For the love of God will someone stop all the honking. After a week of traveling around the city the beeping of horns is starting to drive me crazy. It’s insane, maddening and yet a necessary evil. It’s actually a language. 1 beep. 2 beeps. A long beep. 3 quick beeps. Each means something else on the road. And everyone navigates the unpoliced death defying traffic using this simple yet aggravating language. There is a government initiative to reduce the honking but it is universally ignored and actually life saving.
The next problem I have with India is the complete lack of respect for personal space and I don’t except the dense population as an excuse. In Tokyo you find crowded trains and intersections but the people still manage to respect space and privacy. Here you get pushed and bumped by people paying no mind. They yell in your ear and most annoying stare awkwardly for long periods. That being said, the people you do interact with on a personal level are some of the friendliest and kindest people anywhere. Helpful and genuine.
The last problem is the food. I understand the cow is their God but man, I would give anything for a steak or burger right now. The veg based diet leaves me feeling so hungry afterwards. Lamb is rare and you can find chicken in some places but “where’s the beef”! The saving grace is that they have the most wonderful spices. The best in the world. So good they can actually save an all veg meal. And it’s all new to us. Maggi, Mandi, Bahji, Pava Vada, Tikka, Peri Peri, Masalas and Dosas. Even Lays potato chips come in exotic spicey flavors. Plus my favorite new snack, Falooda! Falooda is a popular Ice cream dessert made with vermicelli noodles, jelly, rose syrup, sabja seeds, milk and ice cream topped with dried fruits and candies. I’ve tried the traditional rose flavor as well as mango and coconut and all were fantastic and so refreshing. And giving me inspiration to keep up with the gym. Lamb brain masala is my next new dish to try.
The tourist sites have been wonderful other than Elephanta Island. The architecture is very Victorian and beautiful. And although sometimes they go too far we have had alot of fun with the foreigner selfies. Once it starts its hard to politely get away. Yesterday we got caught by the Mumbai gate and took over 100 selfies with Indians of every age. After over 20 minutes of posing we had to politely run away. Sometimes they go too far like when we were eating dinner on the beach and people were coming up to the table asking for “just 1 selfie”. That goes back to the personal space issue. But it’s all good. We just smile and play along and they are usually so appreciative.
The day we spent in Dharavi, Indiana biggest slum was an experience I will never forget. The way they live there and in the biggest outdoor laundry in the world was as shocking as it was inspiring. It was nothing like the media portrays it. The conditions were beyond anything words can describe. Unimaginable to a westerner. Yet the people were happy, proud and welcoming. The children were well educated, polite, healthy, well fed and all the questions they asked were about how we were finding their country, foods and culture. Not one person asked for anything from us other than conversation. I saw children playing in the streets with each other. No toys and No cell phones. Just each other. Kicking rocks and playing with boxes and sticks. Happy and entertained just laughing together. A simple heartwarming scene reminiscent of days long gone in the West.
There are laws pertaining to traffic, housing, pollution and work conditions including child labor but we were told nothing is enforced. The people litter everywhere without a second thought to it. Even at the world heritage sites. At the laundry all the soaps and chemicals drain right into the ground. The people there showed me how the chemicals had destroyed their skin. Their feet were insanely dried out with the skin cracked and numb beyond repair.
Mumbai has been like nothing I could have imagined. So many contradictions. Billionaires living high above unimaginable slums. Foods to die for and water that can kill you. Culture, history, family and community bonds that you rarely see back home. I’m so glad we came and we will be back soon as there is so much still to see and learn. Not all of our rooms have been 5 star but the experience has been. My friend Paul described India perfectly. He said “when you travel somewhere new, you see and learn something everyday. When you travel India, you see and learn something new every hour.” Not only is it true but it’s reason enough to visit.
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