Mumbai

It's been two days in Mumbai, and I can see why people claim this to be their favorite city in India. It is very cosmopolitan, hip, urban, busy, lively, etc... I feel a lot like I'm in New York City, only with crazier cab drivers!

We arrived yesterday via an early morning flight and went straight to a Bollywood dance studio!! YAY!!!!! It was a blast, although I'm sure I might say otherwise once I see the videos. I was really impressed with how everyone participated, and our guys were rocking the dance moves. From there we took the bus to our hotel - the Trident - which was one of the hotels hit in the 2008 terrorist attacks. It is an absolutely gorgeous hotel, located at the end of Marine Drive, with views overlooking the harbor and the city. We had a break, so Angie and I decided to go for a run along Marine Drive. And run we did! We went to the end, and then ran the other way towards the city. We stopped after a really long impressive distance (which totally showcased how in shape I am) when we heard the sound of drums. We had come across an Indian wedding!! We crossed the road and stood watching the festivities for at least 20 minutes. We both lamented how boring American weddings are as we gushed over the dancing and gorgeous outfits. After that, we met up with Sang, Jeremy, and Kevin and had lunch at Khyber - which was an amazing Indian food restaurant. Delicious!!!

In the afternoon, we took a bus tour of Mumbai. It was neat to see the city, although I definitely felt a bit removed as I sat higher than the street looking down. This was the first bus where the people on the street couldn't see back in, so I felt even more removed. It is clear how much the city is growing - tons of new buildings everywhere. Of course, they are again sandwiched between slums and run down buildings. Contrast is strong here. After the tour, I opted to stay at the hotel and rest. I was beginning to feel a bit run down, and convinced Angie, Sang, Jeremey, and Kevin to sit by the pool and watch the sunset together. We were able to watch the sun set over the harbor and the buildings along Marine Drive light up - hence the nickname "Queen's Necklace." We ate dinner (i.e. many many desserts) at the hotel's cold buffet and called it a night.

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After a visit to the one of the best hotel gyms I have ever been to, I wandered into the breakfast buffet to find Sang sitting with... Peter & Rishi!! YAY!!! I joined them for breakfast before the group headed to the Bombay Stock Exchange. I wish I could say I found the visit fascinating, but I was trying my hardest just to keep my eyes open. I also am somewhat clueless when it comes to stock exchanges, so I didn't quite get excited about the visit until we went to the old trading floor and wandered around. Afterwards, the group was going to Khyber for lunch so I suggested that Angie & I wander around the area and buy our presents for the trip. So we did! And it was fantastic! Since I generally hate shopping, we stumbled into just one store and got everything we needed. Score. Afterwards, Angie, Julie & I went to McDonalds for Mumbai Majarah Macs. (It was actually really good!?! Who knew!?) From there, we went to a Mumbai Think Tank called Gateway House. Very cool group doing some intersting public policy writing in India. Lastly, we met up with Rishi & Delshad and went for some more shopping. It was so nice to see Rishi & Delshad. (That makes 2 different cities with them - so fun!)

I'm about to head out for our last group dinner of the trip. I can't believe it's already here. We've got a full day planned for tomorrow, and then the next day a smaller group leaves for Kerala. I think that's when I will feel like I'm on vacation. So far I feel like this has been more of an educational travel experience vs. a vacation. I suppose that's the point, right?

I can say this. I want more of India. I want to live here for a while, and really get to know it. We'll see...