Without any real plan, I decided to see as much of the city as I could on foot.  I do not like to wander aimlessly, so I picked a shopping area as my target, and began the hike to Alfa at Irla Market.

For me, the only way I get to know a place is by walking it, or maybe bicycling, but I would not advise bicycling in Mumbai if you are new to the area!  The traffic is very dense, and foot traffic, bicycles, cars and motorized rickshaw taxis all blend together in whatever space becomes available.

I spent a good 45 minutes to an hour walking away from my hotel, first going towards the metro station, which I will admit I climbed to the platform for exactly two reasons:  First, I wanted to see from higher above street level; and second, if I went up the stairs on one side, and down the stairs on the other side of the metro platform I could avoid crossing the busy intersection with its blended mess of pedestrians and vehicles.  Here is a view from the platform:

As I continued walking, I went over a bridge area that let me take a pic of a few angles.  The city really sprawls out, and things get built up quickly without much time for planning.

Off the left side, you see the buildings and streets…

 

On the right side, you see the roadway…

 

Kept on walking…it started to feel like I was in a Lord of the Rings saga with all the walking, but at least there were no fights to report (like in the Tolkien books).

As I continued, I came across another bridge, where I got to see the trains I heard about.  People use these to commute.  From where I was standing, the trains were in front of me and to the right…

To the left, this was the view…

Continuing my trek, I kept an eye out for interesting shops, and things my kids might enjoy.

My daughter asked me every day if I saw any cows yet, because she read that cows can be found anywhere in India.  As I spent most of my my time in the ultra crowded downtown areas, I did not see any cows at all…Until my long hike this morning!

 

As far as the market, I think I never found it, or it was not clearly marked and I did not know I was there, as silly as that sounds!  I was exhausted and took a  cab back to the hotel!

Between the work schedule and some general travel weariness, I did not have much to post about the past few days.

It was a productive week, and enjoyable, but was too tired to get out and see much this week.  I hope the team got as much benefit from the meetings as I did, and that we all work together even better than before.

Since I have the rest of today until my flight home, I will try to find one last something I can do easily before leaving Mumbai.

 

Yesterday, my coworkers and I went to do a bit of sight seeing in Mumbai.  First, we went to see an historic church built in 1904, Mount Mary’s Basilica.

and afterwards, an important Hindu temple, Iskcon-juhu

Finally, we stopped at a hotel on Juju beach to have a beer and snack, and watch the sunset.

While I love my team and co-workers, it sure is nice to have a few hours to chill out and catch up on stuff I want to do and read!  Sitting poolside in Mumbai is not a bad setting to pursue this…here is a shot from the “life is good cam”:

To do list:

• Breakfast – Check
• Relax – Check
• Talk with my family – Check!
• Do some posts here to update you on my trip – Check!
• Take a short rest
• Go find something to do for a bit

 

The first thing that many first time travelers to Mumbai are concerned about is if there will be food they like.

I will make some assumptions that if you are going to Mumbai that you are open to trying some new things, even if you are not a natural adventurer.  I think even the most particular eaters will find food to enjoy.  You should be able to find choices that are not spicy if you just ask for some help from the people who are serving the food.  The people I have met in Mumbai are very focused on providing an enjoyable experience, and will help you find things that are less spicy if that is your preference.

I am no expert in Indian cuisine, but I will share some of the things I have tried and enjoyed my first trip to Mumbai.

Samosa – Fried pastry type item, usually stuffed with spiced potatoes, onions and such.  It is spiced for flavor, but not spicy-hot at all.  Try it with side of chutney!

Samosa is in front right of this picture!

 

Dosa – Think of this as a very thin pancake like item, often stuffed with a filling of vegetables, but can be just the thin folded item with no stuffing.  Try with coconut chutney if available for a nice treat, that is easy for Westerners to enjoy!  Pictured with a mint chutney, coconut chutney, and a tomato based as well!

“Indian coffee” – Give yourself a break from Starbucks and black coffee and give this a whirl.  Its rich, it has some milk in it, and a light froth sometimes at the top.  If you really like coffee, I think you will like this!

Chole – This is made with chick-peas/garbanzo beans and has some spice in it, but not hot like some dishes.  The chole I had was more spiced with cumin than it was cayenne, in case that helps at all.

Many dishes are served with rice, so the trick to remember is this:  If you get yourself in too deep with something that is too spicy, just mix in more rice, or ask for naan to go with it to cut the heat!