A Visit to Mumbai, India – Part II
I took a lot of photos in Mumbai, this is the second group. You can view part 1 here.
I decided to head to the south part of the city to explore the area. Leaving the hotel the security guard posed for a photo. Hotels have strict security since the terrorist attacks of 2008.
I have heard some crazy stories about the “Mumbai Local” train. During rush hour, it’s one of the most crowded trains in the world, people are hanging off the sides. The staff at the hotel told me not to ride it, it’s not for tourists. A tour guide I hired said “you are taking the local? I don’t even ride the local”. With those sentiments, I knew I had to ride it :)
I decided to ease my way into it, my first trip was off-peak, and it was quite pleasant. There are no doors on the train, and it stops for only a very short while at each stop. For my second trip, I booked the cheap fare during rush hour. That was definitely entertaining and highly recommended for anyone looking for some adventure. The mass of humanity that steams off a train at each stop is crazy, and somehow you need to push your way though that to get on board. Good times.
My destination for the day was the Chor Bazaar. “According to popular legend, if you lose anything in Mumbai you can buy it back from the ‘Chor Bazaar’.” You can literally get anything here, it is one of largest flea markets in India.
This aisle was full of garlic. It smelled amazing, not overpowering at all. The guy sitting on the ground was peeling cloves, that is what he does most of the day.
At one point, I walked past a school. The kids were just leaving and a few of them come over to say hello. They spoke very good English (they all learn it in school) and they started asking me a lot of questions while showing me around. They wanted to pose for a photo, but at the last second all ran away leaving just one.
These guys had a good laugh.
Venturing outside of the market after a few hours of exploring, I decided to just stand on a street corner and look at the interesting people streaming by. [Click any image to view bigger.]
There are interesting people everywhere. I’m not even sure what this gentleman is selling, but he looks sharp. If you know what this stuff is, please post in the comments. Update: Thanks to Sandhya for letting me know via the comments that this gentleman is selling Singhara (Water Chesnut/Water Caltrop) seeds.
Another friendly character, spoke no English but was happy to pose for a photo.
Some of the local animals. Fresh mutton? No problem. Want to buy a rooster, they have that too.
Sidewalks in Mumbai are not quite up to Canadian standards.
A few more interesting sights and people including a fruit and vegetable stand.
On more than one occasion kids ran up to me and wanted to pose for a photo. Very curious and very cute.
A shave on the street.
I’m not sure this is up to WCB standards. It was amazing to watch these guys climb bamboo scaffolding with no harness or other safety equipment.
One of the slums on the beach. Despite the conditions, children will find a way to entertain themselves. Here they made a kite and they seemed to be having a great time.
A well dressed gent at a street market.
Finally, my dinner. Curried goat, roti, and a local beer.
