whatever means possible, they move about and in astounding numbers. It really is quite remarkable.
We then visited a Jewish Synagogue, Keneseth Eliyahoo. A beautiful building which was very similar to the Orthodox synagogue we saw in Israel. It had three Torahs in the ark that you can see in the attached picture.
Perched at the port on the Arabian Sea, the Gateway of India represents the entrance to the Country and was built to commemorate the 1911 visit of King George V. Across the street was the Taj Majal Hotel that was bombed by terrorists in November 2008 along with several other Indian landmarks and a Jewish center. That event is still very much on their minds and represents their version of our 9/11.
Our last stop was at the Colaba Market, the pulse of the city with blocks and blocks of vendors selling their trinkets, clothing and food. If you haggle hard, you get some very good bargains, just ask Lauren who was ecstatic to be in her element. We watched and admired her determination and Sudha was quite impressed with Lauren's bargaining skills.
I would say that Sudha helped us appreciate Mumbai and India for all it is.
I am so glad we came to Mumbai; what a great experience. I always wondered what this City was like and we had that opportunity with our terrific guide, Sudha, who gave us an exceptional tour. Mumbai is just as crowded as the rest of the cities we have seen, but as Bravish described it, it is "controlled chaos." Mumbai is much more cosmopolitan than Delhi. Most of the women wear saris, but the 20 somethings are dressed casually in jeans. Women work in professional fields and are more respected as workers than in Delhi.
I have to say that the best part of our trip has been through our interactions with the Indian people. Our female guide here in Mumbai was smart, informative, warm and accommodating. She demonstrated and explained what makes Mumbai beat. Interestingly, we learned that the beggars who bother you constantly are not respected at all. They are deemed lazy and are only teaching their children the same way of life. In fact, begging is the only education their children get, and unfortunately that is all they can do and become. She encouraged us not to engage with them and, in fact, contributing in that manner only encourages them to beg more. I felt relieved that I didn't have to feel guilty for not responding to their constant pleas and tapping on the car windows as we sat in traffic.
A most fascinating aspect about the Indian people is their tenacity. Everyone works very hard as was demonstrated by Dhobi Ghat, the main laundry service which is a respected and historical outdoor business where hundreds of Indian workers -- men only -- wash and clean thousands of garments by hand everyday as its citizens are all busy and many travel hours everyday just getting to their jobs. The clothing is washed and dried naturally in tubs and carefully dried on rooftops or rope lines, and returned wrapped the same day. It is a respected and honored tradition that has carried on through generations.
She next showed us a Gandhi museum dedicated to the man who taught people to be self reliant, primarily through cottage industries, and preached equality for all and opportunities for woman. Gandhi was a man who clearly espoused all that the Indians deemed important. We then saw another example of Mumbai's life blood, the thriving outdoor Crawford market, selling everything you could think of. We then visited Victoria Station, a hubbub of activity as trains are the major transport for getting people about. In fact, India is a country in constant motion. By whatever means possible, they move about and in astounding numbers. It really is quite remarkable.
We then visited a Jewish Synagogue, Keneseth Eliyahoo. A beautiful building which was very similar to the Orthodox synagogue we saw in Israel. It had three Torahs in the ark that you can see in the attached picture.
Perched at the port on the Arabian Sea, the Gateway of India represents the entrance to the Country and was built to commemorate the 1911 visit of King George V. Across the street was the Taj Majal Hotel that was bombed by terrorists in November 2008 along with several other Indian landmarks and a Jewish center. That event is still very much on their minds and represents their version of our 9/11.
Our last stop was at the Colaba Market, the pulse of the city with blocks and blocks of vendors selling their trinkets, clothing and food. If you haggle hard, you get some very good bargains, just ask Lauren who was ecstatic to be in her element. We watched and admired her determination and Sudha was quite impressed with Lauren's bargaining skills.
I would say that Sudha helped us appreciate Mumbai and India for all it is.
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