Intro to India: Bombay

To  say that India is a country of contrasts is an understatement. Within the span of less than two hours, we took a taxi from our hotel to a restaurant where we ate outstanding Indian food. Everything was tasty, colorful, interesting. The servers came around constantly to ask if we wanted more of any item. The meal for the three of us cost ~$25. Before we got into the restaurant, though, we had to walk past a mother washing her 2 yr old naked girl in the gutter right outside our restaurant. Pavement dwellers are camped out, but not overly intrusive. Once dinner was over, we thought we’d head to Chowpatty Beach, but realized quickly we didn’t know how to cross the railroad tracks. Instead, we grabbed a taxi. Ken struggled to fit into it. The taxi’s transmission sounded like it was on its last legs. The driver just stopped the car right in the middle of the street (in a left lane), got out and went to use the public toilet! We just sat there and chuckled. Once we were on our way again, we went past these giant fields where weddings are held. There’s virtually no way to describe the ornateness and size of these weddings! They seem like a mix of Disney, Bollywood, LA, Vegas, etc. Weddings are held based on the way the stars align, so they can take place on any day at any time.

Earlier today, Kinsey and Pat did a private tour in a nicer, air conditioned taxi. Probably the most memorable part dealt with the lunchbox delivery system in place in Mumbai. The women prepare their husband’s lunches in time for the 8 am pickup, to be carted/bicycled to a train station where the lunchbox is grouped with other lunchboxes going to the same area. Once the train arrives at the Churchgate Train Station (the endpoint station), the lunchboxes are again sorted and parsed out in groups of 40 to delivery men who then take the lunches directly to each husband at 1:30. If a husband elects not to eat his lunch, the food is donated to the poor; otherwise, he eats it and the lunchbox is picked up again at a specific time and then the process reverses so the lunchboxes are returned to the right households. Prince Charles is a fan of this operation and even had several of its administrators at his second wedding. Harvard also uses it as a case study in their management classes, we were told. It’s certainly one way to provide many jobs.

Tomorrow we leave Mumbai for the beaches of Goa. Wonder what new adventures await us!