We smelt Mumbai about an hour before we arrived there. An acrid combination of diesel, decay, stale urine, and rotting fish. I thought I would hate the place before I set foot in it. But Mumbai = LIFE. Everywhere, teeming with it, an absolute assault on your senses. Horns blasting. People, cars, scooters, rushing. Love it or hate it. I loved it! We did most of our touring around the old British part of the city, where once splendid Victorian buildings are almost in ruins, with trees growing in the masonry and balconies and windows slightly crooked and barely hanging on. Rent is controlled at around $5 a week so landlords don't maintain the buildings. There are still some lovely ones though. The truly gothic Victoria Railway Station, and the classical Prince of Wales Museum in it's perfectly manicured, tropical garden. The Arc de Triomphe-like arch of the Gateway of India, now more a gateway to nothing, is still a lovely piece of architecture beside the immense and stunning Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. Oh the Taj. An oasis for the senses. Walk in there and the chaos of India drifts away. Quiet, calm, cool and perfumed. We ate lunch there, at the Masala Kraft restaurant. Fish curry, lamb biryani, chicken pilau, chilli and olive nann bread, spicy masala tea. I dragged myself away, back into the chaos.
There is such contrast here. The billion dollar home of a wealthy Indian. It's a multi-story modern building
for the 14 members of his family. Our guide said she couldn't talk about it. It burnt her heart. I wonder if that guy sleeps at night, overlooking all the slums that surround him. Or does he just cast his eyes on the lavish golf course a few blocks away and pretend the poverty doesn't exist. But on a lighter note, if you had a billion dollars to spend on your home, would you build it in Mumbai? Just saying.
The begging wasn't as bad as I expected. And anyway, you only had to wait for some elderly tourist, yearning for his grandkids, to toss out $1 and they were all over him like flies on rotten meat.
Late in the afternoon I walked from the Taj back to the port. It gave me a chance to take in the architecture, and it was lovely to see all the teenage boys out in the leafy streets playing cricket. They always had big smiles, hellos, and invitations to join them in a game.
Wow, what a place. Can't wait to come back.
No comments:
Post a Comment