Slumdog Millionaire Mumbai

When you land in Mumbai, this is what you see... Slums all the way up to the tarmac.  If you really want to see it then watch Slumdog Millionaire, we saw basically all of the landmarks in that movie.  More than half of the population of over 40 million people live in slums in Mumbai.  

This was the security booth for ladies

This is the New Prince of Wales Museum.  The architecture and gardens were beautiful.

The Flora Fountain, which we used as a landmark to find "safe" restaurants... you just turn to the left!

We're Greasy and scruffy we're bugs and buster bunny!  

Walking down Marine Drive (It was DANG hot!)

Chowpatty Beach... you wouldn't want to get in the water here that's for sure! (also in the movie Slumdog Millionaire)

The inside of our taxi... you can see by how blurry it is how smooth the roads are... also every taxi had the same type of interior from the 70s it was funny to see all the different patterns...

View of the Harbour 

This shoe was in one of the parks on Malabar hill, it definitely said no climbing on the outside of the boot... which is obviously an invite to do the opposite.

View of Chowpatty beach from Malabar Hill (Malabar Hill is the "Ritzy" area of Mumbai)

The Hanging Gardens... Also called the "senior" gardens, a good place to sit in the shade.  (Like senior citizens!)

Lockey at the gate of India.  It's right on the Harbour and where the spice trade was. 

Where's Cami?  Checking out the gate of India... only female in shorts... did you find me? 

Lockey in front of Gate of India, also check out the two fellows cuddling on the right side of the picture... Super normal.  

The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel.  Very grand, and actually had really expensive stores and such like Dior on the first level. 

We saw a few of these really fabulously decorated horses and carriages... not exactly what you picture as a romantic carriage ride is it?  

And this was outside of the Mumbai stock exchange, behind this there were police officers sitting at a table playing cards I think... but another officer saw us and started yelling at us to get away... Also the same day there was a protest, or a demonstration going on by the Flora fountain, they had a big pile of books that they were burning or something?  And there was security people and the Indian people were keeping their distance from it, but still watching, but the security people wouldn't let us even try to see what was going on, they just told us to keep moving, it was bizarre... 

Lockey tried to get in on this game of cricket, but he didn't catch the ball... better luck next time!  

Rajabai tower

Watching Tin Tin at the theatres... The theatre was kind of cool, we were in the balcony seats, and there was an intermission... 

Lockey in his cool new hat... he's got a hat hat, a hat hat, he's got a hat hat, a hat hat! (Gate of India on a different day, it was right by the restaurant "Le Pain Quotedien" that we always went to.  It was actually the same chain that we had gone to for brunch by Central Park in NYC last year, and they have all these delicious preserves and spreads, and I bought the "brunette"  which is a praline hazelnut spread, and it cost me $16, and I didn't even care.... It tastes like Christmas in a jar!)

This is what you would see in an ad for India

This is the reality...

We thought that it was funny how many antacids we were taking... and don't worry, we still bought 3 packs more! 

We saw the UNESCO world heritage site of Chaatrapathi Shivaji Terminus (used to be Victoria Terminus) Their main train station, also in Slumdog Millionaire. 

It's really quite ornate and beautiful!

Inside of the station, I have never seen such old and scary looking trains as public transit... It's a good thing cabs were so cheap, we payed less than 10CAD for over an hour ride to the airport.

All of the women wore Saris and tunics and they were all so ornate.  there were so many really bright ones, and really sparkly ones they were beautiful!  

This was one of their fresh food markets.  In the background there is a huge pile of garbage, and then they are selling their melons and pineapple on the ground... 

In the same market they had little puppies and birds and ducks and pet shops.  The puppies were pretty cute!  They also had meat... but I wasn't up to seeing it... I could already smell it! 

The outside of the market 

A street market or bazaar, these were all over the place, and hard to get around in b/c they don't generally close the streets to vehicles, so you are always fighting the crowds and dodging cars that won't try to avoid you

Lockey was interested in Cricket and had the guys at the place where he forgot his bag, teach him a bit about it, to we watched for a few minutes at the cricket field.  There were several games and all ages and abilities playing.  

You always have to check out the differences in McDonalds.  No beef was served at any McDonalds in India, b/c Hindu people don't eat beef and they are the majority of the population in India. 

Lockey trying to Smeyes... (smile w/ his eyes for those of you who don't watch America's Next Top Model)... he looks more like Freddy Kreuger though... 

It was so hot that an actual droplet of sweat just appeared on my leg.... We were there for the hottest day in Novemeber in 7 years... It was 36.7 degrees Celsius.. I read it in the paper. 

It is so polluted in Mumbai that even though there isn't fog, it looks like there is, so you can barely see the Bandra Worli Sea Link that we are about to drive across.

Slums across from the Bandra Worli Sea Link

On the Sea Link, It's a very long and cool bridge, w/out all of the loud honking and traffic.

As a summary of India, we are both glad that we had the opportunity to see India.  We are glad that we had the experience.  India is a completely different type of place to visit, and although we think we are pretty weathered travellers if we had to do it again we would definitely go on a tour of India where everything was planned out, and they knew the safe places to eat, and we could have delved into the desert living more.  I would definitely recommend to anyone who feels the need to go to India that they  go w/ a tour group, or a guide.