Making My Way in Mumbai

January 3: I arrived at the hotel in Mumbai and fell into bed at 5 AM local time this morning — after 35 hours of travel with little sleep! I slept for 4 hours, then forced myself to get up and eat breakfast at the hotel restaurant. Idlis (shown) and a chili-omelet! I went back to sleep for a few hours and, around 3 pm, ventured out into the streets of the city.

Idli with sauces

child getting ready for the “football” (soccer) game

girl selling flags and items for the football game

India is basically an exploding sensory-loaded confetti bomb (or a hundred), a full-on bombardment of all your senses. I am not, in fact, particularly brave, unless brave means living with the mantra “scared but do it anyway.” I am very aware that I am a sole woman (who grew up in Wayne, Maine) traveling alone halfway around the world. I am often anxious, sometimes scared, often (ok, almost always) lost. I regularly depend on the good will of strangers who invariably come through for me, endlessly affirming my belief in humanity. I get by with loads of smiles, some laughter, a lot of deep breathing, and a million namastes (greeting) and dhanyavaads (thank you). I am awe-struck to think that someone in the US is praying for my safety, and a stranger in Mumbai (a city of 20 million) points the way to my hotel, or shows me where and how to cross a street.

So I ventured out of the hotel straight into what turned out to be throngs swarming toward the nearby arena for a soccer match! Go figure. Dozens of people were street-side selling shirts, flags, noise-makers, and face painting. I headed for Chowpatty Beach (on the Arabian Sea), which, after numerous wrong turns and no obvious way to cross over to the beach side of the streets and rails, I finally arrived at, just in time for the sunset! I ate some of the famous street food (dahipuri and panipuri — specialties of this area) and eventually meandered back to the hotel for a light dinner and beer.

vendors of roasted corn

Me eating dahipuri

1 panipuri — I got 6 for under a dollar!!

family gathered on the sidewalk

barefoot child of the street plays cricket

A few stories to share:

1. Upon arriving at the (beautiful and modern) Mumbai International Airport, I took a while to get through customs/immigration, find my bags, and exchange some money. I went to the nearest money exchange near the baggage claim, where the young man at the counter eagerly encouraged me to exchange a big sum for rupees at the “best deal.” One thing I know about India is this: never trust a person who says “best deal”! So I smiled at him and said, “You’re not trying to take advantage of me, are you? I’m old enough to be your mother, and you wouldn’t do that to your mother, right?” (Side note: I am happily at the age where I can play on the riff of “silver-haired-old-enough-to-be-your-mom”.) The man broke into a huge smile and assured me that he was telling the truth, and he’d even give me a bank phone number to confirm. Then he told me, “And if you return to Mumbai while you are here, you can come visit me and my family. I mean this.” So we exchanged numbers and I am staying in touch with my new friend, to be able to visit him when I’m next in Mumbai.

2. I then met up with my driver who took me to the hotel. He was an older man who was exceptionally kind and asked me a lot of questions. There was a gorgeous moon in the sky above Marine Drive and the bay. He said, “To me, America is as far away as that moon.” I replied, “But that moon is the very same one visible in America.” He saw distance, and I saw connection. He then asked about my husband, why I was leaving him for so long, and if he was the one meant for me. I said “Yes, we have been married for 31 years. And he’s okay with me doing this trip.” The driver then asked, “He is your partner in this world, but there is another life to come. Would you choose him to be your partner in that life too?” I said, “Yes, I would.” He talked about his own family too – twin girls who are in college and a teenage son. As he dropped me off, I said, “I guess I won’t see you again. Thank you for the drive and your company.” About 10 minutes later, as I was settling into my room, my doorbell rang, and the driver was standing there with my phone. He said, “I guess destiny intended that we should meet one last time in this life.” I laughed and thanked him for my phone!

3. Despite eating scrumptious street food at Chowpatty Beach, I was hungry enough after walking 5 miles to order a light dinner (under $10 total, including beer and dessert). (I am so glad I have gotten my taste back after Covid!)

Dinner – Poori and a mushroom/pea curry

Dessert – Kulfi (sort of a dense ice cream)