Now that I've laid the foundation, here are the nitty gritty details of what daily life was like in India!
MUMBAI
Keanan and I arrived on the morning of February 16 wide-eyed and ready to accept the unexpected. After an hour taxi ride into the city, we found a room at the YWCA. The Y was located in the Colaba Causeway area in the southern part of the city and was really clean and accommodating. We were both exhausted from the two days of travel so after spending a few hours surveying the scene, we head back to the Y to sleep.
The next day started early, at 6am. We decided to walk west towards the Arabian Sea and from there followed the shoreline about 3km north to Chow Patty Beach. The beach is not suitable for swimming and is more of a hangout locale.
After soaking up the sun and surroundings for about an hour, we settled on moving inland to find an area called Chor Bazaar. Talk about an early awakening. It didn't take long for India to slap us in the face with reality! We soon realized that the further inland we went, the less tourist friendly it became. We were in a different world all together. The sun was rising in the sky and the hundreds of thousands of peoples and animals created a blur of motion, scents, and stimulation. Walking through the madness was a battle on its own, but with the heat and no oasis in sight, it was sensory overload. The climax came as we were making our way down the sidewalk through a dense crowd and almost walked over a man begging on the corner. Now, this was no ordinary beggar. From head to foot his body was covered in huge boils. His body baking in the sun in clear discomfort. There was no time to react and as he reached out his blistering arms all I could do was keep my eyes forward and my pace steady. As we made it past what felt like the gateway to the underworld, it was then that we realized how far away from home we were. We walked another block before stopping to catch our breath and concluding that maybe we had had enough for one day. As we found our way back to the coastal road and into familiar territory, we grabbed lunch at a delicious restaurant in the Fort neighborhood (just north of the causeway) and went back to Colaba and the Y to decompress and register what we have gotten ourselves into.
The next morning we had to change guesthouses, as the Y was booked. We found a room at the City Palace Hotel in Fort. The room was on the sixth floor and after taking the two person elevator with our bags and the machine operator to the fifth floor, we climbed a spiral staircase to what felt like the servants quarters. The rooms were sparse with two twin beds and a window looking out onto the rooftops. The ceilings were so low that I could just barely stand and left Keanan in the permanent slouch position.
After getting situated we walked to the Gateway of India, a structure on the waters edge, and caught a boat to Elephanta Island. The Island was said to have ancient cave art and carvings. The hour ride was calm and we shared the empty top deck with an old Indian man with three teeth and his "lady." They were incredibly sweet and fun to talk to. However, upon arrival on the island, we were immediately disappointed. The caves, shorelines, and hiking trails were littered with trash and greedy monkeys hissing and stealing peoples food and water.
After exploring for two hours we made our way back to the boat. After grabbing a quick bite we walked back to the hotel in the dark. We thought it would be nice to walk down a side street adjacent to our hotel. During the day it was a lovely street with friendly people and trees shading the road and stalls, but at night it was ghostly with only rabid dogs defending their territory. As we neared the turnoff, a pack of dogs were beginning to form and growl and bark. This was the most unsafe I had felt in India thus far. The idea of being attacked and eaten by 10 mangy dogs was not how I had imagined the end of my life to be.
Luckily, we made it out alive. The next day in Mumbai was our last and we spent it walking around and looking at art museums. It was the most pleasant day up to this point, but the conclusion still stands: skip Mumbai. It's expensive, smelly, and just as busy and bustling as any other big city. Your time will be better spent elsewhere.
DELHI
On Sunday, February 20, I flew to Delhi to meet with my good friend Joe and new friend Abhinav (who I met through couch surfing). Keanan took a 22 hour train ride that evening to Udaipur in southern Rajasthan. When I landed in Delhi Abhinav was kind enough to set me up in his uncle's guesthouse for four nights free of charge and then he and his friend (whose name escapes me) and Joe and I went out to dinner.
Joe and I decided to book a bus trip to see Agra and the Taj Mahal and spent the entire next day on the road (5am to 2am). The bus ride was hellish. Piercing horn honking, 1,000,000 stops, and lunch and dinner spots that had "Delhi Belly" written all over them, was definitely not what Joe or I were expecting. The two main stops were the Red Fort and the Taj Mahal. Both beautiful and worth the agonizing trip.
Other than that, the rest of Delhi was pretty chill. I just spent time with Joe during the day and went to some bars with Abhinav and his friends at night. Joe and I also went to the Lotus temple, which was incredible. It is a temple for the Bahai faith (a faith that encompasses and excepts all others) and people from all religions are welcome to come and do silent prayer in the lotus shaped structure. Definitely the best stop of the trip thus far- even better than the Taj! You can't take pictures inside, but below are some great pictures at sunset.
I was beginning to regret not going to Rajasthan and wondering what the rest of India was going to hold for me when I received an email from Keanan inviting me to meet him in Udaipur. I was out on a flight the next day. Thank you Joe, Abhinav, and Delhi, but I must go - adventure awaits!
Consensus: Delhi is by far better than Mumbai, but a big city nonetheless. Good for short stops between more exciting places. Also good if you need/want a night out.
~~~
Well, this post took longer than expected with the slow uploading speeds, so the rest of India will have to wait till next time! Hope you enjoy the photos and stories.
Till then,
XO Nadia
MUMBAI
Keanan and I arrived on the morning of February 16 wide-eyed and ready to accept the unexpected. After an hour taxi ride into the city, we found a room at the YWCA. The Y was located in the Colaba Causeway area in the southern part of the city and was really clean and accommodating. We were both exhausted from the two days of travel so after spending a few hours surveying the scene, we head back to the Y to sleep.
