Mumbai: Marine Drive, Ghandi and More
Morning Walk to Marine Drive
Weather: sunny, 27C . I woke to the sound of a crowd cheering in
front of our hotel. It’s a marathon. I assume they begin early due to the heat.
The horn blowing of vehicles in Mumbai is always present. I find this taxi’s sign rather ironic.
the scenic route).
We seem to be the only tourists
around. People are friendly saying hi. We see people exercising in the park, having their hair cut by a barber on the street and enjoying the weekend morning.The caws of the many crows are background accompaniment to the ever present sounds of traffic.
We join many of the locals sitting on the seawall of Marine Drive which curves around the bay. The view of the city is lovely. A seabird stands still on a rock, waiting patiently for an unsuspecting fish.
I do feel the pollution slightly in my chest. Over time I think it would bother me.
A man and his friend sit near us. The man gestures that he wants his friend to take a picture of him with us. We of course agree but are unsure why we are so photo-worthy as Mumbai has plenty of tourists. This is the second time a complete
stranger wanted to take a selfie with us.We continue on to Churchgate railway station. It also looks like a palace. India has the 4th largest railway system in the world in terms of kilometres of track with the USA, China and Russia being 1, 2 and 3.
A group of police sit across from the train station under a shady tree. In front of them is a sign that reads Marine Drive Police station. Hopefully the station is more than just the tree.
I feel the beginnings of a blister on my foot so we accept the offer of Raju, the taxi driver who also does tours (rajesh.cbil@yahoo.com), to take us around to the sites we want to see for 200 Rs ($3.60 CAD) per hour.
Taxi Tour of Major Sites
Our first stop is
the Mani Bhavan Museum which is the residence where Ghandi stayed whenever in Mumbai at 19 Laburnum Road. Entrance is free. I cannot begin to describe how moving it is. It is a very well documented presentation of his life and words. There are even copies of letters we wrote to Hitler and Roosevelt.
Raju is waiting for us when we exit. He takes us through Malabar Hill, the wealthiest area of Mumbai. Many wealthy Farsi people live in this area. Raju tells us that there is a sacred garden called Silence of Tower where the Farsi hang their dead in a veil and after the birds eat the body, they take down the bones and burn them. It is a sacred place and outsiders are not allowed. He further explains that brothers and sisters in the Farsi culture intermarry to keep the money within the family.
Nearby are the Hanging Gardens (Pherozeshah Methanols Gardens) and 
Kampala Nehru Park which overlook the city. The lush gardens are shaded by many trees. Mostly local people are there enjoying their Sunday. We actually meet an Indian family from Niagara Falls as we take in the view of Chowpatty Beach and the Mumbai skyline. Many birds including parakeets watch from the trees above as butterflies flit through the plants.
A Jain temple is a short drive away on B G Khmer Marg (aka Ridge Road). Jains believe in non-violence to all living things so are strict vegetarians and some devotees go so far as to wear masks over their mouth so that they don’t accidentally inhale a small insect. John and I are a bit intimidated by the rules. We want to ensure we do not inadvertantly offend. Leaving our shoes at the entrance with a man who informs us that his job is to take care of our shoes, we make our way inside.
A service is going on. The music is melodic. We watch from the doorway and a woman motions us in behind her. John and I awkwardly follow her. People are friendly and smile at us.
After retrieving our footwear, we visit a nearby artisan shop where I probably (ok I did) spend too much for a hand painted paper mache Christmas ball.
Continuing on, 
we pass a 27 floor apartment building owned by the richest man in India. The entire building is designed to house just him and his four family members and 600 house workers.
We next arrive at Dhobi Ghat which is a huge outdoor area devoted to laundering clothing and sheets- all done by men! There is a system in place to track everything. You can see sections entirely of jeans, another for shirts etc. They do not use clothes pins, instead they twist two ropes together for the clothes line and insert a bit of the washed item between the taught ropes to hang it. The men live there and start work at 4am, seven days a week. The best view of Dhabi Ghat is from the bridge adjacent to Mahalaxmi train station.
The Hare Krishna temple on Sri Mukteshwar Devalaya Road is our next stop. The 
temple courtyard is filled with mostly kids and some adults. The temple itself is a beautiful carved design. We went inside and sat for a few minutes for part of the sermon which was then opened up to questions. The inside was ornately decorated with opulent chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.
We drive by Chowpatty Beach at the northern end of Marine Drive. It’s now the height of the afternoon so despite being a lovely beach, sitting in the hot sand is not tempting.
Through the Traffic to Shop for a Sari
We pass a sign for a Terry Fox run for 
cancer held on Feb 2. In the picture, he has a big Canadian flag on his tshirt.
Many cars around us are packed to the hilt with families: I see a mother and five kids in the back of one car with three people in the front.
We pass a large protest about a new law the government wants to pass denying Indian citizenship to any Muslims fleeing from Myanmar who want to enter India rather than seek refuge in a Muslim country like Pakistan.
John is not overjoyed when I decide to go to a sari shop…but I am. John asks if it’s far and Raju tells him “It is almost near”.
The traffic is bad and many roads are blocked due to the protest. We stop off at a shop and
the salesmen talk me out of a sari. I guess one look at me and they figure I’m not up to the complicated wrapping required for sari wear. I end up purchasing a Punjabi style top and leggings. It’s very comfortable, perfect for the climate.
Raju drops us off near our hotel. We drop off our bags, I put on my new outfit and we join the hordes going through security for the Gateway to India and take some late afternoon pictures.
Last Evening in Mumbai
Then off to the Delhi Darbar restaurant which claims to be Mumbai’s best biryani since 1973. We learned this morning that biryani is the favourite food of India. The biryani was good but spicy. The mutton in a cashew and tomato sauce was delicious. The wait staff was especially attentive.
Now we need to head back and pack for tomorrow’s flight to Amritsar, holy city for the Sikh faith and home of the Golden Temple.
Sleep just isn’t happening. The loud television person in the room next door is at it again . It’s 11:30pm and I call the front desk to complain. A minute later the phone next door rings and the TV volume decreases. Twenty minutes pass and the volume blares again. Really! One more call to the front desk and a few minutes later, I hear a knock on the neighbour’s door. The rest of the night was peaceful.
Our 6:30am alarm blares and I drag myself out of bed. The neighbour is quiet. I’m tempted to turn on our TV at top volume. We go to breakfast and upon returning, my neighbour’s awaken state is announced by loud horking sounds coming from his room.
Bags packed, the hotel taxi driver takes us through Mumbai, past the large Haji Ali Dargah mosque on the water and over the Bandra-Worli Sea Link to the airport.
Costs
*100 Rupees (Rs) = $1.80 CAN
*Taxi 1000 Rs for 5 hours
*Hand embroidered Punjabi outfit (top & leggings) 2,900 Rs
*Christmas ball 600 Rs
*taxi to the airport 1600Rs