Oh, the places… Part 2: Mumbai

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller

Mumbai changed the way I see India. Its cosmopolitan feel, cobbled streets, relatively tame traffic practices (relative being the operative word), skyscrapers, nightlife, and chai tea all provided a more modern perspective on what could be in store for India over the next few decades. Granted I only saw the city for two quick days, but it just felt… well… more modern.

I met up with my friend, classmate, and fellow WDI fellow Javier at the Mumbai airport and together we headed over the house of our friend, classmate, and fellow WDI Fellow (see a pattern here?) Mary Fritz. As frequent readers of the this blog know, Mary is in Mumbai working for a cool start-up called Wello, which was founded by Cynthia Koening, an alum of our program. We then proceeded to enjoy a great weekend of beers, masala chai, amazing brunches at a nearby yoga studio (seriously, we could have stayed there all weekend and I would have been happy), train rides, and visits to amazing sites including the Victoria Terminus, the Gateway of India, the yoga studio with amazing brunches, the Dhobi Ghat where the city’s clothes get washed, the yoga studio with amazing brunches, and the Haji Ali mosque at sunset. Did I mention we had amazing brunches at a yoga place? Okay, just making sure.

Below are some photos of the trip. This set of photos highlight how fun it is to ride the train. The guy’s face on the upper right really says it all. Apparently they play old black and white videos on the train. One of my favorite memories from India will forever be sharing a laugh with the man next to me over a Charlie Chaplin movie. Laughter truly is a universal languages. I posted a video below this post to show what it’s like to take a train ride in Mumbai. I chose this video in particular because of how it ends – I didn’t see the train coming and scared myself to death! Ha!

After the train ride we visited some great sites, including the Victoria Terminus and the Gateway to India. See if you can spot a very popular Mary Fritz surrounded by eager locals taking advantage of a photo-op.

This last set of photos includes our visit to Dhobi Ghat, the Haji Ali, as well as, a picture of a door (sometimes the best sites to see are the ones few notice…) and my new favorite place in the world: Laughter Heaven. See? Universal language.