The next day started early, at 6am. We decided to walk west towards the Arabian Sea and from there followed the shoreline about 3km north to Chow Patty Beach. The beach is not suitable for swimming and is more of a hangout locale.
People sitting on the shore of Chow Patty Beach
After soaking up the sun and surroundings for about an hour, we settled on moving inland to find an area called Chor Bazaar. Talk about an early awakening. It didn't take long for India to slap us in the face with reality! We soon realized that the further inland we went, the less tourist friendly it became. We were in a different world all together. The sun was rising in the sky and the hundreds of thousands of peoples and animals created a blur of motion, scents, and stimulation. Walking through the madness was a battle on its own, but with the heat and no oasis in sight, it was sensory overload. The climax came as we were making our way down the sidewalk through a dense crowd and almost walked over a man begging on the corner. Now, this was no ordinary beggar. From head to foot his body was covered in huge boils. His body baking in the sun in clear discomfort. There was no time to react and as he reached out his blistering arms all I could do was keep my eyes forward and my pace steady. As we made it past what felt like the gateway to the underworld, it was then that we realized how far away from home we were. We walked another block before stopping to catch our breath and concluding that maybe we had had enough for one day. As we found our way back to the coastal road and into familiar territory, we grabbed lunch at a delicious restaurant in the Fort neighborhood (just north of the causeway) and went back to Colaba and the Y to decompress and register what we have gotten ourselves into.
The next morning we had to change guesthouses, as the Y was booked. We found a room at the City Palace Hotel in Fort. The room was on the sixth floor and after taking the two person elevator with our bags and the machine operator to the fifth floor, we climbed a spiral staircase to what felt like the servants quarters. The rooms were sparse with two twin beds and a window looking out onto the rooftops. The ceilings were so low that I could just barely stand and left Keanan in the permanent slouch position.
The Taj Hotel and Gateway of India
After getting situated we walked to the Gateway of India, a structure on the waters edge, and caught a boat to Elephanta Island. The Island was said to have ancient cave art and carvings. The hour ride was calm and we shared the empty top deck with an old Indian man with three teeth and his "lady." They were incredibly sweet and fun to talk to. However, upon arrival on the island, we were immediately disappointed. The caves, shorelines, and hiking trails were littered with trash and greedy monkeys hissing and stealing peoples food and water.
Dogs on the beach of Elephanta Island
Inside the caves on Elephanta Island
Boats stuck in the mud along the shore of the island
After exploring for two hours we made our way back to the boat. After grabbing a quick bite we walked back to the hotel in the dark. We thought it would be nice to walk down a side street adjacent to our hotel. During the day it was a lovely street with friendly people and trees shading the road and stalls, but at night it was ghostly with only rabid dogs defending their territory. As we neared the turnoff, a pack of dogs were beginning to form and growl and bark. This was the most unsafe I had felt in India thus far. The idea of being attacked and eaten by 10 mangy dogs was not how I had imagined the end of my life to be.
Luckily, we made it out alive. The next day in Mumbai was our last and we spent it walking around and looking at art museums. It was the most pleasant day up to this point, but the conclusion still stands: skip Mumbai. It's expensive, smelly, and just as busy and bustling as any other big city. Your time will be better spent elsewhere.
DELHI
On Sunday, February 20, I flew to Delhi to meet with my good friend Joe and new friend Abhinav (who I met through couch surfing). Keanan took a 22 hour train ride that evening to Udaipur in southern Rajasthan. When I landed in Delhi Abhinav was kind enough to set me up in his uncle's guesthouse for four nights free of charge and then he and his friend (whose name escapes me) and Joe and I went out to dinner.
At Qutub Minar
Qutub Minar - The old stronghold of Delhi
Joe and I doing some parkour
Mangy Delhi Dog chillin' in the city center
Joe and I decided to book a bus trip to see Agra and the Taj Mahal and spent the entire next day on the road (5am to 2am). The bus ride was hellish. Piercing horn honking, 1,000,000 stops, and lunch and dinner spots that had "Delhi Belly" written all over them, was definitely not what Joe or I were expecting. The two main stops were the Red Fort and the Taj Mahal. Both beautiful and worth the agonizing trip.
Taj view from the Red Fort
Girls from Agra- So beautiful!!
Barber Shop in Agra
The Taj!
Joe and I posing for the camera
Other than that, the rest of Delhi was pretty chill. I just spent time with Joe during the day and went to some bars with Abhinav and his friends at night. Joe and I also went to the Lotus temple, which was incredible. It is a temple for the Bahai faith (a faith that encompasses and excepts all others) and people from all religions are welcome to come and do silent prayer in the lotus shaped structure. Definitely the best stop of the trip thus far- even better than the Taj! You can't take pictures inside, but below are some great pictures at sunset.
I was beginning to regret not going to Rajasthan and wondering what the rest of India was going to hold for me when I received an email from Keanan inviting me to meet him in Udaipur. I was out on a flight the next day. Thank you Joe, Abhinav, and Delhi, but I must go - adventure awaits!
Consensus: Delhi is by far better than Mumbai, but a big city nonetheless. Good for short stops between more exciting places. Also good if you need/want a night out.
~~~
Well, this post took longer than expected with the slow uploading speeds, so the rest of India will have to wait till next time! Hope you enjoy the photos and stories.
Till then,
XO Nadia
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