Yesterday our tour guide waited for us. Today we waited for our tour guide. But he finally showed up and he was the nicest young man! As it turned out, Ronnie and I were the only ones who had booked this particular tour (it was through our travel agency, not the ship) so we basically had a private tour. Thankfully, the car had air conditioning.
Our driver was a very mannerly young man who was born, raised and still lives in the slums. He told us that he loves his job! I can see why, because it allows him to drive a car and earn money (he turns the car in each night). His income is $120 per month. He lives in a "house" that he said is about twice the size of the car we were in - a compact car - along with his wife who is expecting a baby in 2 months, his mother and his father. He told us more than once "I love my parents." His is an arranged marriage (had not met his bride until their wedding) and he voluntarily showed me a picture of all of them together.
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| our guide |
Having grown up in the slums of Mumbai, his parents could not afford to send him to school past the 7th grade. No one in his family is educated. He would love to work on a cruise ship but it would take him many years to save up enough to get a "certificate" which is necessary for application to work in the cruise industry. He tells us these things in a matter of fact manner, without the slightest hint of anger or self pity.
He drove us around the city showing us some of the highlights including the Hanging Gardens, a place where once can see the best view of the city, a local park, Gandhi's home (now a museum), the Gateway of India, the Taj Hotel while pointing out many other buildings that I could not photograph or tell you the name of.
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| park across from Hanging Gardens |
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| train station that accommodates seven million travelers PER DAY |
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| no seat belt laws for children |
We got out and walked in many of
these places. We had to climb several floors of stairs to see the view
of the city he wanted to show us. Did I mention it was HOT? I was
sweating profusely and had to stop several times to rest before we made
it.
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| we were beating the crowds? |
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| following our driver (light green shirt) as we squeeze through crowd |
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| Gateway of India, completed 1924 to commemorate 1st first visit of a British monarch to India |
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| view of Taj Hotel from Gateway of India |
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| Hindu temple - we passed on visiting one of many in Mumbai |
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| former home of Mani Bhavan Gandhi |
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| law student in London |
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| former home of Gandhi, now a museum |
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| bust of Mahatma Gandhi |
I regret that I can't call our guide by name but it wasn't one I could pronounce. Anyway, he couldn't have been nicer or more accommodating. I would like to say that I enjoyed our time in Mumbai more than I did, but between the heat and my not feeling well, I'm sorry to say that I won't have the best memories of Mumbai.
PS He told us that during the first 2 years of the Covid pandemic, no one was allowed to leave their home except to use the bathroom (obviously no facilities inside) and for 1 hour in the evening in order to buy fruits and vegetables. I'm not sure whether all family members were allowed to leave, or just one person. Apparently they could step outside the door but not venture away because he said there were policemen outside holding sticks to beat people with if they tried to go out. Can you imagine - 4 people in a space twice the size of the inside of a compact car, much less 2 years of that!!
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| Mumbai, India - a gigantic, sprawling city |
Bharberts: I worked with programmers whose entire families worked so he could go to school, then he took tests to qualify for University. People in India seem to believe they will suffer, so they are not troubled by it. They are also joyous people, loving festivals and laughing. I wish you could have seen the loveliness of Mumbai as well, or their crazy Cricket matches..I how you feel better soon, girlfriend!
ReplyDeleteAgree, Barbara! Wouldn't it have been fun to attend a cricket game (without the heat)? Measuring by our standards, it's hard to see what they have to be happy about. Their standard of living is nowhere near what we're used to, but they have tight family units (reeeely tight in cases like our driver) and friends to enjoy life with. And like all of us, they don't know what they don't know. So they have nothing to compare it too. He told us his phone costs a month's salary ($120) and for entertainment he can download a movie at his work and stream it on his phone for he and his wife to watch together.
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