Today was the least eventful day of the entire trip due to the heat and exhaustion. After eating breakfast we decided to go back to bed and sleep for a couple hours. We actually didn’t start our day until 10:00 A.M. This is like starting @ 5:00 P.M. by Great Escapes standards. The first task we attacked was to go and find the world’s most expensive home. I had seen this house on tv before so I was excited to see it up close. It looks like an office building that is a bazillion stories tall. It wasn’t that exciting though because security would not let us in the house to see for ourselves.
The next task was to visit the outdoor laundry mat Dhobi Ghat. It was amazing and crowded. We call it a laundry mat, but it was just a bunch of men cleaning laundry by hand outside. We read that most of Mumbai’s laundry is cleaned here.
The largest part of the crowd was vendors trying to sale us things such as beads, carpets, and such. But, the laundry was larger than expected and those guys worked hard as would expect. No women are allowed to work in the laundry mat due to the intense labor and the physical demand of the work. While searching for a cab we ran into three people arguing over who knows what. One lady started slapping the other and a guy on a motor cycle was trying to stop them from fighting. Finally a cop ran up to them and stopped them from arguing. As we were boarding the cab we saw the slapper girl offering the slapped girl money. Obviously, that’s how things work in India.
The next task was to visit the outdoor laundry mat Dhobi Ghat. It was amazing and crowded. We call it a laundry mat, but it was just a bunch of men cleaning laundry by hand outside. We read that most of Mumbai’s laundry is cleaned here.
The largest part of the crowd was vendors trying to sale us things such as beads, carpets, and such. But, the laundry was larger than expected and those guys worked hard as would expect. No women are allowed to work in the laundry mat due to the intense labor and the physical demand of the work. While searching for a cab we ran into three people arguing over who knows what. One lady started slapping the other and a guy on a motor cycle was trying to stop them from fighting. Finally a cop ran up to them and stopped them from arguing. As we were boarding the cab we saw the slapper girl offering the slapped girl money. Obviously, that’s how things work in India.
Next we went to a rock pier that lead to the Haji Ali Mosque. This place was very disturbing for the both of us. First, everyone was staring at Natasha due to the fact the she had on a v-neck t-shirt and her arms were not covered. For the first time on this trip she felt very uncomfortable. We simply walked up to the mosque and turned around. Everyone knows that I have a large spot in my heart for the kids and this little boy touched me. He kept following us as we walked back down the pier and I did my best to ignore the begging. I finally turned around and this little boy had the worst case of gang green on his foot that I have ever seen. I did not want anyone to see me giving him money so acted like I was giving him five and I did, rupees that is, which is like giving him .12 cents. The average income for the entire country is $2,000 per year. Needless to say we booked it out of that spot.
The Mani Bhavan House was our next destination. I always have the tendency to not look forward to the houses and the sunrises. This house was different. The house by state side standards was a small modest looking home. The outside was clean and seemed to be in a nice neighborhood. As we walked into the house I could tell something was different about this house. The house was once the home of Gandhi. Its hard to realize how the effort and the sacrifices of this little man by stature contributed to society. Not just Indian people but, he provided a blue print to be followed by many. The man even wrote Hitler begging him to change his ways though he knew his letter would fall on deaf ears. Very cool place see his living quarters and read of his social accomplishments.
After visiting a couple more temples and a local park we made our way back to the Taj Palace Hotel for some a/c and some drinks in order to take a break from the Indian heat and air. After leaving the hotel we found our way to Café Leopold for a view of the place. The café was hit by the recent terrorist attack in 2008. The place was remodeled with a piece of glass containing bullet holes. But the place was packed with customers and it seemed to be business as usual.
Quickly, we walked a couple blocks to a local McDonalds for the Maharaja Burger. The first thing you notice on the menu is the absence of beef. The Maharaja Burger consists of a sort of chicken patti and a veggie pattie. As my nephew would say... “disgusting.” We made it out of that place as quickly as possible.
This concludes our Mumbai leg of the tour. The people are wonderful. The place is not. With such a large population, a polluted beach and water system, political corruption, and an obvious need for animal control this place needs help. I inquired about starting a foundation to send shoes to the kids in the slums, but learned that they would simply sell the shoes instead of using them. I know kids in the states need help as well, but the kids here have nothing compared to the "poor" kids in the states.
“IF YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN POOR, THEN ITS HARD TO REALIZE YOU HAVE NOTHING.”- me
Next stop...ISTANBUL, TURKEY.
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