You know where you are? . . .

• . . . You're in the jungle, baby!!!
  
  Hello, everyone! We made it to the other side. We are in southern Mumbai, just off the coast of the Arabian Sea (2 blocks). The city is immense. Population of 17,000,000, where 55% live in ramshackle shanti towns. Traffic is crazy, and only stops for plump, stray dogs that cross whenever and wherever they please. We feel like we are in the midst of a primordial soup of humanity. At first, one wants to pull a Ron Burgundy (Anchorman), find a glass phonebooth, and scream, "I'm in a glass case of emotion!" Though after a stroll or two, one gets a bit used to being under the microscope.
  
  The area is visually stunning. Mumbai assualts all senses. From the architecture, the people, the animals, the mobs, the vehicles, the pace, the ocean, the bazaars, the flora . . . everything all thrown together in utter chaos. I have no idea how it works day after day. We really like it here at times, other times - not so much. We are being cautious, and plan to make it to Elephanta Island today, catch a Bollywood Flick (loved the ones on the plane) then catch a train out of here tomorrow.
  
  We'll try to post some pictures soon. These computers may be a bit slow for the task. Please take care . . . miss you all!
  -John
  
  Hey all! After an 18 hour flight, we landed in Mumbai at 2:00 am, local time. Not exactly the most reassuring hour to start an adventure in a foreign country, but we got it done. After a terrifying cab ride, we ended up in a nice little lodge in the Colaba province at 3:30 am, and we've been exploring the province ever since.
  Life here in Mumbai is fast-paced and frantic. During the day, the city is filled with sounds of business transactions, attention seeking touts, and non-stop honking. It's a bit overwhelming to the Western psyche, but we're adapting ahead of the curve and really starting to enjoy the big city adventure.
  We plan on checking in as often as we can, but for now we're ready to experience the day!
  Much love!
  Colie

*Edit - Above are a few pictures of the shoreline right near our hotel. As you can see, the architecture is astounding and its character only seems to improve with age. Unfortunately, the shantytowns are not nearly so appealing to the eye, but they are an important part of the residential structure - they are functioning sub-cities with limited ammenities and (relatively) cheap rents. The contrast is certainly very startling, and incredibly frustrating to wrap one's mind around, especially after seeing it day in and day out. The sunset picture was taken returning from faux-Elephanta Island, and it's the Gateway of India. It commemorates British Royalty visiting their Colonial Empire - an Arc de Triumph.