Here now, it’s amazing. The hospitality is faultless, even outside the 5 star hotels, the chaos and life is all consuming, the enterprise of the people is inspiring, the poverty humbling and the number of auto rickshaws is staggering. Then there’s the food… I’d recommend it to anyone

Then there’s the food… I’d recommend it to anyone

Not got the shits yet then…

No, but it’s only a matter of time. Hygiene is definitely a massive issue here. I’m expecting it so going all out to enjoy myself before it hits. I’ve refrained from picking my nose while here. I’ve used toilets which had no soap next to the canteen my food came from…

I’ve been a few times for different periods of time, longest was a few weeks. You are highly likely to get the shits if you’re out and about eating etc, but thats all part of the experience. The people are friendly and welcoming mostly.

Transport is bonkers.

Funny, I found it crowded, dirty with chronic levels of poverty. Most of the people ‘outside the 5 star hotels’ were trying to extract money from me and I wouldn’t recommend it at all. The only place I liked less was Indore.

Agree about the food, though.

The entire city is bonkers.

And the city is bigger than anything I could have imagined. Hours required to get around it

It’s been a while. I remember the beggars, the poor people living in shanties on the streets, the opulence, and the traffic. The air was full of diesel smoke. After a day travelling round one’s face and collar had black stains, one’s nostrils were lined with soot.

I do hope it’s come on a bit.

Oh, and I felt bad about walking faster than the multitude of beggars were able to.

Only been in the airport but I remember coming in to land & it looked like a different planet!

No but I have been to Mombassa, oh and Toamasina in Madagascar (great place)

I friggin love the place!, I spent 3 weeks there with a now ex gf back in 2002 whilst we waited to get our Royal Enfield customised and serviced for a 6 month tour, i have never been to a country that so polarised my views from one second to the next.

The Jain temple in Mumbai was so serene stuck in the middle of the city

The street cows were so laid back in the fiercest of traffic

The dhobi wallahs do the majority of the city’s washing and nothing gets lost or waylaid – amazing!

We often played cricket with the kids in front of the VT terminus

One of the oldest buildings in mumbai right next to new housing development

View from Gateway to India across bay to Chowpatty beach/city of mumbai

The great man himself, Mahatma Ghandi

Amanda made friends everywhere

Anjuna market, Goa

View from our beach hut at palolem south goa

Our beach dog that adopted us and used to sit in a big basket on the front of the Enfield, we paid the local bar owner a lump sum to take her in and look after her, she died a happy dog 4 yrs later and we often got photo updates sent to us….sniff….sniff 😥

Apologies for rambling pics but your post has reminded me i need to pack my job in to return for longer next time – gonna browse through my other albums later and shed a tear for the country and the people…..India gets under your skin, it’s an itch that just will not go away.

I’m about 3 hrs away from you, living and working in Pune, I have been for the last 18 months.
I love it here, as said above “India gets under your skin”, that said there are wonderful highs, and some annoying lows, often very humbling. But every day is different, always something to see as you go around the city.

I even cycle out here, the traffic is mental and it’s great racing the rickshaws but once out of the city into the villages you experience the real India life.
I love it and don’t want to leave right now.

Nice pics Soma, slightly different from ones of me in rickshaw wearing a suit! Oop, cycling in this is insane!

I loved the city personally, had a great time there last year.

One of the highlights for me was visiting Dharavi (one of the biggest slums in Asia, if not the biggest). We met some of the most friendly people there on our whole trip. If you get a chance you should visit it.

We went with a local guy called Mohammed. He was born and bred in Dharavi, has taught himself English and set up his tour business. It was inspiring to meet him and if you are going to visit consider having him show you round. You get to see all the industry within Dharavi and he give you some great insights to the city.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mohammeds-Dharavi-Slum-Tours/213260498684608?ref=ts

Cheers
Ben

The other thing you HAVE to do is go and eat Bhelpuri from the street vendors on Chowpatty Beach.

what s the price of hash there now ?

I couldn’t get on a plane quick enough to leave tbh. I’m sure it’s great but after 6 months in India I’d had enough. I find it heartbreaking that such a wealthy country can’t get its act together to supply clean water to most of its population. That said, Bombay: Maximum City and The White Tiger are cracking reads.

Calcutta is a bit rougher, less wealth see, great people however,gives you hope for the world

Been over with work twice back in 2007 and 2008 and enjoyed my visits:

There wasn’t many other 6’7″ guys on the road to the mosque:

Seconded Ben 😀 …..just don’t eat samosas from the street vender outside the VT terminus at 5.30am – i had the most terrible squits and was stuck in the open floored toilet for an entire 11hr train journey to Goa down the Konkan railway, Amanda sat with her feet hanging out the open train carriage door next to the toilet for the whole journey describing the most fantastic countryside passing by whilst occasionally dribbling water down my throat and passing me small lumps of sticky black opium to eat to stop the squits as i was too weak and ill to move from the floor. Some of the train kids who run up and down the carriages with the tiffin tins took her onto the roof by means of a ladder up the side of the train and she sat up there for ages watching India slowly trundle by- one of her highlights of the trip.

Hmmm was at chowpatty on my 1st day, Sunday, and thought it best to avoid the stall food there given it was day 1 and one of the chefs was standing on his food prep area! Won’t get a chance to go back there now unfortunately.