Another long day and tomorrow will be longer and earlier - so I really don't have much time as it is late once again...we are leaving Aurangabad tomorrow at 6:30 am and will end up in Delhi at the end of the day...there hasn't been a chance to tell you about Mumbai and there is so much to take in...I'm sure it will be weeks before things sort out...here's a brief overview...and it will only be a stream of consciousness and not organized in any way...my apologies...am working on too little sleep over too many days...
The pace is frenetic day and night as cars, buses, bicycles, black and yellow taxis, people walking, 3 wheeled things, people sleeping, dogs prowling, and hawkers pestering all share the same space. Horns are always present as the vehicles communicate with everyone to get out of the way - there seems to be no rules - you can drive whereever you like and stoplights only seem to be suggestions. One takes their life in their hands when crossing a street...there are people sleeping within 3 feet of the buses' wheels - right on the roadway or along a concrete divider - there was a child sleeping in this position and I have a picture of a woman with 4 children ( 2 babies) sitting in such a place begging...
People live in very sparse situations or along the roadway or under a tree in some places...nothing like anything I've seen anywhere else...We did see the slum where Slumdog Millionaire was filmed and learned some interesting things about slum living...apparently most of the people who live there do have jobs and we did see that a lot of people were working - sorting things to recycle, making baskets, or a variety of other jobs...we were told that the people actually like living there - they have electricity and running water - they pay utility bills - they prefer living there to moving elsewhere and paying more rent...prices in Mumbai for housing is very high and most cannot afford it. Apparently everyone in Mumbai who wants to work can get a job - if they can't get a job, they either are lazy or are not qualified for the job they applied for...the guide told us this - she is a retired social worker who worked with the people in the slums and with a charity of Mother Theresa...I checked this with the doctor who organized this trip and he concurred. They also said that the ones who are begging are too lazy to work and don't want the discipline of working...Apparently the ones who sleep out on the street and who beg and the ones in the slums all come from places outside of Mumbai and are causing all the crowding since there is a shortage of housing caused by all the people who come there - viscious circle...the ones who are willing to work are able to eventually move out of the slums with the government's help when they prove they pay their bills for a certain length of time - I think our guide said 25 yrs...but don't hold me to that...I was surprised to hear all this because it certainly wasn't the idea with which I arrived.
The air in Mumbai and here in Aurangabad is very smoggy...you will see that in my pictures when I get back...we saw a ship dumping black stuff into the sea and the guide says no one really cares about it...the water is very polluted as well as the air...the doctor said there are some things that are beginning to happen to try and clean things up, but it will take a long time...there also seems to be a shortage of trash containers since there is litter everywhere - strange to see since our streets and roads and cities mostly seem to do a decent job of controlling litter...The guide we had in Mumbai and the one here also mentioned global warming so that seems to be on the minds of people here...
We did some shopping in Mumbai - prices in the stores are set, but deals can be had on the streets...we shopped mostly in the stores so far as the quality is usually better - at least in the 2 shops we went to...as an example - I got a couple tops - cotton - Indians only wear cotton - that were only about $8 - 10 US each...it is about 50 rupies to the dollar...the colors here are beautiful - lots of bright colors and a lot of bling on things...you see a real mix of saris and western clothing - actually - I see most men in western jeans and polo shirts and a lot of women in beautiful saris.
Everyone looks fresh and not wrinkled...I asked the guide about that and she said everyone irons everything - they do not like looking rumpled. Some women may wash the clothes at home and may send them out for ironing or they may have a maid who irons...we drove by the laundry - it is amazing to see - all the clothes are hung on lines and seem to be sorted by color - I have no idea how they manage to get things back to the right person...we were not able to tour it - just had time for a drive by but the guide said a story about it had been on discovery channel recently(?).
The cast system is still operating, but we were told that things were changing - now there are some marriages between persons from different casts and the younger generation may not always have an arranged marriage.
There are many more things to share about Mumbai, but I really have to get some sleep...we have a long day of travel tomorrow and I have no idea when next I can get on-line...
Have a very Merry Christmas if I can't get back before then...
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Very interesting. Read it out loud to Rich, and as he says, one can't make assumptions based on what you see on the surface and can't judge others by our standards. We love sharing your journey. We hope you and Michael have the most wonderful Christmas celebration. Can't wait to see your new clothing from there.....colorful and bling - too cool.
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