dharavi slum statistics

on our second-to-last day in mumbai, we went on a walking tour of the largest slum in the world: dharavi. although it's not the first place i'd choose to live, it wasn't as bad as one might think. we passed some 'sidewalk dwellings' on the way - which seemed like more of a plight than the organized, rather comfortable, neighborhood-feeling that we found in dharavi. our guide thomas had lots of information to share with us:

• there are 2,000 slums in mumbai, and about 55% of mumbaikers live in slums.
• dharavi houses 1 million in 2 square km
• a "slum" is any dwelling built illegally on government land. because there are so many people living in this particular slum, the government has provided electricity and (some toilets). if you can't beat 'em...
• the slum has a relatively low rate of crime - people are (surprisingly) employed
• plastic recycling, for example, is a tax-free, underground business in the slum. the workers make between $2 - 3 per day for 12 hours of work. the textile workers have it a little better for their skilled work: about $12 per day, but they also work more than 12 hours.
• life expectancy in dharavi is 50 years of age
• we saw some people in a canal picking for plastic to be recycled. it was a brown, murky, slow-moving piece of sludge, but the people picking rubbish from it didn't seem to notice. our guide informed us that there was, as our noses suspected, human and animal waste in the canal. mmm!
• almost half of the people use the common toilets provided by the government (it's a bring-your-own-water type of situation), and the rest use open land.
• population in dharavi is 20x denser than the rest of mumbai

and that's all folks! the group disbanded over a week ago now, with only dani remaining in the mountains in the far north. reverse culture shock hasn't been too much of a jolt this time around...although last week i opened my eyes in the early morning, to the thought: 'where am i??' the most surprising answer came: 'you're at home.' it was snuggly and cozy warm in the foreign land of my own bed...but the motherland still beckons :)

Balmy Mumbai

It's been gorgeously warm in Mumbai; we were not more than 100 yesterday, but the humidity does put a damper (oh yes) on things. Our party has disbursed as parties do, but the journey continues for all of us. Three back in the states, three still on the opposite side of world along with our doctor who has also moved on. I very much miss my co-travelers, but it is nice to feel the rough and bumpy streets under my sandals as I weave solo through the dust, grit, grime of the unlikely urban garden that is this city.

Parks and stretches of green are all around, yet unlike our cities, the borders are more blurry. Houseplants grow like weeds from cracks in the pavement and street trees stretch their roots desparately and successfully down from upper branches. Planters line the sidewalks seemingly at random. All the while there is a New York buzz of taxi horns, and vendors funnel pedestrians down the sidewalks, stores spilling into stalls, stalls covering sidewalks.

This morning was chill time - slept in, no morning yoga, but my stuffy head and sinuses are much better. Probably still catching up on the sleep missed during our trip. Was going to head out, but got held back when an electrician changed light fixtures in my room. Hotel wanted me to stay for about 10-15 minutes while they worked. Of course it was an hour and a half before I left, but I got to catch up on my neglected journal. Who knew that a 24 hour train ride would be too fun to waste time writing?

After major walkathon and curry lunch (with a fork this time - go Eurostyle diners!), came back to the hotel, did a long slow yoga set, and feel ready to take on a full day tomorrow. Maybe 2 sets tomorrow. Maybe even double-eagle crunches...

Do You Leak?

"Don't bend; don't water it down; don't try to make it logical; don't edit your own soul according to the fashions. Rather, follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly."

Sunday night the group hopped onto an overnight train ride heading to Mumbai. We met a family from Mangalore who were so friendly and generous - they offered me their whole plate of food when I asked what it was (normally, of course, I would have accepted but we had just eaten a large feast outside of the train station in Ernakulum) and the kids offered us their chips. Good conversation with new people made the bumpy tracks not-so-bumpy.

I got my wish and took over the sleeper by the window so I could watch India pass by before bed. It was great to look out and see nothing but the moon before falling asleep. Slept fairly well due to the pleasant rocking of the train car. I woke up to the sweet sound of "CHAI. CHAI. CHAI." from the train salesman. I think it was a five am wake up call. They proceeded to walk up and down the train calling out their fare for the rest of our 24 hour ride. It was a great time to chat with everyone, do some reading, journal a bit, watch the scenery change. If you walked to where the cars connect outside, there was a bench you could pull down to watch where the tracks were taking you. This was really peaceful. Although I think we all were ready to get off the train, it really didn't seem like an entire day... but I am still swaying.

