Namaste, India!

We left the comforts of Dubai a tiny bit nervous about our next stop, having heard from friends and other travelers about the dirt, crowds, heat, and general discomfort of India. We'll never know whether or not this is a positive case of lowered expectations, but we have found ourselves loving the country almost from the moment we arrived! Not many people have reported the same experience, especially considering we arrived in the bustling port/slum city of Mumbai, but everywhere we turn, there is some colorful sight or amazing smell to keep us interested and we are optimistic about our long stay here.

The food has been one of the highlights, and while we are certain this won't last forever, we are taking our lack of stomach issues as a sign that we should continue our street food diet. Nothing we have eaten so far has appeared on an Indian menu in London or New York so we are taking advantage of the opportunities. From spicy little omelettes in buns for breakfast to lentil/potato mix with countless spices to the rich and fragrant chai, this is Indian food we'd like to bring home with us. Still, I for one am avoiding the water and trying to continue eating relatively safe things in hopes my good health will continue.

It is true that India is quite poor, and this was evident from our initial 3am ride from the airport to our hostel when we saw thousands of people sleeping on the sidewalks, whole families side by side with cows and dogs, tuning out the noise of the traffic and crowds (even at that time in the night). It was startling to see so many homeless, even though I knew to expect it. This same taxi ride took twice as long as it should have, since the driver had no idea where our hotel was and stopped every 10 yards or so to ask someone new for directions. We were so delirious from our flight and the late hour that we could only laugh as the cab inched along, the cabbie asking for directions to the next corner and then asking again.

Once we'd rested up and showered, we set out for the tourist-friendly Colaba neighborhood and poked around shops and sidewalk vendors, stopping for views of the Gateway to India (built to honor the British when they arrived, and through which the British retreated upon their final exit), Victoria Terminus train station, and Flora Fountain. However, the colonial-era monuments, while beautiful, didn't hold our attention as much as the scenes on the street. There is just so much to look at in Mumbai! Every sari is the most brilliant color I've ever seen, adorned with bangles and embroidery and kept flawlessly clean and bright. The commercial trucks are painted bright colors and adorned with trinkets, including the horns which play little tunes instead of just beeping. The seaside is lined with fishing boats and fishermen in turbans, and most of the women carry large loads on their heads. I loved looking at the people, as well as the livestock - dozens of cows and goats sharing sidewalk space with the 20 million human residents.

We also happened to walk right by the Taj and Oberoi hotels - both of which were struck by terrorists last November. It was easy enough to imagine it had never happened - the Taj is still closed, but looked completely intact and beautiful from the street. We walked into the Oberoi on accident, thinking it was a mall when we were desperate for air conditioning, but the extremely heavy security we faced upon entering hinted at something else. Once we got inside and saw a memorial plaque, it was clear where we were. It's difficult to imagine such terrible things happening in Mumbai. Despite India's reputation for theft and general dodginess, so far we feel very safe, although we're being quite cautious at the same time. The people are startlingly friendly and sociable, which caught us off-guard at first, but we've become more comfortable chatting with people without assuming they're out for money - a cultural hangover from our Egypt trip.

After our stroll and an evening rest, we decided to go for the hottest, most humid run of all time, along the lively Chowpatty Beach, where we could smell the sea salt mixed with street food aromas. Vacationing with Ben has been good for me - I've done more running on this trip than probably during my whole last year in New York. The air in Mumbai is so thick and wet it made for a very tough run, even though the sun had gone down already, but we made it, cleaned up, and dined on street food as a reward.

The other sights in Mumbai that we had the chance to see include the fish market and a dhobi ghat. The fish market was intimidatingly crowded and smelly, but still swirling and fascinating. Photos weren't allowed inside, which was disappointing, but we were able to view the docks at sunrise while avoiding workers carting huge loads of ice and enormous fish, while the women sat with with racks of drying Bombay Duck (a kind of fish unique to the area). Nearby, the dhobi ghat is a huge block of concrete cubicles where washermen pound T-shirts and jeans clean over bins of soapy water - work that looked very physical and difficult, but the hanging clothes looked very white and clean!

In the afternoon we caught a sleeper bus bound for Udaipur, which ended up being a 19-hour ride. 19 hours. In a bus. The next time you're annoyed about taking a 6-hour flight, think about our 19-hour bus ride. In all seriousness, it wasn't that bad... we had a little cubby to ourselves just big enough to lie down in with our valuables, and luckily our section was air conditioned (some were not! The horror!), so the worst part of it ended up being the boredom once we couldn't sleep or read any more. However, once we arrived in Udaipur, we could see that the trip was worth it. Udaipur is a charming valley town with steeply pitched streets, dozens of small Hindu temples, and two huge lakes that with their floating palaces are billed as the most romantic walks and views in India.

As you can see, the lakes are dry, somewhat dampening the romance factor, but the palaces are still amazing. The Bond film Octopussy was filmed at the one above (these days, Bond wouldn't need an alligator costume to infiltrate), and the City Palace (part of which is still occupied by the current maharana!) has a maze of rooms containing 16th century artifacts and artwork pertaining to the history or Rajasthan. We spent our day perusing the many locally made handicrafts available here, getting a ride on an elephant, and getting stuck in an elevator after having tea in a rooftop restaurant. Apparently, rolling blackouts are quite common in small Indian towns. Lesson learned: Take the stairs.

In the evening, we went to a showcase of cultural music and dance at Bagore ki Haveli - another old mansion with dozens of rooms. The show was beautiful and very different from anything I'd seen before - gorgeous saris swirling, a girl dancing with a pot of fire on her head, and another woman who balanced 6 pots on her head while dancing on glass! We were given the background for each dance, which were all symbolic of different things - thanks for a successful harvest, celebration of a girl's wedding, or marking religious holidays.

Tonight we carry on from here to the pink city of Jaipur on another overnight trip, this time via train. Wish us luck!