India day 2: (Miche). There were many laughs involving India, Indian food, bathrooms and the "traveler's curse" in the weeks leading up to our departure. On our second full day in Mumbai, there was bathroom event that took me by complete surprise and has made my fears grow even larger.
The day began early when the non-stop honking of our continuous alarm clock grew to a deafening roar in the streets below. Our cab drivers have hit their horn on average 20 times a minute, and it seems an entrepreneur could do well with a custom horn shop to replace the ubiquitous beeps with an occasional "quack" or a "moo".
We made our way out onto less unfamiliar streets after a lazy morning, growing more and more aware of the enormity of the city around us. The skyline, as far as the eye can see, is filled with skyscrapers. New beasts are bursting from the ground everywhere and it seems as growth is only limited by a shortage of cranes. As we drove through miles of skyscrapers in one small section of Mumbai, our taxi driver told us they had all been built in the last 15 years to support the textile industry, at least that is what I think he said. I think it must be like watching New York go through its Big Bang.
The people that fill these buildings come at you from everywhere in every type of vehicle imaginable. My favorite so far is a tie...watching 14 people emerge from a five passenger microbus, or getting passed in our taxi by a man and a wife riding a one seat motorcycle with a baby between mom and dad and a small kid hanging off the back. Luckily, dad was one if the few motorcyclists in Mumbai to actually be wearing a helmet.
The people stare at me when I am looking and I stare back when they are not. I see faces shrouded by every color imaginable and most of them are smiling. The melting pot of Hinduism , Buddhism, and Islam is fascinating in its diversity and beautiful in its vibrancy. Bright colors come at you from everywhere and please my greedy senses. A child wearing a pink and plaid dress and a bright pink hat rests on the lap of her mother, clashing against purple henna pants, a purple and blue striped skirt, a light and dark green patterned shirt, a green, purple, black, tan and turquoise scarf, and a black and gold necklace pressed against chocolate skin.
The colors come at you from everywhere, But what caught my eye and captured my heart was a faint silver and black henna embroidery which was barely visible on the sleeve of a woman wearing a black burqa. Through a sliver in the burqa I saw her dark eyes, radiant against dark fabric covering her from head to toe, revealing an inner beauty of a people to whom I am a stranger.
With the chaos and confusion of millions of people bustling in all directions, we needed a plan in case someone got lost. 'Stop and look for the white guy' was executed to perfection when nick disappeared in the bazaar. We have seen only a handful of other tourists, probably because it is the middle of the hot season. After visiting the grand rail station which was built by the British in the late 1800s and gawking at its stunning architecture, I was soaked. But I only sensed a much richer history to this strange and exotic land on which we travel after boarding a ship destined for elephant island. The island contained a series of caves which had been enlarged and filled with 30 foot tall statues carved out of rock with elaborate murals chiseled into the cavern walls. Buddhist monks labored over centuries long past working day and night to pay tribute to gods with statues they would never see finished in their lifetime.
Sightseeing works up an appetite and we have been fortunate to find some incredible food on which to dine. Service is a priority and during each meal we have had at least four waiters. They like to stand close by and stare at you while you eat, so it does take a bit of getting used to. Nick likes to challenge the waiting staff to very very spicy food which brings me back to the bathroom event that has taken me by surprise and very very fearful for our 15 hour train ride which leaves the station in 1.5 hours. All quiet on the western front. Number two has not come to visit. There have been rumblings, but no major seismic activity. Quite unusual for me especially considering the spicy Indian food. Stay tuned....what is life anyway without a bit of adventure?
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