SoBo in the Big Mango

K: Two days in India, and I love it. I am not sure what my expectations were for Bombay, but they have been exceeded. And since the Indians themselves don't call it Mumbai, neither will I! The city of Bombay is buzzing with activity ... and it is a city of a severe contrast--tremendous wealth alongside the biggest slums in Asia. But despite this, people (old and young) are working, selling things, providing services, engaging in commerce (from the smallest of businesses to the largest).

The colonial-era architecture is truly wonderful, and, in many respects, the city has a very European feel to it (with a bit more people and lots more traffic). But it's very possible to walk to Bombay's chief sites of historical and cultural interest, and so we have explored the city on foot a lot over the past two days. It is a little hairy to cross the street but certainly not as bad as many cities throughout SE Asia.

After a guided tour of the city today, I have a much better appreciation for the tremendous diversity of the people of Bombay, as well as India as a whole. While certainly a predominantly Hindu populace, it was interesting to see the influence of Buddhism, Islam, and the Parsis (descendants of Persian Zoroastrians who fled persecution by the Muslims).

I am also stunned by how well people are dressed. All the school children are in matching uniforms; women are adorned in the most beautiful saris and jewelry; men are in slacks and collared shirts. We Americans could learn a lot!

Oh, and last but not least, there is certainly a feel of Christmas in the air! The hotel is beautifully decorated with Christmas trees, poinsettias, reindeer statues and even some Santas. There are Christmas carols being played throughout the hotel and shops, which is nice and odd at the same time. And we were treated to a little concert at the hotel by a group of blind, orphan boys. I cannot adequately describe how beautifully they sang.

V: What food, what activity, what scenes and sounds! Bombay (as the locals still call it) is a buzzing, 24-hour hive of activity, much like NYC. So we naturally chuckled when our guide said she was giving us the SoBo (South Bombay) tour, and that Bombay (Mumbai) is called the Big Mango! Picture a very crowded Big Apple, with little taxis whipping through the intersections with little to no heed to traffic signals (or pedestrians in the crosswalks), panhandlers of very minor ages with their hands out, and sidewalks full of curio and trinket vendors, and shops with spices, rugs, linens, silks, carvings and castings, and all things related to the Hindu god pantheon (with Buddha busts seen occasionally).

Fascinating to be in a place with centuries-long influences of the world's major religions. We were particularly enlightened by the practices of the Jainists, the supreme non-violent adherents who will not harm any living thing, be it animal or vegetable, as we visited one of their temples, and the Parsis (or Zoroastrians), who neither bury nor burn their dead. One of the world's oddest jobs must be that of the Parsi attendant who 'exposes' the dead body to the air, for the benefit of the feeding vultures, shall we say. All of this occurs in a Tower of Silence that no outsider can see. Interesting stuff in this part of the world, indeed.

Sips: There may not be a lot of sips on this trip due to the the nasty 25% tax on all alcohol! The tax, of course, is meant to deter alcohol consumption which, of course, it doesn't. We have enjoyed the fine local brew Kingfisher.

Bites: So far, authentic Indian cuisine is amazing. The first evening we sampled one of the best Indian restaurants in Bombay (Khyber) which featured tandooris and curries from all over India. Night two was Bombay's best seafood restaurant, Trishna, where we had tandoori pomfret (local fish similar to butterfish) and crab with butter, pepper and garlic sauce. Delicious! Both coffee and tea are prevalent and the fruit lasses or juice combinations are really good.

Sights: SoBo (South Bombay) including the Gateway of India, the Hanging Gardens, Dhobi Ghat (the world's largest outdoor laundry), Ghandi's living quarters (now a museum) in Bombay, a Jain Temple, Crawford Market and shopping at Bombay Electric, an eclectic shop, and Curio Cottage, a marvelous jewelry store.

And so it is now south we shall go, to Goa!

Victoria Terminal Railroad Station, India's largest (seen in Slumdog Millionaire)	Victoria Terminal, commonly called VT
Sugar Cane juicer	Parakeets at Crawford Market
Clothing and Linens at Crawford Market	Vegetable Stands at Crawford Market
Viggo, the Maharaja	Dogs lie on every major road (seen quite a few three-legged ones....)
Goods going to market	A slum
Crowded apartment living	Entrepeneurs, at any age
Dhobi Ghat, large open-air laundry	Men wash
and press	and rinse
and dry	and deliver clothing and uniforms for businesses and homes throughout the city
Jainist deities	Jainism's deity of female energy (Grrrrllllll Power Goddess?)
Stylized Swastika, ancient Jainist symbol	gilded, neon-lit carriages
"Big Ben" at University of Mumbai	School boys smile!
Our lodgings, The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai	Christmas tree in hotel lobby
Christmas displays all over the hotel	Gateway To India monument