Mumbai

Still very hazy – sand in the wind. We have left the UN protected corridor – saw two war ships yesterday and another today – a Saudi frigate. Lots more traffic but very limited visibility. We have transited the narrow entrance, Bab el Mendeb , and are now in the Red Sea. Much calmer DG.

Yes Mumbai is amazing, feels good, and not too overcrowded when we visited India Gate and Taj Mahal* Hotel at 1.30 pm. Hop was a bit distressed by the beggars, particularly those with the skinniest babies you’ve ever seen – probably props used regularly by various women and expected to bring in so much per day for their pimps. I’m sure the babies are doped. There was even a young man with a babe that looked no older than two weeks. Lots of vendors of course targeting everyone –school holidays here. Begging is a legitimate part/way of life here.   Saw Leopolds*(*all part of Shantaram – the book I’m loving and deeply into). The architecture is interesting and ornate as in Victorian although more affluent suburbs spawn modern apartment blocks through to lavish apartments on thesouthern peninsula across the bay at US$2000 pr. sq. ft. An wealthy man built a billion dollar house – 7 floors for parking vehicles, 10 floors for his four families BUT the feng shui was not right so it’s not occupied – oh dear. The waterfront promenade* and a temple* accessible only at low tide and looks like a floating island when the high tide cuts it off.  None of the beaches in Mumbai are suitable for swimming though. We accessed the airport via a 5km long bridge which skirted the city and went over the bay. Saw heaps of slums, easily picked out by the bright blue tarpaulins which serve as roofs – like we buy from the Warehouse. They also are an accepted part of life – immigrants coming to the city looking for work, euphemistically called shanty towns.

 

Interesting Architecture - Mumbai