Monday, March 21, 2011

Mundai—Images of Suffering

 Day 75 at sea; March 21, 2011

There are some beautiful old buildings and new high-rises and lovely hotels in Mumbai—for tourists and people with money. A yacht belonging to Kingfisher Airlines and Kingfisher Beer rests in the harbor—pristine and glowing white amidst the gray naval ships, the dirty degrading row-boats, ferries and tankers. The lovely buildings are protected by armed guards. In front of the Taj Mahal Hotel are armed guards and a military tank. Visitors must pass through a security gate and be screened before being allowed to enter.  This is the hotel that fell victim to a terrorist attack about two years ago.  

It sits near the water’s edge, a jewel surrounded by run-down market places and slums.  Never have I seen such squalor.  Millions of people live on the streets, they have no toilets and you can guess where they squat.  Traffic? Think of the worst traffic you have ever driven in and multiply it by ten. I heard that Mumbai has the highest rate of traffic fatalities in the world. I believe it.

The first day I escorted the Panoramic Mundai tour.  We saw all the highlights—remnants of British royalty. Cricket fields, new highways. The Taj. We saw Mumbai’s elite district.  But woven through it all were hovels, people sleeping in the street, women—young girls really—holding babies and knocking on windows of cars, begging for rupees. No one stops to help.  Day two we went out to hire a cab driver—men who surround you--all talking at once.  We make a deal and off we go.  He is an older man, he speaks decent English, but he is not happy. Perhaps he has been doing this for too long. He hopes we will stop at several of the markets where he gets a cut and buy something. He drives too fast.  He argues that we have to buy something and tells us we have to go to one more shop. Ron is firm and tells him where we want to go, but the man stops at another market.  Finally, we arrive again at the Taj for refreshments.  He waits and guides us into another shop.  We do look here because a friend recommended it. I don’t buy. I can’t find what I want in a price range I can afford.  I don’t trust the quality.

Our driver is very unhappy with us because we have not made a purchase. We tell him we want to go back to the ship. It is nearly noon and we want to have lunch. He wants to know when the ship leaves. Ron tells him that if he hurries and gets us back right away he might be able to get another fare.

He takes a very long way around and mentions another shop.  Again Ron tells him to return to the ship. I have a headache from the heat and the bickering.  I think we have been driving in circles. Finally we reach one of the port gates.  The driver asks for and takes Ron’s stamped card (with copy of passport which we need to renter. We’re a bit nervous as he parks and goes over to a guard station. Apparently he must show that he has a ship passenger in order to enter the gate.  While we wait an old woman with a crutch knocks on the window.  My heart aches and I have to close my eyes.

He comes back and we breathe again as he takes us to the gate—we show our cards and are allowed through. He drives too fast again—like a horse heading for the barn. I leave the cab and hurry into the terminal where I have to show my ID and card again.  There are stalls in the terminal—jewelry, saris, tops, souvenirs.  I look again as I did the day before. There are necklaces I like, but I am quoted $1200 US dollars and reminded that the stones are real rubies and emeralds, etc.  I walk away and he tells me that he has one for $600.  How do I know the stones are real?  I don’t. I’m tired and hungry and sad.

Would I go back again to Mundai?  Perhaps, but I have to process what I have seen. The pictures of poverty on television do not compare to the reality. In truth, I am happy to leave India behind. 
Now we are off to Dubai where things are new. There is a mountain inside a building where one can ski for $60 an hour.  Dubai is home to the tallest building in the world. There are shops and I have made plans to go with friends from the ship. 

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