The Mumbai experience

It is a city that never sleeps....and it doesnt let you sleep either, because the noise of traffic, of blaring music, of street vendors shouting at the top of their voices selling their wares, never ceases.

Mumbai hasn't changed much, since I last visited, four years ago - still noisy, still dirty and yet, it has its own unique flavour. The rickshaw wallas still drive like maniacs, as they weave through traffic, while you hold on to dear life and pray that you get home in one piece. People cross the road or rather run across mindless of the oncoming traffic, seemingly missing by inches of being hit by an oncoming vehicle.

Beggars roam the streets everywhere, and you feel compelled to give, especially when they are children, looking at you with big hungry eyes, their lice infested hair, tattered clothing, protuding bellies, all a sign of  poverty and malnutirtion.The divide between the rich and poor is as prominent as ever and seemingly will continue to be.

But it has been an interesting holiday. Meeting up with family and catching up with news till the wee hours of the morning is fulfilling. Going for morning walks, being part of the 'hee-hee, haw-haw' of the laughter club members that gather in the garden is a great way to start the day; stopping by at the roadside tea-stall to drink ginger flavoured tea served in small glasses is refreshing. 

I have always avoided eating food sold by street vendors, for fear of falling ill, but decided to throw caution to the wind and indulged in the ever popular 'vada pau'....I am still alive and kicking, proof that all is well.

Yet everything comes with a price and I have paid for this holiday with my blood - literally! The mosquitoes  have been having a field day at my expense. Its like they have invited every Tom, Dick, Joe and his brother colony of them to feast on my blood, giving me a restless night and bites on my skin as proof of their visit! Ive used mosquisto repellants and done whatever else I am supposed to, but they obviously love me too much, to be deterted.

But it is a small price to pay for what this holiday has brought me - relaxation, a much needed break from mundane chores where the very word 'kitchen' is out of bounds and has been deleted, at least temporarily from my dictionary. Who am I to complain!

At this point in time, all that matters is the time I get to spend with family - can anything beat that?