Bombay whirlwind
Almost all of my friends that have been to Mumbai told me to spend as little time here as possible, but to my surprise I have really enjoyed this city. In many ways it feels like NYC quite a bit; urban culture is growing into a more consistent experience with globalization, and differences are felt more between small towns and big cities than national borders sometimes. Or maybe I'm just kind of hungover.
I have always felt that it's easier (and more fun) to explore a city when you know people there. My friend Ami has lots and lots of family here, some of whom we have been staying with in Borivali and and in the Churchgate neighborhood. They're all wonderful, warm, hilarious people that have been fantastic hosts and ambassadors, though I kind of need a break from eating delicious food for a little while.
Somehow I went from a tiny beachfront hut to a housewarming party at a three-story, five million dollar penthouse in less than 48 hours. And yes, I took pictures [Update: they're posted].
But no time to post them now; I'm catching a train in an hour with Ami and Jonathan up north to Rajasthan. In about 20 hours we should be in Udaipur, for which I am quite excited. I know the north is very different ("Bombay is the most organized that you get in India"), a lot more rough, but I have less than five weeks left here, I want to see more!