Mumbai Mayhem: Curry, Chaos, and a Whole Lotta Humidity
okay, so. mumbai. wow. just…wow. i’m still peeling the city off my skin, you know? like, the dust, the smells, the sheer energy of it all. i’m a botanist, which means i’m usually surrounded by quiet green things, meticulously cataloging leaf structures. this? this was…a different kind of ecosystem. a human one. a gloriously, aggressively human one.
i just checked and it’s…a sort of shimmering heat haze right now. the kind that makes everything look slightly blurry and your brain feel like overripe mango. hope you like that kind of thing. it’s consistently around twenty-three degrees, which is fine, I guess, if you’re a lizard. i’m not a lizard. i’m a person who appreciates a brisk autumn walk. but hey, at least the humidity’s only thirty-one percent. small victories.
my mission? to find the most obscure, most overlooked plant life clinging to existence in this concrete jungle. it’s harder than you think. everything’s either being paved over or drowning in plastic bags. but i did find a tiny patch of wild basil growing out of a crack in the pavement near *Crawford Market. seriously, a tiny, defiant sprig of basil. it was beautiful. i almost cried.
and the market itself? a sensory overload. spices, fabrics, shouting vendors, stray dogs…it’s like someone threw a Bollywood movie into a blender. i spent a good hour just wandering around, trying not to get trampled. i did manage to snag some incredible turmeric, though. my kitchen is going to smell amazing for weeks.
“Don’t eat the street food after midnight. Trust me.”
that was drunk advice from a guy i met at a chai stall. he seemed pretty adamant about it. i didn’t press him. i did, however, try the vada pav. it was…intense. in a good way. definitely worth the potential stomach upset. i’m looking at TripAdvisor reviews now, and apparently, Ashok Vada Pav is the place to go. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g307272-d1643883-Reviews-Ashok_Vada_Pav-Mumbai_Maharashtra.html
if you get bored, Pune and Nashik are just a short train ride away. i considered popping over to Nashik to check out the vineyards, but honestly, i was exhausted. mumbai is…a lot. i spent a good chunk of time just sitting in cafes, people-watching and trying to decipher the local slang. it’s a whole other language.
“The auto drivers will rip you off. Always negotiate the price before you get in.”
that was something a local warned me about. apparently, it’s a universal truth. i ended up using Uber most of the time. much less stressful. you can find some good deals on local transportation here: https://www.cleartrip.com/train-tickets/
and the plants! i did find some surprisingly resilient bougainvillea clinging to the sides of buildings. and a few hardy ferns thriving in the shadows. it’s a testament to the power of nature, really. even in the most chaotic of environments, life finds a way. i’m also fascinated by the rooftop gardens i’ve been spotting. someone’s clearly putting in the work. i’m trying to find out more about them. maybe i’ll write a whole other post about that.
checking Yelp, it seems Marine Drive* is a popular spot for sunset views. https://www.yelp.com/biz/marine-drive-mumbai i didn’t make it there myself, but i’ve heard it’s stunning. next time, maybe. i’m already dreaming of returning. maybe during the monsoon season. i’m curious to see what kind of plants emerge then.
and one last thing: someone told me that the best way to experience mumbai is to just get lost. and they were right. seriously, just wander. embrace the chaos. you’ll discover things you never expected. i certainly did. i’m already planning my return. maybe i’ll even learn some hindi. or at least how to haggle with an auto driver.