Today we drove into south Mumbai for the day. I got to see some things that are truly amazing which I’d love to share here!

We started the day visiting Dhobi Ghat, a famous open-air laundromat. I visited Dhobi Ghat in 2013 but it was raining so there really wasn’t too much to see. Today, however, was a warm and sunny day so there was PLENTY to see! It is amazing how they manage to get all the clothes clean and manage to keep track of it all, too! I also took Maddie Angus with me 🙂

On our way there, while stuck in traffic, I noticed some men cutting branches from a tree. When I looked up, I saw a man way up in the tree cutting the branches with a hacksaw. There was no ladder anywhere so he must have climbed the tree and he wasn’t tethered to anything. AND he was barefoot! I was simply amazed! We drove away with me shaking my head.

Dhobi Ghat

Dhobi Ghat

Taking Maddie to Dhobi Ghat

Something else I saw was something I saw the last time I was here. I saw an entire family riding on a motorcycle. The man was driving, the woman was behind him, and between them was a sleeping baby girl. I can’t even imagine what people would say if they saw that back in the States.

It was kind of fun being stuck in traffic. More than once, I could feel the eyes of people in cars or on motorcycles next to us on the road simply staring at me. In addition, after lunch I got up to go to the bathroom. I walked into the ladies room in the mall, which was crowded, maybe 8 or 10 women in there. As I walked in, literally every woman turned and looked at me. They didn’t just make a passing glance to see who had walked in. Maybe that’s what it started as, but once this blonde walked in, it became more of a gawk for a moment! I’m not going to lie; it makes me wonder if the way I felt walking into that crowded restroom is the way other people of color feel when they walk into a room of people who all look like me. It was an experience that gave me pause.

A family on a motorcycle!

Safe tree branch cutting 101

One of the things I really enjoy about India is that there is always so much to look at. Some of it is beautiful, like the palm trees, the clothes the women wear, and the colorfully painted trucks. Some of it is not so nice, like people living in abject poverty, garbage on the streets, and homeless dogs. But no matter what you are looking at, India never ceases to amaze.