We had to transfer trains for another hour or so to get to Mumbai. It was filled with men crowding each other, almost on top of one another (which I've noticed is very common) bustling in and out of the car. Right above our heads was a flyer asking: "When you LAUGH or COUGH or SNEEZE or EXERCISE? DO YOU LEAK?" There was no contact information. This might have been the highlight of the evening...

Today we woke up early to get a tour of the Dharavi Slum in Mumbai which is the largest slum in Asia. It was really interesting, really moving. I don't know if I had much of a real idea about slums before, but it's a whole community in there with workers and families, they even have a school center where they teach kids English and other subjects. We were shown the entire process of recycling plastics and how much hard work each person there really puts in DAILY. And the conditions for living were hard to believe... and yet everyone was smiling. Puts a lot into perspective and leaves me feeling truly grateful for all I have.

It's my last day with the group and after finishing a huge meal of Thali we are off to explore Mumbai. Plane ride to New Delhi tomorrow morning, Agra by night to see the Taj Mahal.

Wishing everyone a happy day, and no leakage!!
:) dani

tid bits from the train ride

"keeping india beautiful, one train ride at a time" = a slogan born out of the lack of trash cans on the train. even well-educated indians just throw their trash, biodegradable, plastic, aluminum, whatever - it all gets chucked out the door on to the tracks, whether it's a city or previously unspoiled countryside.

"squatting in style" - one has the choice of an 'indian style toilet' or a 'western style toilet'. either way, you can't miss the fragrance of indian eau de toilette.

dani got a good seat where she could lie down and peek out the window at the moon. we were in 3-tier a/c coach, so the seats transformed into 3 beds on top of each other - with the rocking motion of the train, pretty cozy all in all. they deliver pillows, sheets, and blankets. indian families and kids ready to chat and share food always make for a homey journey. can't forget our favorite little munchkin, named krishna, a.k.a. butterball.

my favorite part was watching the scenery pass by from the seat between the trains. just a trip to watch the scapes pass by with the wind in your face.

many chai-wallahs were there...the men who carry big canteens of chai and announce their arrival in a distinctive voice: 'chai, chai, chai, chaii'....

julia and dani were on cell phones at the same time - julia to change her ticket to an earlier departure date, and dani to extend. julia's back (and throat among other ailments) have been giving her trouble, and india's not the kindest land at times. so last night she left around midnight, and hopefully by now or very soon she'll be in her comfy home with no more backpacking for a little while. dani, on the other hand, after hearing about how many things there are to do in dharamsala in the north (home of the dalai lama and tibetan refugees, and many chilled out travellers), decided to stay in the motherland for another week.

we landed in mumbai after a 1.5 local train from panvel to the city (after a 24-hour train ride from kerala to panvel), and found our hotel without relative incident, always a blessing.

today we went on a tour of dharavi slum, but those statistics are for another post altogether.

dani and carly head to delhi to see the taj tomorrow morning early; the following day at 11pm lynne and i take off for the east; and tom stays till sunday - he's always happy to meander or see what finds him...but hard to believe that the trip is coming to a close. seems like we've been here for a lot longer than 2 weeks, as the experiences just keep coming...

24-hour train ride, yes please!

we're just wrapping up our last few hours here in fort cochin - ready to hop another mode of transport to mumbai.

we've been up to so much since the last time we updated - which was on the first day - seems like months ago now!

we spent 3 days at the yoga ashram, observing a schedule of meditation and yoga and silent meals. it was great to have a routine, mix with other travelers, and do yoga twice a day.

after that we proceeded to paradise: the backwaters of kerala, where we stayed in a fancy home with an indian family whose daughters were as charming as they were fun and beautiful. the backwaters [think venice in india] were super mellow - just what the doctor ordered.

we have had some back pain among the group, and multiple ailments seem to dance around julia - throat pain, sinus pain, back pain - but i think she's feeling better today, and she's been a trouper throughout - the whole group is just down for anything, which is nearly a mandatory quality in these parts ;)

after that backwaters we proceeded to fort kochin, which has a strong christian influence and a european feel. we even treated ourselves to coffee and toast yesterday for bfast! we ambled into a little town off the beaten path yesterday, and made friends with the locals, who followed us to the train station and asked us to sign their journals.

today, it's off t mumbai we go!

more details coming sooner, or later!

namaste!
h

Ashram, Backwaters, Fort Cochin

"The world will do what it will do."

