Photo safari in Bombay

Mumbai might not be the prettiest, cleanest, most lovely or the richest city seen with a conventional set of eyes. But after living here for almost a year - I know where to look to see the beauty of this vibrant city. I have learned how to look into the trains and see the ocean of colours that can't do anything but make you smile, stand in the doorway of the same train and watch how the most amazing picturesque scenes float by - Beauty is in the eye of the beholder - And where most people (even me in the beginnig) would just see all the garbage, pollution, dirt and poverty, i now look past all that and see a lovely beautiful city filled with warm, open and always friendly Mumbaikars (the people of Mumbai).

I wanted to capture my view. And share my Mumbai with everyone, so i took my Nikon with me and started shooting...


Marking of the 2nd class ladies compartment on the Western Railway in Mumbai.


Passengers in the ladies compartment waiting to get off the train at Andheri.


Elphinstone Road, a South bombay stop on the Western railway.


Slum-area at Mahim Junction seen from the train tracks.


Old women sitting in the 2nd class ladies compartment in an afternoon Churchgate-Borivali train


Mango stand on MG road in Goregaon


Two ladies crossing the street in the MG road - SV road crossing in Goregaon.


Street food. Pani Puri stand outside inorbit mall.


Rickshaw-meter.


Me having a (much needed) cold coffee in Colaba after a long day!

The end of this tour is getting closer and closer, and tomorrow is the day we board the 30 hr train back to Mumbai. We went to Kanyakumari(the most southern point of India) and back to Kerala again, the AirCondition in the bus was defect so it was a rather hot experience going through Tamil Nadu and to Allepey in Kerala, but we made it!

We went on a boatcruise on the backwaters and all of a sudden someone comes up with the great idea to jump into the water and 13 of the 16 exchangestudent hurry over to one side of the little bat, almost casing it to tip over, and jump in the cool water in all our clothes. The air was around 29-32 degrees and the water wasnt much cooler. While we were swimming an old indian guy sails by in something that looks a bit like a canoo and several people try to climb onto the poor mans boat, until he yells at the travelguides to get us all away, of course we did, and he even seemed happy when i gave him the 30 rupees(ca. 3,5 kroner) i accidentally had forgotten to take out of my pocket before diving into the water. It was fun, but while we were swimming the sun had set, so it was a little cold on the boatdeck in soaking wet jeans, but i guess thats our own faults :/ hehe

I really enjoyed this trip, and can feel how all the exchangestudents are so much closer after this, but now I'm looking forward to going home to Mumbai and have some of my hostmoms good cooking (Im getting a bit bored with the hotel-buffets...)

Take care
Maria