mumbai captured

so, it has been while since my last entry - apologies for that. i was excited to blog about our trip to mumbai but when i actually sat down to write a few days after we returned, i was at a loss for words...which doesnt happen very often! mumbai is such a special city that words themselves cannot describe. its a place you must visit in order to experience all the excitement and energy the city has to offer. it is a place like no other place i have visited before. the people, the smells, the culture and their way of life are all so diverse that although we tried, our pictures didn't seem to capture it all. it was still worth a try though...

the 'father of the nation'...mohandas karamchand gandhi...mike and i toured the city in a horse drawn 'buggy'...

some of the many street food vendors. they all looked delicious but we weren't brave enough to try...

sugar cane juicewhat the indians refer to as 'flash paan' - a combination of nuts, sweet chutney, lime paste, rose petals and spices all wrapped up in a silver betel leaf. it is known to aid digestion. i was very tempted to give this a try...shaved cucumbers...at least that is what they looked like...the unfortunate view out of our hotel window, the slums/ shanty town. the poverty is heartbreaking...

every major hub always has one of these...(fion, if you are reading, this one's for you!!)...and one of these... the public taxis in mumbai...notice the meter located OUTSIDE, to the left of the windshield...
the 'dhobi ghats' aka mumbai's launderers (as seen on the amazing race)...

typical city views...

this one can speak of itself, i think...

notice how the man is the only one wearing a helmet...who cares about the woman and child!! unfortunately this was quite a common thing to see throughout the streets of mumbai...

taking a beer break in one of the cafes...

typical tourist scam...we were blessed by a hindu devotee, for a 'small' fee of course...the victoria terminus train station built in 1877 by british architect, frederick stevens (the design was greatly inspired by st. pancras train station in london)...do you see the resemblance? we do.

university of mumbai...a true example of the british colonial architecture, established in 1857...