The Contrasts of Mumbai

We could not imagine 2 more contrasting places than Dubai and Mumbai, although the names are similar they differ in just about every other way. Dubai is the epitome of modernity, everything is new and pristine, it is generally clean, orderly and well maintained.
Mumbai is chaotic, noisy, quite smelly and sadly much of it is crumbling. The buildings all look old, partly due to being neglected but also due to a climate which is often very humid, and four months of monsoon.
Yet to Indians it is the modern city, growing rapidly as everyone comes here for the better opportunities it offers, it is both very rich and very poor. The slums are extensive and even the 'expensive' real estate can look quite ordinary.
Nevertheless we enjoyed our day tour, cricket is being played in every patch of grass or concrete: on the sidewalk next to the highway, in the outdoor laundry, in the rubbish heaps of the slums and even at the cricket grounds!
Most notable was the visit to the home of Mahatma Gandhi, although he did not own the house this room was permanently reserved for him and from here he printed his papers and would speak to the crowds from the balcony.

Our first experience of 'proper' Indian food was Thali: pulses, lentils and vegetables served in individual bowls with various sauces and chutneys on one big platter, scooped up with an assortment of light breads followed by the rice. Superb, and all these years we thought we knew a good Indian!




Some colonial buildings still look good and the train station is a World Heritage Site.

In the evening we took a short flight to Udaipur for the start of the palace tour and the night time arrival by boat at The Taj Lake Palace was a grand way to start. The lanterns and candles illuminated the jetty and created an alluring atmosphere from the windows of the hotel. This marble palace, previously known as Jag Niwas was the summer home of the King until one of his guests suggested he convert it into a hotel, it was Jackie Kennedy! In daylight it appears to float on the surface of the lake and is the focal point from the old city.

The interior is sumptuous, we have lost count of the number of staff and the atmosphere is one of total peace and tranquility. Today's visit was across the lake to the City Palace, now a museum, for a closer look at the lifestyle of the Maharanas, but there will be more on that another time.






One of the courtyards at Taj Lake Palace. Until the next post, NAMASTE.