Namasdavid: An Oblivious American in Mumbai

Last time I mentioned that I was en route to Mumbai for the weekend. Two days to experience what is referred to here as "The Maximum City." I knew it would be overwhelming, but I was naive enough to think that my three weeks of adjusting to India was preparation enough. This was like walking into a classroom expecting a quiz and getting the final exam. Dorky analogy aside, I didn't know what I was getting myself into.

The trip was a turbulent mix of seeing the sights and trying to experience real life in Mumbai. I began day one by honoring an important American stereotype at Starbucks. Next stop was the Gateway to India, probably the single most touristy spot in Mumbai. Immediately upon arrival I was accosted by dozens of people offering private trips around the city. With no time for indecision, I hired the least abrasive salesman to show me around southern Mumbai. I'm not sure I would characterize this as a tour; it was me and this guy named Dilip cruising around town for a few hours. We got out at a few locations, namely Dhobi Ghat (the largest open-air laundromat in Asia), Colaba fishing village, and Mahatma Ghandi's home/museum. These were fascinating places, but my Indian counterpart's English left a lot up to my interpretation. After paying Dilip more than I am prepared to admit, I spent the remainder of the day exploring - alone and surrounded by people at the same time.

A highlight of the weekend was visiting Dharavi, one of the world's largest slums. This was an organized tour, unlike my escapade with Dilip the day before. Everyone in Dharavi slum is constantly on the grind, and you can't help but feel completely alive while experiencing the sights, sounds, and smells of this place. Their ability to utilize resources and essentially create an informal economy is truly impressive. The people there are not all poor - the annual turnover in Dharavi is north of half a billion dollars - many choose to live there because of the close-knit community. And I assume the tax laws are flexible. Lots of people find slum tourism exploitive of the less fortunate, which is often the case, but our tour company uses the majority of their revenue to support an education-based NGO they started there. So this was the least ethically questionable way to see the place. I made two friends during this tour: A British fellow named Ben and Urban the Slovenian economist. The three of us spent the rest of the weekend trying to fit in at fancy hotel parties and night clubs. It was good to be around a few other foreigners and see a completely different side of the city - I also spent more money on this night than the past three weeks combined.

If I were graded on my overall performance this weekend, I would have passed. F+. Mumbai is such a multi-faceted city, a solid plan of attack and much more time than one weekend is essential. The best way to visit is with a local, no question.

There are only a few pictures, mainly because I was such a tourist already, I did not need to force the issue with a big clunker around my neck.