Michael Kaufman

Mumbai was (and probably still is) a very hectic and confusing place. Perhaps you’ve heard of the idiom ‘hustle and bustle’? You have never experienced it unless you’ve been to Mumbai. In movies and television driving in New York City is categorized as a highly skilled art. The Art Institute of Motor Vehicles must be Mumbai.

The city was so hectic and confusing that we were secretly pleased when the woman at the ‘Foreign Tourist Only’ booth (#52) at the famous Victoria Terminus told us we had to take the train today or wait for two more days if we wanted to go to Goa. That was at about twelve noon. By eleven PM, when our train was leaving we couldn’t be happier that we were on our way out of Mumbai. In about ten hours the salespeople and their elaborate rackets, the strident disregard for organization and spacial respect and the expensive leather shoes stepping over people sleeping in the sidewalks to stroll to a Mercedes or BMW had sucked the enjoyment out of what is a culture rich and visually beautiful place.

The train to Goa (or more specifically, Arambol) was very enjoyable considering my standard negative expectations. For about $14 USD we traveled in a ‘sleeper’ car which consisted of small cells with 3 bunks on each side.

As you can see I have mixed feelings about Mumbai. It’s a city I will have to visit again and for longer time to admire the true good (and bad) it offers and since the ‘Gateway of India’ is in Mumbai, I’ll surely have another chance to just that, again and again on my many future trips to this wonderfully curious nation.

I wonder what experiences we will have in the souther states of India. Actually since I’ve been here a day I already know somewhat how the south is. I’m just trying to be a tad dramatic.

Below are images from our day in Mumbai. The first image is The Gateway Of India behind crowds of locals and tourists. It was built to commemorate the visit of Michael & Emily King George V and Queen Mary to Bombay in 1911.

(click to enlarge, hover for discription)