DAY 28 MARCH 4 MEGA- MUMBAI

Good morning Mumbai.  The view out our hotel window could be incredible if it weren't for the haze aka smog/air pollution.

 Enough of the Gateway said Annie.  Let's get on that boat over to Elephanta Island- I missed it on my last trip to Mumbai and can't wait to see those caves and get a breath of fresh air.

We head out on these rickety boats...are they safe Bubs?  I am sure they are not but somehow they seem to make it.  The Island is about 7 miles from Mumbai.

Safety standards were of the utmost....hop over here Bocahita.  You can do it.









That Mumbai haze drifts over this way too....oh my.















ELEPHANTA ISLAND
We cruised to Elephanta Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to a magnificent series of cave temples with sculptured interiors dating back to the 6th century.  Located on an island off Mumbai's eastern shore was originally called "Fort-City" and renamed Elephanta by the Portuguese after a huge elephant that "once" stood here.  This is now displayed in the garden of the Bhau Daji Lad Museum.



Many stairs to climb so the Indian boys begged to carry the Bocahita up to the top....quite a sight.  Who knew 4 Indians could handle the hita?  The population of this island is 1500 and in order to live here you have to be an original descendent of the island.  Their electricity is generator driven and turned on for 4 hours a day.  Yikes!

Bubs reminds Bocahita to NOT STOP OFF FOR AN INDIAN BURGER ON THE WAY UP TO THE CAVES.

 The rock cut architecture of the caves are hewn from solid basalt rock.

Bubs is trying to figure out how in the heck did those guys carve this place out?

This is a huge square hall with sides measuring 131 ft supported by two dozen massive pillars.









Here, in a deep recess against the rear wall, is the huge triple-headed Shiva statue, the Mahesamurti.  This is the glory of Elephanta.  The three faces represent Shiva in his different manifestations.  The central face with its towering, elaborate crown depicts Shiva the Preserver- sublimely serene and introspective.  The one facing west represents Shiva the Creator, gentle, solicitous and graceful.  The head facing east, with its cruel mouth and fiercely hooked nose, love the serpents in the hair- shows Shiva as the Destroyer.  Bubbs thought Shiva had nothing on his Bocahita....only 3 faces- ha!  Imagining what kind of statue would be built for his Sybil  oops darling wife....

Our group is in awe of all this carving....or at least pretending to be not to offend our delightful and very proud Indian guide.  You know some of us have been known to have a very short attention span.  And speaking of that, where is the Bocahita?

Bubbs does his best Pillar holding pose.  He was quite impressed with the carvings and cave space and  getting his India Jones on.

While the Hita was a hit with the water jug gals.

The Hawkers on the 125 steps were persistent in trying to make a sale...this t-shirt caught the Buddha's eye.   Oy.

This island is monkeyville so Pleep went wild....we let him roam and kick up his heels.

The ol'Monk taught him some corn on the cob eating tricks...mainly how to get the tourists to spring for the cob.

Pleep passed the cob test with flying colors.
















MUMBAI STREET VENDORS AND HAWKERS

Enough of Elephanta -it's time to hit the streets.  Once you get over the shell shock of Mumbai you can start to appreciate the cities madness and magic.   Gazillions of hawkers and vendors everywhere.  No doubt, a way for the working poor to survive.  This place is loaded with them selling all kinds of this and that.  While for the most part they are polite they can get a bit aggressive in bugging you to buy- especially the young guys.

Rumor has it that 10% of their sales go to bribe the local policeman so they can set up shotpon the street.

 All kind of food is sold on the street....thanks but I'll take a pass.  One can only take Delhi Belly so many times.

 Did this guy want to guess my weight???  or just have me use his scale and face the music?

 There are over 300,000 street vendors in Mumbai.
These poor folks are exposed to urban dust, dirt, sun, rain car and truck exhaust, no bathrooms to use and lots of humiliation and harassment's.  And oh the air they breath.

 I read a recent report, Knight Frank Wealth Report of 2011,  capturing the essence of the current situation:
The environment status report published by the BMC in September 2011 lays the blame of greater pollution levels on construction in Mumbai. The report reiterates what has been observed for the past couple of years. A report concluded by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute last year had blamed construction activity for contributing to the maximum amount of pollution.
  The air that Mumbaiites are breathing may make them more susceptible to cancer. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s latest Environment Status Report (ESR) for 2009-2010, released on September 3, 2010 shows that the amount of cancer- causing particulate matter in the air has increased alarmingly compared to last year.
 On  14th July, 2010 Chlorine gas leak from the Sewri industrial area on land owned by the Mumbai Port Trust.  Nearly 76 people were treated in hospital  and 10 people were in intensive care after the gas leak Mumbai was poisoned by Chlorine gas leak from the Sewri industrial area.
.Again our beautiful sea is continued to poisoned by oil spill and chemicals. Two Panamanian cargo ships - MSC Chitra and MV Khalijia 111 - collided on August 7, 2010  off the Mumbai  coast causing an oil spill from one of the vessels. Oil continued to spill for several days even as anti-pollution operations are being carried out by the Navy and Coast Guard to  neutralise the oil. "Polluter must pay and polluter will pay," the Union environment and forest minister Jairam Ramesh told the Rajya Sabha  on August 17, 2010. Also reported that nearly 100 containers that fell into the waters following the collision between two merchant vessels off the Mumbai coast. 
 Mumbai is in the middle of a huge transition. New towers are coming up every 500m, new modes of transport, like the Monorail and the Metro are being laid, and mills and chawls are being brought down for multi-storied complexes. The key equipment for construction is heavier and faster modes of transport: excavators, trailer cranes, dumpers and rollers, a senior transport department official said.
  Latest statistics from Maharashtra's (the state Mumbai is located in) transport department state that Maharashtra has made a jump from 3,78,873 of JCB vehicles (excavators, forklifts, cranes and diggers) in 2000 to 8,45,617 in 2009, which means an addition of more than four lakh vehicles in nine years. The machines are classified under the category of articulated and multi-axle vehicles.
  In Mumbai, there are as many as 16,023 of these machines, with 9,196 in south Mumbai alone, 4,735 in the western suburbs and 2,092 in the eastern suburbs. Additionally, 24,061 machines registered in Thane, 17,075 in Navi Mumbai, and 3,886 in Dombivli and Kalyan are working at various sites in the city. You can imagine how much pollution will generate?    




Mumbai is an incredible city- a symbol of energy and optimism of India.  But how will they deal with one of the 10 most polluted cities in the world and THE MOST DENSELY POPULATED city in the world?  These poor folks have such respiratory problems -burning all that plastic adds to the mix- and don't even get me started on the water pollution.  Mosquito  born malaria is on the rise.

 The government is trying to figure out how to deal with these issues and the street vendor folks....no solution yet.  Should they be "protected"?  Should they pay taxes (they don't now)?  Should they be licensed?  Yes Bubs I know you get annoyed with some of them but keep them in your prayers for a Go Green and healthier life.  God Bless them for trying to do the best they can while they work the streets of Mumbai each day..