India: Day 9 (Part 1)

August 8, 2010

My friend Kristen and I woke up with no plan in mind of how we would explore Mumbai or how we would spend my last day in India.  I had a couple of places that I wanted to see, but other than that I was more than happy to let the Arabian Sea winds take me where they wanted to.

Mumbai is my kind of city and I knew it before I even stepped out of my hotel.  The city’s appeal to me, which I am quite certain is a turn-off for most, is the chaos.  It is hot, crowded, noisy and I love it!  Now, I am not saying that I could necessarily live in a place longterm that was so chaotic (besides NYC), but from time to time I thoroughly enjoy being in the midst of a place with such intense energy.  Plus, it has a tropical feel to it, which only adds to its allure.

Kristen and I hailed a taxi and asked him to take us to the Gateway of India located on the waterfront.  I was definitely interested in seeing the famed monument, but more importantly I wanted to see the Arabian Sea, since I have a fascination with all things water.

The Arabian Sea used to conjure up such an exotic imagine in my mind when I would hear it being talked about, however in person it sadly did not live up to that image.  Nonetheless, I still got goosebumps staring out at it.  While I have been traveling around the world for years now, I have never, and will never, become jaded.

Near to the Gateway of India is the infamous Hotel Taj Mahal.  This prestigious and luxurious hotel is over a century old, but what it is most known for is the terrorist attack it suffered in 2008.  Many people died in the bombing, yet the hotel reopened soon after to honor their lives and India’s resilience.

After some more wandering around, we decided to have lunch at Leopold’s Cafe.  Normally, I stay away from tourist traps, but this place at least has a historical significance and is quite an institution in Mumbai.  Across the street from the restaurant, and I am terribly sorry ladies that I have now forgotten the name, exists the most amazing boutique.  I stopped in on a whim and my friend had to tear me away an hour later.  When I return to Mumbai one day in the future, this will be the first place I visit.

It was then time to explore one of the most congested and colorful parts of Mumbai: the markets.  This is where you get a real taste of what a city with seventeen million people is really like.

We had no set plans and were just intent to observe as much as we could.

I asked someone if they knew where I could find some similar earrings to the ones I was wearing (I had purchased them in Jaipur) and instead I was brought to the fruit market.  I think of all the countries I have traveled to, I had the most “lost in translation” moments in India!

Once we had our fill of the market madness, I decided that I needed to have one last beautiful adventure before we left India. . .

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Andi Perullo de Ledesma

I am Andi Perullo de Ledesma, a Chinese Medicine Doctor and Travel Photojournalist in Charlotte, NC. I am also wife to Lucas and mother to Joaquín. Follow us as we explore life and the world one beautiful adventure at a time.

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35 thoughts on “India: Day 9 (Part 1)

  1. Agnes

    Andi let’s have lunch at the Leopold Cafe, right now 🙂 Loved this post Girl.

    p/s: Believe it or not, I’ve never been to Bombay (shocking I know!).

    Reply
  2. Kay*

    Wow! The tour packed a LOT into 9 days! For some reason (even though you’ve mentioned each day on each post) I thought you were there for at least 2 weeks! Your posts & pictures have me getting excited for India….in 90 days!

    Reply
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  4. Heather

    Loving your India photos! Do you host more somewhere else?

    Still catching up on the posts. It’s great for me to read about your adventure since India is on my “must visit” list!

    Reply
  5. Sarah

    Nice, more beautiful pictures. That cafe does not look like you’re in India at all. It feel so modern and cute, maybe because of the graphic on the wall. : )

    Reply
  6. Ekua

    I must say that at times travel can make me jaded, but it also reverses it. That is actually something I am planning on writing about in my next update on my Mexico/Cuba trip! I’m sure if I make it to Mumbai later this year, it will definitely be a shock no matter how much I try to prepare for it!

    Reply
  7. Connie

    Hey Andi! Fantastic photos, they bring me back to Bombay like I was just there yesterday! Thanks for including the video as well, India’s all color and sound! You’ve captured it well.

    Reply
  8. Danial Shah

    lol. The video seems interesting. Its just like Saddar in Karachi.
    a part from your travels, I am learning the skills to write and document about any place from your blog 🙂 keep it up

    Reply
  9. Pratik

    All your pictures are soooooo damn beautiful. All of them are so well shot and love the enthusiasm & amp; honesty in the writing.

    Reply
  10. Sarah

    Congratulations on having one of the most sophisticated blogs Ive arrive across in some time! Its just incredible how a lot you can take away from some thing simply because of how visually beautiful it is. Youve put collectively a good weblog space –great graphics, videos, layout. This is certainly a must-see weblog!

    Reply
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