We have done so much! Arriving at the ashram was an adventure in itself with two bus rides, an in between confusion of which bus was actually the right one for us, a few steep hills climbing in the intense Indian heat, followed by a pleasant rainfall as soon as we reached the top. Timing. There was meditation, yoga, lots of travelers, chai, yummy 'blessed' treats, more meals with your hands, aryuvedic tea, mosquito nets, bonding, struggle as well as enjoyment. There were so many wonderful people to talk with, I am glad we made this short stop which seems like forever ago.

Next, we hopped a train to Allepy - the backwaters - where we stayed right on the water at a beautiful home with a man named Thomas, his wife Lalee, and their two daughters, Ann and Anina. They were so trusting and loving, we all really felt welcome and special attention. The food was beyond filling for each meal. We were quite spoiled by Thomas's mother's cooking, three times a day. Two of the days were spent with a lot of rain, so we spent some down time watching it over the water, seeing flashes in the sky, and hearing strong winds through the windows. It was a much needed relaxation for adjustment to the new surroundings. Our last morning was spent on a 3 hour walk around the backwaters with a whimsical man named Binu. He was so full of life, stopping at every tree, every building, pointing out new fruits and plants to explain about them, make us kazoos out of leaves, necklaces out of stems, and to blow bubbles from plant sap. It was beautiful, all coming together with a meal of puttu (a starchy dish made of shaved coconut and rice flour) and some sort of bean dish that tasted like heaven. And dessert of jaggery (a pure form of sugar) pocked inside of a coconut cake, baked inside of a banana leaf. YUM.

When we left our homestay, we took a canoe across the lake, a ferry to get to the bus station, two busses and a rickshaw and landed in Fort Cochin where we have settled in for the past three nights. Along the way we were caught in a monsoon rain. It felt really nice to experience all seasons in one day (thanks for the heads up Mr. Lueders!). Fort Cochin has had a lot of shopping to offer us, and some time to key into our bargaining skills. I really enjoy making deals with the people here. The key is to walk away and pretend you do not need the item. They almost always adjust their position down to yours. We've been doing some great yoga sessions, had a short visit to a local village where we met a family of several generations playing and laughing at us inquisitively. And the food... I could write an entire blog just about each meal. I don't know how I am going to come back to the states and adjust. Vegetarian meals are the norm which makes eating out SO EASY. We took a cooking class from Thereasa, the owner of our homestay, so I plan to give traditional Kerala food a shot in San Diego.

Today is a 'free day' for us to explore. We will be catching a train tonight for Mumbai. We will be riding for a full 24 hours. The trains we have been on are a little different from what The Darjeeling Limited presents, but with our group of seven it has thus far been a lot of fun. You are even able to stand at the doorway between cars and ride watching India go by. Refreshing.

We have lots left to do on our travels together, and I can't believe two weeks is almost over! I'm sad to part ways with everyone, but am looking forward to my own adventures in Dharamsala and am sure I will meet some great people along the way. I hope everyone is smiling wherever they are!!

Namaste :)

who knew that millions of college students were going back to school at the same time we wanted to train it up to mumbai?

not sure where to begin this one. i suppose it started when i created the itinerary for the trip: an overnight train ride to mumbai. a long train ride is essential for the full experience of the motherland, and so when i got here i went to the train station to book our tickets well in advance. but not far enough in advance, as the train station manager jollily laughed in my face. 'oh, all the tickets to mumbai have been booked since 90 days. waiting list? oh yes, 127 people on waiting list.' not what i would label as 'good news'.

he advised me to try for a tatkal ticket. tatkal loosely translates to a 'hail mary' - you go to the ticket counter 2 days before the train that you want, and if you're one of the first people, you can get it. but not one of the first people in line, one of the first people IN INDIA, to get there. he advised going to the train station at 4:30am so we'd be one of the first 8 people in line in order to get the ticket.

dutifully, naveen and i arose at 430 and made our way to the train station in the dark. 35 people sat on the steps of the railway station. it didn't open for another 3 hours. at 7am, one hour before the ticket windows opened, i went to recharge my cell phone, and got a call from naveen: 'heether, come quick! they're giving out tokens for places in line.' got a nice little cardio, and a number: 39.

we went over our plans b, c, and d while waiting. when our numbers were called we plowed through the crowd [a half hour before they opened, i saw someone pull the number 169. hoy.] the first train i requested had a wait list of 17 - still too many to take that chance. just as the irate lady was telling me to shove off, naveen yelled to me to go for the last train on our list - and i did, and we got it! we got confirmed seats on this baby.

which means we get to stay and enjoy cochin, before hopping on a train for 24 hours up to mumbai. the train ride promises to be even more of an adventure than procuring the tickets, or let's at least hope so ;)