Mumbai you have certainly lived up to every expectation and left very little to the imagination, allowing us to delve deep into the madness of this amazing city full of so much history and decorated in so much colour. You welcomed us with an abundance of sweet smelling spices, thick aromas of rich curries and covered every spec of our bodies in thick dust and dirt, what a way to begin this journey.
Deep and I arrived in Mumbai late on Thursday night and were greeted by hundreds of curious locals as we boarded a small, dilapidated taxi which took us only half way to our destination, as it broke down on a hectic Mumbai highway. Can I just mention that this taxi had no head lights on and was slowly rolling down this steep highway hill with Deep and I crammed in the back seat. We were very quick to exit the taxi and help the local taxi driver push it up the hill while horns honked loudly at us and trucks and cars dangerously whizzed by. We did eventually arrive at our hotel a few hours later. There was nothing more to do than just laugh at the experience, we couldn’t expect any less from this city.
Mumbai is heavily polluted and the thick cloud of dust is intoxicating to the lungs, but you do adjust very quickly. What surprised me with this crazy city was the beauty that lies hidden behind tall buildings and monuments. The lush green parks are an unexpected gem amongst the rubble and poverty. Two young school boys lay under the shade of a tree, surrounded by a carpet of sweet smelling flowers as they did some school work. A lookout from one of the parks looks over a crowed beach, the sun crystallising the water. The spiritual presence in this city is very apparent, with flower offerings given to statues of worship, and trails of incense smoke coming from each hotel, home and business place.
On our second day in Mumbai we left the hectic pace of city life by train for the peace and serenity of Deep’s mother’s family village, Khardi. As we walk through the rural village, situated in the valleys of a mountain range, we are immediately welcomed with open arms. I feel like royalty as we are greeted and followed by so many smiles, so many joyful faces. These people live so simply and yet are so content. They have everything they need and it makes me think that we westerners have it very wrong in terms of what happiness is.
Meeting Deep’s extended family was an amazing experience, seeing where his mother grew up, where the children played after a day of schooling. These people know nothing about me and yet have welcomed me so warmly into their family. Their unconditional kindness is very moving. For a village of people who have so little in material wealth, they make up for it in their spirit for life. Their souls seems to have peace, they seem very content with what they have and appreciate the very simply things in life. As we leave Khardi the sun sets over the train lines, melting behind the hills as darkness falls over the pastures. We head back to the city on a local train squished in like sardines for a three hour train journey. It has been an eye opening experience already. Mumbai has been an ideal starting point for this travel adventure. It has offered so much, given so much and surprisingly asked for very little in return.
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