It’s another sunny morning and its already 23C at 8.00am local time with a predicted high of 29C as I head out to the bus to take us out of the port through the “Green Gate” on the first leg of a ‘Walking Tour of Mumbai’ and an opportunity to get up close and personal with many of Mumbai’s gothic style buildings and to witness first hand street life in all its chaotic glory, including mingling with some of the 3 million people who commute into Mumbai daily in a frenetic ‘rush hour’.
The bus first pulls up outside the Asiatic Library where yesterday they had been filming scenes for a Bollywood film. There is a grand tier of steps leading up to this building that is used to portray a courthouse since filming is forbidden outside the real courthouse.
After an encounter with three sacred cows (See Photos) we make a brief stop at the St Thomas Cathedral. I explained in my Blog last year that cows are sacred animals in India and are usually allowed to roam wherever they wish but not in Mumbai. They are still sacred but are not permitted to wander freely, this would cause additional chaos in the already chaotic and hectic traffic so the cows are tethered at street corners for Hindus to do there daily good turn by paying a few rupees to feed the cows. Everyone is happy: the cow, its owner and the person making the donation! Luckily this picture shows two other common street features: a classic Morris Oxford Taxi and a sugar cane stall. Refined sugar is not good for you but juice for these canes is good for health.
Next we pass by the Mumbai University building to view the Rajabai Clock Tower that chimes every 15 minutes. Last year I only got a half shot of this clock from a bus this year no shot at all since it was surrounded with scaffolding!
Any disappointment was quickly compensated for by the last picture above of this family of four on one motorcycle presumably off to work and school. They were sitting at the front of a queue at traffic lights and were delighted to pose for a group of fascinated tourists. Notice no crash helmets, just smiles and waves!!
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