I have found moment in my rushed touring schedule to sit down at a machine and post on my initial impressions of Mumbai.  It is a vast, sprawling city, capturing the dual nature of the society and economy here.  On the one hand, in places like Malabar Hill, the new rich live in wonderful sea-side villas; on the other hand, the streets are filled with people barely getting by.  The poverty is more evident than in China.  People from rural areas come into the city, but there is just no work or opportunity for them.  Life is clearly hard.  But that is not the whole story.  The place is bustling with  business and activity of all sorts.  There is growth and stagnation, wealth and poverty, color and drear, all to be found in all areas of the city…

     Today we went to Elephanta Island, to see the Shiva shrine dating back to the sixth century or so.  It is a huge cave carved out of solid rock, reminiscent, yet on a larger scale, of the Mogao grottos of Dunhuang.  The great carved statues and scenes play an education role, displaying the story of Shiva in various episodes.  Our guide did a marvelous job bringing the stories to life and helping us see the central messages of Hinduism.  A great day.

    Tomorrow we are off to Udaipur.  We are moving quickly but seeing much.

     Too bad to be so rushed but that’s it for now….