Well, it's been a little longer than I anticipated {setting up the apartment has taken a little longer that I thought it would} but here's the first of a few updates on living in Mumbai…..
On a VERY hot Sunday which was May the 24th, Andrew, Nick {a work colleague of Andrew's} and I joined our guide Sagar at Mahim West Railway Station for the start of a "head-spinning tour of the incredible industry in the Dharavi slums which produces more than $600 million in revenue each year"!
This slum area of Mumbai is the heart of various small-scale industries in the city. As we walked with our guide through one of the largest slums in Asia, we witnessed a wide range of industries such as plastic & card board recycling, baking, pottery, suitcase making, sewing, a soap factory, leather tanning, paint & oil can recycling and much more. The people living in Dharvai come from all over India, they are from different backgrounds and of different religions and they live in peace with one another.
Our perception of a 'slum' was changed within a few hours; those living in the Dharavi slums have 'clean' running water for three hours every morning {they take turns to fill their large 1000 lt drums} their electricity is metred and apart from a large rubbish dump we came across, the slums were for the most part relatively clean. Those living in the slums work hard and they keep their living quarters clean!{they are often living above the workplace}
We met some of the workers and shop owners; we were able to take photos in some of the areas and others, our cameras had to be put away in our camera bags. The children were delightful; there seemed to be a game of cricket on if there was a spot large enough to play. The ladies in their colourful saris were for the most part happy to have their photos taken as were the children {we asked permission before taking photos at the advise of our guide}. If you are popping over to Mumbai, be sure to do a slum tour!
The photos below are taken within the slums; not many are of the industries mentioned above as they were in areas where no photography permitted! {there are a LOT of photos…sorry, but it was really hard to choose from a couple of hundred!}
outside the station
basket weaving
looking across towards the slums
this is a footbridge in 'the making'
{the start of the tour is to the left of the bridge}
live chickens being weighed
{we passed butcher; you don't want to be buying your meat there!
an old mosque
inside the slums
mostly recycling
{plastic}
some of the living quarters
amongst the plastic
recycling
washing-up after
breakfast
cleaning paint tins
cardboard recycling
plastic recycling
sorting plastics for
recycling
a posing goat
selling eggs {this is
a common sight}
it's all about the purple!
a street food stall
fresh produce
our guide Sagar on the
right in the jeans
housing in the
slums
a very good school
one of many cricket matches
that's Sachin in the middle!
cute kids
pottery
happy to pose with a
'Mona Lisa' smile
I thought this lady was gorgeous!
{sorry there's three photos of her}
also two photos of this lady
{her glasses were like the bottom
of coke bottles - she was
delightful}
toilets or accurately speaking
'long-drops' over a
small river
thanks for bearing with me through all the photos; 'till the next time…...
On a VERY hot Sunday which was May the 24th, Andrew, Nick {a work colleague of Andrew's} and I joined our guide Sagar at Mahim West Railway Station for the start of a "head-spinning tour of the incredible industry in the Dharavi slums which produces more than $600 million in revenue each year"!
This slum area of Mumbai is the heart of various small-scale industries in the city. As we walked with our guide through one of the largest slums in Asia, we witnessed a wide range of industries such as plastic & card board recycling, baking, pottery, suitcase making, sewing, a soap factory, leather tanning, paint & oil can recycling and much more. The people living in Dharvai come from all over India, they are from different backgrounds and of different religions and they live in peace with one another.
Our perception of a 'slum' was changed within a few hours; those living in the Dharavi slums have 'clean' running water for three hours every morning {they take turns to fill their large 1000 lt drums} their electricity is metred and apart from a large rubbish dump we came across, the slums were for the most part relatively clean. Those living in the slums work hard and they keep their living quarters clean!{they are often living above the workplace}
We met some of the workers and shop owners; we were able to take photos in some of the areas and others, our cameras had to be put away in our camera bags. The children were delightful; there seemed to be a game of cricket on if there was a spot large enough to play. The ladies in their colourful saris were for the most part happy to have their photos taken as were the children {we asked permission before taking photos at the advise of our guide}. If you are popping over to Mumbai, be sure to do a slum tour!
The photos below are taken within the slums; not many are of the industries mentioned above as they were in areas where no photography permitted! {there are a LOT of photos…sorry, but it was really hard to choose from a couple of hundred!}
outside the station
basket weaving
looking across towards the slums
this is a footbridge in 'the making'
{the start of the tour is to the left of the bridge}
live chickens being weighed
{we passed butcher; you don't want to be buying your meat there!
an old mosque
inside the slums
mostly recycling
{plastic}
some of the living quarters
amongst the plastic
recycling
washing-up after
breakfast
cleaning paint tins
cardboard recycling
plastic recycling
sorting plastics for
recycling
a posing goat
selling eggs {this is
a common sight}
it's all about the purple!
a street food stall
fresh produce
our guide Sagar on the
right in the jeans
housing in the
slums
a very good school
one of many cricket matches
that's Sachin in the middle!
cute kids
pottery
'Mona Lisa' smile
I thought this lady was gorgeous!
{sorry there's three photos of her}
also two photos of this lady
{her glasses were like the bottom
of coke bottles - she was
delightful}
toilets or accurately speaking
'long-drops' over a
small river
thanks for bearing with me through all the photos; 'till the next time…...
