Our last stop was Mumbai, by far India’s most cosmopolitan city, though maybe not its most picturesque. Mumbai doesn’t have a lot of tourist attractions. But the international blend of cuisines made for some wonderful meals, and we managed to find some pretty interesting vistas. We wandered the boutique-y streets near the Gateway of India. We gawked at the lush interiors of the historic Taj hotel. We visited the ancient carvings on Elephanta Island. We took a stroll with the locals along the waterfront on Marine Drive. And of course, we did some last-minute shopping on our final morning, which featured milder temperatures and beautiful blue skies after a strong wind rolled through the night before and blew away all the smog.
Now it’s time to say goodbye to India and head back to reality. It’s been another fantastic trip, one that has reminded us just how lucky we are. Despite the economic struggles that many here face day to day, we found the people of India a truly warm and spiritual lot. And though we occasionally poked good-natured fun at their idiosyncrasies, we also gained much wisdom from them. It may sound corny, but the rest of the world would do well to live and let live a little bit more like India does.
