Beautiful Bombay

"It's the right place for me, if you understand what I mean, and I knew that on the first days, in the first hour that I came here. So, in a sense, I was comfortable from the beginning".
-Shantaram

This is exactly how I feel about Mumbai. Even on the first night I was there, however jaded with the idea of actually being in India, I knew there was something special about the city. I felt an instant connection, an instant comfort and that feeling was only further reinforced in 10 days I spent there in late May.

Fresh off the bus from Nilshi I had already made plans with some of the other volunteer counselors to do a bit of exploring around the city in the days to come. I knew I was lucky to have some locals guiding me around because in a city of 18 million it's easy to get lost. First up on my sightseeing would be an awesome bike tour around Colaba with Dwayne and Gideon. This seemed perfect since back home this is ideal biking time and in recent weeks I have been longing for my bike.

Showing up around 6:30 on his scooter, Gideon and I set off to meet Dwayne to rent some bikes and hit the pavement. We finally set out to the streets of Colaba around 7am and with hardly any cars out it was a perfect time for exploring. We rode all around checking out the various points of interest like the docks where the fishermen come to sell their fresh catch early in the morning, the military compound located at the tip of the island, a ride down to the end of Marine Drive and even a cruise by the World Trade Center which before the existence of the giant tower was once the slum setting in the wonderful Shantaram.

Focusing all of my attention on the glory of Colaba with its classic architecture and colorful personality I seemed to miss the transition from quiet open streets to floods of cars and people. Before we knew it we were in heavy competition for the road with cars and bikes bringing some of the 18 million Mumbai residents to work. Bringing out bikes back and stopping for a quick break at Dwayne's we decided there was no better way to end the morning than with a delicious Iranian breakfast at Olympia right across the street from Leopolds!

Before heading back to the YMCA International House (IH) Gideon decided that we should make a quick stop by the sea and check out the Sea Link, an enormous bridge that stretches from Mumbai center to Bandra (an up and coming suburb of Mumbai). We also made a quick stop at the very impressive Mahalakshmi dhobi ghats where washing from all over the city of brought each morning to be soaked in concrete vats and then pounded clean by the resident dhobis.

Upon my return to IH I took some time to speak with the General Secretary about spending a few days seeing the various programs that the Bombay YMCA has to offer. Being one of the largest YMCA branches in India (only second to Delhi), the Bombay YMCA has more than five different branches within the city and offers programs to thousands of children. The most prominent program offered in all the branches is basketball but the Bombay YMCA also offers programs in swimming, badminton, skating and much more.

Although the majority of the programs run by the Bombay YMCA are sports related they also run a boys home (much like the one run by the Madurai YMCA), a number of skill training centers for women and men as well as a home for street children in Juhu. During my stay in Mumbai I had the chance to visit a number of the branches but was most impressed by the work being done at the Juhu branch. Located in a beautiful location right along the seashore it is here that the YMCA offers a home for children who have been found to be alone on the streets and provides them with food, clothing and access to a decent education. Since the children are not mandated to stay with the YMCA some do choose to return to the streets but it was wonderful to learn that the majority of the kids brought in choose to stay and have a chance at a successful life. For some staying with the YMCA has even meant being able to attend college and for some, masters programs.

With my first full day in Mumbai coming to a close I could think of no better way to end the day than with a nice stroll down the infamous Marine Drive. Hopping with locals and visitors alike, The Queen's Necklace couldn't be more beautiful. Exhausted and looking forward to the following day when my German friends from Madurai, Pati and Esther, were coming to stay with me for a few days in Mumbai, I headed back to IH to get some much needed rest.

I had a really excellent time in Mumbai with Pati, Esther and their friend Simone. We did all sorts of wonderful touristy things like visiting the Gateway, seeing the infamous Taj Hotel and taking a nice boat ride out to see the Elephanta Caves. About an hours ride out by boat and even with a foreigner ticket costs 25 times more than a ticket for an Indian national, I would say the caves were definitely worth the visit. The island is only populated by a small fishing community and was named in honor if the carved elephant statue that was found by the Portuguese. The caves are currently one of India’s great archeological sites with an impressive massive three-faced Shiva sculpture.

Later that evening eager to see a bit of the Mumbai night-life that is so raved about we decided to go out for a bit of dancing and celebrating in Bandra. Rockin’ to some American classic rock on the first floor and a mixture of Hindi and English pop music on the second and third, we had a truly excellent time.

Before I knew it my German friends were heading back to Madurai to catch their flight home to Germany but I still had a few more days to enjoy the city life of Mumbai. Being such a big city with nearly all of luxuries of home, while in Mumbai there were often times when I had to stop and remind myself I was actually in India. Of course it was a bit louder, a bit smellier and a bit more untamed than most American cities but with McDonalds, shopping malls, Hollywood movies showing in nearly every theater and English music on the radio it was a bit like going back stateside for a few weeks.

Discovering a new interest in the game of Cricket with India winning the World Cup, I mentioned to a few of my friends how cool it would be to see a cricket match. I was in luck! As it turned out the Bombay YMCA gets a few sponsored seats to every match and I jumped at the opportunity to sit in the stands and watch my very first live match. Since it was Tania’s father Melvin, a secretary at the Bombay YMCA, who get the tickets and she also had yet to go to a match we decided to go together.

When we arrived at the stadium I was a bit embarrassed that I didn’t even have a clue which teams were going to be playing. Expressing my concern to Tania learned quickly that she too was not aware so when we found out that the match was a playoff match between the Bangalore Royals and the Chennai Super Kings we did our best to make an informed decided about who to cheer for. Since Chennai is in Tamil Nadu, the same state as Madurai, and their uniforms were bright yellow which intrigued me, I suggested we cheer for Chennai. Although there was about an hour of the four-hour match when we were sure we had chosen to wrong team, in the end Chennai came out on top and even went on to win the Indian championship! (No cameras allow so no pictures here, sorry)

No trip to Mumbai would be complete without a day of street food so Tania and Gideon decided there was no better place to indulge than around Crawford Market. Here street vendors sell everything from Kabobs, chicken and beef rolls to pudding, homemade ice cream and nearly every flavor soda you would want. A few hours of eating later and quickly approaching a wonderful food coma we hit the streets back to Mumbai Central to rest and digest for a bit.

With only one day left in Mumbai I knew that I had to make the most of my remaining time so I decided to hop a train out to Brandra and meet up with Carlos. Starting with a scrumptious slice of Red Velvet cheesecake and an Iced Coffee from Candy’s and continuing our eating tour of Bandra with dounuts, ice cream and some yummy Mango iced tea Carlos and I spent the day shopping and eating our way across Brandra. Needing to sit and digest for a bit we decided there was no better way to digest then escaping the heat in a nice air conditioned cinema watching Kung Fu Panda II!

With my time in Mumbai quickly coming to a close I knew there was no better way to end an excellent couple weeks in such a great city than with a delicious dinner at one of the cities top restaurants with my new best buddy Gideon. After some careful thought, Gideon and I decided that there was no were else better than The Taj. Known for its wonderful cuisine and the glorious views overlooking the Gateway and the Arabian Sea that accompany the meal we decided that we would go to Soux, the Middle Eastern restaurant on the top floor of the new building of the Taj.

After have feasted on some delicious but over-priced grilled lamb chops for myself and a beautiful shrimp plate for Gideon and a few glasses of wine we hit the streets for one last stroll down Marine Drive.

The time had finally come for me to return to Madurai. I knew there was no doubt that I would miss Mumbai but everyday what I miss more are the awesome friends I made in that great city.

See you again soon Mumbai.