Tales from India

This post is long overdue, as such I regret not writing it coming straight back from Mumbai & Goa with the experiences, memories and feelings still fresh in my mind and my heart. Ironically, I am sitting in the basement of a cafe in the heart of London which somehow manages to remind me of my time in India. I have escaped from the crowded streets of suit-clad workers (of which today I am one at first glance) and the bustle that seems to exist in every direction. Just in front of me though is a group of suited up business men and a woman in a sales pitch meeting. The dirty, dusty but charming streets of Mumbai seem a world apart. As I write this under the dimmed spotlights, I am surrounded by lit candles, comfy sofas, religious statues and one of an elephant and the faint smell of incense. On my table sits an iced coffee, made with ice cream, just the way they do in Barrista Coffee, Mumbai. I miss the feel of writing; just pen and pad and soft music playing in the background. No distractions of msn running in the background, dissertation in the foreground while I hastily type the words out in an email or on screen. Somehow in the process of it all something gets left behind.
On arrival in Mumbai, exiting from the airport, I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of people waiting around for those returning home. I had to weave my way in and out of the crowds before finding my travelling partner. As we first drove through the streets of Mumbai, sitting comfortably in the back of our taxi on our way to the hotel, it was clear to see the vivid contrast that existed alongside the streets we were driving through. Mumbai is a land of extremes co-existing with one another. I remember seeing a high end ultra modern interior decoration store, something that wouldn't look out of place on Oxford Street directly next to a building which was dirty, run down and looked like it could collapse at any minute.

Taxis are plentiful. The roads are dominated with crazy taxi drivers threading in and out of the traffic. It took me right back to Cairo where sticking to lanes is just unheard of. Some are in better states than others, some with no wing mirrors, others with just one. It also took us many a taxi journey to realise the taxis do in fact have meters and don't work on a pre agreed price as in Egypt.Mumbai is brimming with people at every corner. We sat and watched endless streams of people crossing the road, of which there did not seem to be an end to. It is a city that's hectic and chaotic but bursting with energy and vibrancy. The brightly coloured saris on the women brighten up the dusty streets and buildings.

On one of the days, we took a 'reality tour' through Dhavari, Asia's largest slums. It offers an alternative to street life which you can see exists just outside the boundaries of Dhavari where families have set up their homes all along the railway tracks. 1 million people crammed into 1.75 square kilometers. Over half of Mumbai's population live in Slums. 1 toilet shared between 1440 people. Though you can read the facts and get lost in the numbers, watch award-winning Slumdog millionaire where the film is set or read about it on the news, nothing can prepare you for the experience and the feel of actually being there and seeing it or yourself. If people ask me about my travels to India, this is the one thing I will tell them about as its an experience I'll never forget. For three hours our 'tour' group walked through endless rubbish strewn streets and narrow alleyways with open drains running through. I dread to think about what a maze it must be like at night. It was not for the faint-hearted. Cockroaches scattered the floors with the odd rat showing its face, yet children were running abround barefooted just playing happily in the streets. Though they didn't seem to mind our presence; some kids seemed excited to see some foreign faces and test out the English they had perhaps picked up at school, one kid quite unashamedly urinated right in front of us before being scolded by our tour operator, I wondered what they really thought about us. It made me feel ashamed for complaining about the somewhat insignificant things in life and not appreciating the things around me.

There was just so much for our eyes to drink in. Cameras were understandably not permitted. In every direction there was something going on. In amongst the homes of 1 million people is a thriving business centre. 5000 small scale industries (from pottery, soap to leather tanning) export goods all around the world generating 650 million US dollars revenue each year. It is bursting with energy and activity and is a true showcase of entrepreneurship. Whilst on one side of Mumbai, waste is being discarded, on the other side children are picking up the bundles of waste and scraps ready to be recycled. Over 70% of Mumbai's plastic waste is recycled. This is something that our economy would do well to learn from. We were lucky enough to see the workings of a plastics factory- where recycled plastics from households and businesses are washed, melted, moulded and made into pellets. We walked through a factory where cooking oil tins were being washed ready to be reused. From the rooftops, we could see the full spread of Dharavi and not far off lies the high rise buildings. It is truly an experience that can't help but tug on your heart strings and you leave with every respect for these people.


We spent a few days touring around the city. We wandered around art galleries, the Ghandi museum, saw the Gateway to India and the Taj Hotel, walked the markets and even managed to catch 'Three Idiots' in the cinema without subtitles. Though there were many people who tried to sell us things, the warmth and hospitality of some of the people we met was heartwarming. We were stranded at CST station, Mumbai, after being kicked off the train (yup this was my fault :P) but our saviours came in the form of an incredibly lovely family who organised a taxi for us to Goa and checked up on us to make sure we were on our way.

The road to Goa

Goa is a world away from Mumbai. A 13 hour bumpy car journey (after the mishap with the overnight trains) through our first sightings of lush green surroundings (bar the park in the centre of Mumbai we came across). It is filled with tourists and hippies whizzing about on their scooters who flock to the beautiful beaches for the chilled out life. It is also in my opinion overpopulated with mosquitos, I got bitten from head to toe (despite lathering on the mosquito repellent) which meant I was forever resisting the temptation to scratch.
We stayed in Anjuna in a charming Portugese style mansion and for the four days we were there, we hopped about from beach to beach and also explored Old Goa. I enjoyed the food (of which seafood was plentiful :) ), the great company and lying in my Hammock smoking shisha whilst watching the sunset. We spent New Year's eve on a beach in Baga buying paintings from an inspiring local painter and wandering the stalls. Arambol beach was my favourite, somehow the waves seemed calmer and the scenery more spectacular than the rest and so that was where I spent my 21st. Still, I couldn't help but think Goa is a little overhyped.

But even so India is a place in my travels that is like no other I've been to. I would love to travel there again someday as there is still so much to discover, it is really such a fascinating land.


26/12/09-06/01/10