A visit to Mumbai is on tap for Part 3 of my Indian adventure, Mumbai Bye. Part 2 ended with us still in Jammu & Kashmir. We flew out of Srinagar, in view of the Himalayas and all their glory. Delhi still has some secrets to reveal, and we make the most of our last day and a half there. Some times with Mr. Sam, and some times adventuring out on our own.
We visit Gandhi Smriti where Mahatma Gandhi spent the final days of his life. He was assassinated in the nearby garden. Some shopping at Dilli Haat was in the cards before a memorable evening visit to Gurudwara Bangla Sahib with Mr. Sam.
On Thursday, Gisele and I had our last day of exploring Delhi on our own. We tuk-tukked and metro-ed to Safdarjang’s Tomb. Aggressive monkeys were the story at Hanuman Mandir. Serenity and an odd ‘amusement park’ held our interest at Birla Mandir. But the serenity was short lived. What does one do on Eid in Delhi? Why, go to the Jama Masjid with all the rest of the muslims, of course! So back on the metro we hop. When we hop off, we’re not sure of where we are. But a wild tuk-tuk ride got us to the mosque, and in no time, we were Instagram celebrities, at least in other peoples’ selfies with us. Many, many selfies! And the topper of our day were the crowds near the Red Fort. Huge, epic, masses of humanity. The essence of India!
But before leaving India, we need to see its largest city, Mumbai. Totally different from Delhi, Mumbai, formerly called Bombay, has a vibe all its own. Being on the ocean, it’s not only super hot, but also super humid. If you blink, you sweat! And even in the crush of people, it often seems calmer than Delhi. But not less interesting. The remnants of British rule are everywhere, from the Gateway to India, the Prince of Wales Museum and the Queen Victoria train station, to the fabled, infamous, and luxurious Taj Mahal Hotel.
We took a ferry ride out to the Elephanta Caves, and had a mind blowing tour guided by a local resident, of the World’s Third Largest Slum, Dharavi. A city of glaring contradictions and super friendly people. It was hard to say Mumbai Bye!
That’s right, Mumbai Bye India. I look forward to returning this endlessly fascinating Asian giant.
Links to photos at bestshawnstengel.com and click on Shawn’s Photos