Visiting India was on my Bucket List and Mumbai was on the top of the list of cities to visit.
I wanted to see for myself what the country and people were like and visit the slums made famous by the movie Slum Dog Millionaire. We opted for a private tour of Mumbai with a host that grew up and still lives in the slums. Her name is Divya and she was really somewhat of a "Diva". Great personality and love for her country, people and life. Our day started with a walking tour through the Mumbai slums. A bit of a shock at first with a drive that was something out of a movie. There are no traffic lanes or rules here. It is peddle to the metal and nonstop action on the streets 24 hours a day. This is the craziest driving city I have ever experienced in my life. Nothing compares, not even the Philippines, Thailand or Vietnam combined. The sounds of car and motorbike horns and honking becomes the norm. It is nonstop and relentless wherever you go. The smells and filth also follow you as this could be one of the dirtiest cities in the world. Trash is everywhere. On the streets, sidewalks, hallways, homes and businesses. Really have never seen anything this bad anywhere in the world. People sift through piles of trash for food and any items they may be able to use or sell. Large rats as big as cats also rumble through the streets along with stray dogs and cats. We were a bit shell shocked walking into the slums but our guide, Divya made us feel comfortable as this is here city and the place she has spent here entire life. She explained that the slums are not only a place to live but a huge community with schools, places of worship, hospitals, businesses, manufacturing and a wide diversity of incomes including millionaires.
She herself at 24 years old, still lives in the one room home where she has grown up with her mother and brother. Three and sometimes four people living in a un air-conditioned room that is about 6 feet by 6 feet with a small bathroom and loft above for sleeping. Divya is proud of her family and home. Her smile and excitement when we entered the tiny house made me feel happy to be with her in the slums on this day. Her love for life and for what little she had inspired me and was something I needed to see. We walked through her slums seeing things that were in many ways so normal but in many ways so sad. Men, woman and children, bathing, brushing their teeth, brushing their hair in the open wherever there was water and space. People working jobs around every corner. The slums include a huge recycling system for metal, trash and plastics. There are machine shops, crushing machines, extruders, presses and everything else they need. Workers are imported from neighboring countries and they work tirelessly 20 hours a day and sleep in the same rooms where they work. It is a life like I could not imagine yet this is the norm for thousands of people. The miles and miles of small streets which are more like hallways are lined with trash, food stalls, merchants, homes, manufacturing plants, recycling machines, and people living and working. It seems like you are underground because everything is built up around you. Electrical wires run up, down, sideways, along the ground, in the air, on the walls and according to Divya, everyone knows what lines are theirs and each person is charged for electricity. How this works in the slums is beyond me. There isn't much privacy in the slums and the people do not seem to care. Just happy to be alive and getting by day to day. While we did not talk to many people, there were a lot of smiles and greetings of hi and hello. There were a lot of single men living here to work and take care of their families. I could not help but imagine what they were thinking each day and if they would ever enjoy a better life. To live and work in such harsh conditions takes strength and that is what I realized about the slums. These are strong people that are no different than anyone else in the world. They want family, friends, food, faith and to enjoy life. So glad India and Mumbai were on my Bucket List as this was an adventure I will never forget. Yes Mumbai is dirty, noisy and smelly but in some way it is intoxicating with an energy and spirit that cannot be denied.
Click links below to view more posts on Mumbai;
WELCOME TO MUMBAI
ARRIVAL AT THE PORT OF MUMBAI
MUMBAI PORT IS DIRTY AND WATER IS POLLUTED
TRADITIONAL INDIA WELCOME
WATCH THE VIDEO OF MUMBAI SLUMS
OUR MUMBAI GUIDE LIVES IN THE SLUMS
LETS VISIT A NICE HOME IN THE SLUMS
KITCHEN, LIVING ROOM AND BEDROOM ALL IN THIS SPACE
SMALL BATHROOM ON RIGHT PLUS SLEEPING SPACE ABOVE
THE TAJ MAHAL PALACE MUMBAI (HOTEL MUMBAI)
LUNCH IN MUMBAI
ALOHA MUMBAI
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