One of our last adventures in Maharashtra was an overnight train ride to Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra. We were booked in “first class,” which was single, and four person overnight sleeper berths complete with curtains. One could either sit in the berth, or put the sheets on, close the curtain, and go to sleep. I had a window in my compartment, however it was pitch black so I could only see lighted objects. It took until the second train stop to realize that I was looking at people on the platform who were looking at me lying in a bed!
I tried sleeping however I mostly dozed here and there. I kept peeping out at the group of men across from me who were sitting up talking (the NY in me I guess.) At some point they must have left the train before Mumbai, so I assume that is the point when I dozed “off.” The next time I looked, there were women in the berth.
After arriving, we took two subway trains (huge infrastructure, very developed) to our destination in the suburbs – the Hommi Babba Science Center, a national center charged with the task of developing students and teachers in the sciences. Here we lodged in dorm type rooms which were clean and had HOT water! yeaaa! There was also a cafeteria serving ala carte and buffet style meals. I was so thrilled to be able to choose what I wanted to eat, including an Indian style salad – carrots and cucumbers, and soup!
We had a roundtable with some of the countries’ elite PhDs – specializing in project based learning styles, infusing science into farmer’s everyday processes, teacher development, etc. These professionals also write books which are purchased by schools and organizations (which they readily shared with us as gifts).
The next day, we visited two of the most famous sites in Mumbai – the Queen’s Necklace (the Arabian Sea shoreline), and the Gateway to Mumbai (site of the arrival of King George V and Queen Mary of England’s arrival in India in 1911). I loved walking the necklace because I could smell the sea, which is the first time I truly thought of and appreciated my Long Island. I love the ocean and began to look forward to lying out on the beach when I return home. We also saw the Taj Hotel immediately across from the Gateway, which was the scene of terrorism approximately four years ago. This event had devastating results and had international media coverage. I will post my personal pictures soon, however below you will find the visuals of the sites I have mentioned.
Mumbai is an interesting city, encompassing extreme poverty and shanty towns at one end of the spectrum, and a high end financial/government/tourist districts on the other. I hope that Mumbai will continue to focus more on the former…
I remember my first look at Mumbai (Bombay) back in 1987. I was flying from Egypt and the scene from the plane was modern skyscrapers. As the plane got closer, I could see older style apartments, then shanty towns, then wagons with people living in them on the street. I began my bike ride and a man with no legs using a modified skate board raced up to me to ask for money. I think technology and the Internet has changed many things in India, but what about the poverty as you mentioned in the shanty towns? Why do these developing countries ignore the poor in the city and the countryside while putting on the façade of wealth? China does it too.
I agree wholeheartedly. It bothered me immensely. I asked my host why there were no low income housing, and basically I was told that the government is so corrupt that they do not care about anything other than their bribes and schemes. According to the newspaper, I must say that they might be correct. Everyday someone in government was being busted – I suppose that is the good news. They are trying to crack down, but I think it is rampant and bad to the core.
In Delhi, I did read that they are offering 10k housing units to the people under the poverty line and 5k more next year, so at least Delhi is getting it, but then again, Delhi is the capital of India and seemingly the only city that is somewhat in tune with the rest of the world. The country has a long way to go, but I hope Delhi’s example is a good beginning.