Travel Memories: Mumbai, India

In early 2011, the company I used to work for acquired a major project from a very large and important client. In order to keep costs low it was decided to utilize employees at our India facility. However, because the project was highly complex someone needed to go to Mumbai to train the team to perform the required tasks.

Thus, I found myself first on a flight to Istanbul and then onwards to Mumbai. I had never been to India before and never really had a desire to go either so I was definitely feeling excited but also apprehensive. During the flight I spent most of my time either dozing or preparing final training schedules for the large team I was soon to meet.

Arrival in a strange place

Like most large airports, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport is an isolated bubble of convenience and cleanliness. I have never taken airports to represent the country or city they serve since they have one purpose and one purpose only, namely to greet passengers with a smiling face of superficiality.

I knew someone would be there to meet me and take me to the apartment that had been arranged for the trip. Exiting the baggage collection and customs area I saw a fairly tall man holding a sign with my name on it. Unfortunately, he only spoke a few words of English. We exited the main terminal and I was immediately struck by the smell, poor air, and pervasive humidity. Welcome to India I thought to myself.

From the airport to Navi Mumbai

It was monsoon season and the roads were filled with holes. Rusty shacks lined the highway as taller, more modern buildings pierced the skyline. I could feel the humidity, I could feel the dirt and pollution. It was overwhelming in its stickiness and clung to me in a way I was never able to get rid of no matter how many times a day I showered.

I had seen poverty before in the slums of Mexico City or the townships surrounding Johannesburg but somehow this was different, somehow it was more disturbing to my senses. Like many Third World countries, the stark contrasts between rich and poor, developed and undeveloped were very much present that night as we drove the 2 hours or so from the airport to Navi Mumbai.

Taken with a pinch of salt, Navi or “New” Mumbai seemed to me to be just a large collection of residential buildings interspersed with office blocks, shops, and restaurants.

But the same smells, the same pollution, and the same overbearing humidity was everywhere.

Work and play

As I said, I was there on business. I spent 10-12 hours a day in an air-conditioned office (unless there were power outages, which was a frequent occurrence) and had little time to explore my surroundings. Nor did I have any real desire to do so. There was not much to see in Navi Mumbai though I am sure if one had a guide there might have been parks or other areas worth seeing.

One of the senior managers offered to show me around Mumbai and I was glad for the chance to see something other than the office or apartment where I was staying.

As we wandered around some of the older parts of Mumbai I felt as if I was wandering through parts of central London. The buildings, the architecture, the atmosphere reminded me of places I was familiar with and it seemed even more incongruous with the slums I had seen as we approached the city. Such start contrasts are common in developing or under-developed countries. Perhaps I am too sensitive, but I doubted I would ever get used to it.

I must admit I was very impressed by Mumbai Train Station and Gateway of India. It was also fascinating to see the street vendors with various types of goods for sale, the food stands with many options on offer, and of course the markets with fruits and vegetables I had never seen (or heard of in some cases).

Good to know

The taxis are usually air-conditioned but fairly expensive. Traveling in an auto rickshaw is very cheap and lots of fun but be prepared for a bumpy, crazy ride.

Trains are an experience no matter how you look at it and while relatively affordable be prepared to squeeze in where you can and know that there are separate carriages for men and women.

Food prices in India are, for a foreigner, ridiculously cheap. I ate three course meals in some very nice places for less than $8 in some cases. But, check the menu prices carefully because you pay more to sit in the air-conditioned part than outdoor seating or areas where there is no cooling.

I knew India was going to be hot and humid so I went with sandals. As it turns out that was a huge mistake during monsoon season. Not only are the potholes in the roads and pavements often deeper than you might think, but the mud is so thick that even with washing my sandals a few times in the shower I could not get them clean. Eventually, I gave up and threw them away and went and bought closed shoes the next day at a large shopping mall.

Final words

India was a shock to the system for me and, though this may sound like a cliché, it grew on me. Imperceptibly and surprisingly I began to grow accustomed to the surroundings and found myself even starting to like what I saw.

In total, I spent 6 weeks spread over two trips working in Mumbai and by the time I came back for the second trip I found I was becoming enchanted with the place. I even considered going back at some point, not on business, to explore other cities and parts of the country.

I never did return nor am I sure if I ever will but my impressions of this magical, mysterious country will remain with me for a long time.

Safe journeys!

if you enjoyed this article, check out my other travel memories post here.