Bombay days. . .

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I didn't quite know what to expect from Mumbai. I had heard that it was crazy and overwhelming. I know it has one of the largest slums in the world. I was picturing Kolkata, but worse.

Imagine my surprise when we arrived to traffic signals (that drivers actually obey) swept streets, and laid back street vendors. Besides being more expensive than any other place we've been, Mumbai was the easiest place to be.

The contrast though is huge. We didn't see the slum, but in the back of my mind I knew it was there; as we walked past fancy stores and classy restaurants I knew that somewhere in the city life is very different. As a point of interest, Yvonne read in the newspaper that there is about .03 acres of space per person in Mumbai.

I had a very nice day today. We ran our tourists errands by visiting the hanging gardens, Gandhi's house, and the high court. We then dropped in on what we thought was the museum of contemporary art. It was however a gallery showing local artists. It was good, and I enjoyed wandering around. After coffee I went to the Mumbai Art Museum. Let me confess that I am a sucker for audio tours, and I had a fantastic time looking around at everything from origami to temple statues, miniature paintings to a natural history wing. I loved it.

We were again wowed by how friendly people are here. We asked for directions to the city train and the man just escorted us to the ticket counter. We were sitting at the station and the train official came up to make sure we were okay. After throwing in the two hindi phrases I know we were laughing and enjoying being in yet another strange train station in a city we barely know.

Tonight I stood in the open train door and watched India flash by. Train is the way to go - it is efficient, mostly on time, and a perfect way to see the countryside. I love being to eavesdrop on people's lives, just for a second, before they flicker out of view.