I arrive in Mumbai amidst an air of excitement and chaos. The test cricket is in town and all of Mumbai’s 16 million or so population seem to be followers.

Walking out of the train station the first thing that hits me about Mumbai is that it is a large bustling place, but unlike Delhi it resembles a proper 21 century city. It has real infrastructure and buildings and seems to be comparatively organized as far as Indian cities go. Delhi on the other hand looks as though parts of it have been bombed and never re-built.

As I walk down to the Colaba area of the city I see the sea for the first time in 6 weeks and although its grey and polluted it’s a really enjoyable sight for me. After the usual hassle that comes with arriving in a new place with a backpack, I find a room, freshen up and head out to see what’s about.

This is the power house of Indian business and commerce, and parts of the city have a modern sky-line remnant of New York. Large carriageways carry a never ending flow of cars buses and yellow/black taxi’s (Rickshaws are banned from the centre) Other areas of the city are lined with impressive British colonial structures, and others with great Art Deco apartment blocks. The city has a couple of beaches, great open spaces and parks, a busy shipping port, forward thinking people, and a bustling night life. Mumbai is also full of contradictions. For every rich well educated person, there are probably10 living on the streets or is makeshift slums on the edge of the city.

For a taste of the real Mumbai I head down to the Sassoon Dock fishing port. I am greeted by a strong fishy stench as I turn the corner into the port. Hundreds of colorful wooden fishing trawlers lined the dockyard and a continuous flow of men unload boxes of fresh fish and see food. All around the dock hundreds of women and children squat sorting through the fish and preparing them for sale. Others lye sleeping between shifts and some children play cricket in amongst the chaos. The roads are all covered in a film of fish guts and prawn skins which makes walking quite a hazardous exercise. Unfortunately here as everywhere else in India it is depressingly clear that Indian don’t have an understanding of Environmental matters. Rubbish and plastic line the waters edge, the water is grey with pollution and people p*ss and sh*t where ever they feel the need.

On my first night in Mumbai I meet some local guys in a bar. It turns out that they work in The Royal Bombay Yacht Club, and when I tell them that I sail, they are insistent that I come to the club the following day. I turn up at the club, an impressive 6 storey colonial building overlooking the gateway to India monument to find the guys I had met the night before donning the most ridiculous old fashioned stereo type yacht club uniform you could possible imagine. White socks pulled up to the knees with a blued yachty ribbon round the top. Blue and White sailors shorts and matching shirt and a strange triangular shapes hat. This is an exclusive club with annual membership at around 2000 pounds. But membership is declining and the building is falling into disrepair and the club clinging to by-gone days of colonial elitism. Reducing the membership costs and making the club more accessible would surely save the club from extinction, but it seems to be the last thing on the minds of the management. Every where we go there are signs reminding people that this is an exclusive club and for members only. I see over 20 staff in the hour that I am there, and only one member sitting in the bar drinking an overpriced cocktail.

I spend the rest of that day exploring the city by foot and looking at some of the architectural gems that line the central areas (some areas rival the great buildings of London or Paris or any other Major European City. Others are a stark reminder that you are in the real India as you turn a corner and see a cow grazing on a pile of rotting plastic, as children and handicapped people beg for money. Later I visit some of the cities bustling markets (if I liked shopping I’d be in heaven but I’m not that keen), and spend an hour or so watching cricket being played in one of the parks (if I liked or understood cricket id be in heaven but its beyond me).

That evening I visit Chowpatty beach to eat snacks from the various food stalls that line the beach. I wasn’t prepared for the circus that would great me as I walked amongst the stalls though. All the stall keepers shout at you and send boys to grab you arm and try and pull you toward their stalls. Others whistle and make strange noises through their teeth to try and entice you. I’m feeling terrible put off by the whole affair and my temper is bubbling to the top. I keep my cool and eventually choose a stall to eat at. Chosen on the basis that it was directly opposite a guy who had made some weird gestures in my face and I thought it would piss him off if a ate at the stall facing his. As I sit eating I’m still fuming about the chaos that greeted me, thinking how racist it is that im treated like this because I am a white man, when I notice exactly the same treatment being dished out to an Indian family as they walk into the stalls. This quashes my theory and it become obvious that like most businesses in India there is just too much competition. These guys have to resort to anything to get business. I think perhaps I should inform them that their approach is actually off putting, and then decide to save my breath and head back to Colaba for a beer. Later I head to a club with and Indian guy from the bar and become witness to some of the worlds funniest dancing to some of the worlds funniest music, both a fusion of Bollywood and Western Dance music, arm shimmering wrist flicking and moon walking. All very funny and I head home feeling most amused.

The following day I get a boat over to Elephanta Island and hour away from Mumbai and visit some Hindu Caves set in to the rocky landscape. The boat trip was welcome relief from the hustle and Bustle of the city and the caves were interesting to see.

I leave Mumbai that night having enjoyed my stay but quite relived to get out of the heat and hustle bustle of the city. My train leaves at midnight heading for Aurangabad, im heading here to see some more caves, some of the oldest and best examples of Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain caves.