Bombay, India 5/14/1995 We Get To Ride On An Elephant

(BOMBAY, INDIA, May 14, 1995)

by Bob Van Leer

We arrived in Bombay this morning after a short (873 kilometers, 1 hour, 20 minute) flight from Bangalore. Bombay is India’s largest city with a population of about 13 million.

The city is built on seven islands connected by causeways. Because of the limited opportunity to expand, real estate prices are among the highest in the world. Our guide said land prices start at $1200 per square foot.

Coming into Bombay, one of the problems with Indian agriculture is obvious. Farm fields are small and irregularly shaped, not suited for mechanized agriculture. A publication from the U.S. Department of State says 67% of the work force is engaged in agriculture. In the U.S. it is about 1%.

Going by cab from the airport to our hotel, we saw our first, and only, elephant in India. We stopped and took pictures and took a ride on the elephant (100 rupees, about $3.00 each). The owner was just touring downtown selling rides. In a way, it’s sad, because what it means is there is no longer meaningful work for elephants in India. They, and their owners, are reduced to cruising downtown looking for a few fares.

GHANDI’S HOME
We visited Mahatma Ghandi’s home in Bombay where he lived from 1917 to 1934. Ghandi, the father of Indian independence, was shot to death just the year following India gaining independence from Britain in 1947.

Returning to our hotel, again the Taj Mahal, we walked across the street to the Gateway to India, an archway erected to commemorate the visit to India of Britain’s King George V and Queen Mary in 1911. The arch is right on the harbor. We considered taking a boat cruise around the harbor on a tour boat, but this was Sunday and half of western India apparently had the same idea, so we abandoned the idea.

We walked around the arch in a wall-to-wall crowd. During the walk, my pocket was picked. Whoever did it was good, I felt only a brush, but I did check my pocket and a wad of rupee bills was gone. I thought I knew who did it, but I wasn’t 100% sure so it wasn’t worth creating an international incident. Being aware of such a possibility, I keep most of my money, my passport and credit cards in a concealed wallet where the thief would have to undress me to get at it. What I keep in my pocket is just shopping money. He got $40.00-50.00. Still, it is disturbing to have such a thing happen at all.

The Taj Mahal Hotel was built originally in 1903, a splendid British hotel for the largest city in India. It has been upgraded and added to and is still a premier address in Bombay.

Bombay is hot and humid after the pleasant climate of Bangalore. Prices here, and all of India, are cheap in comparison to those in the United States. In Bangalore we hired a taxi for the three of us for two hours for 190 rupees, about $6.00. We had dinner this evening in the rooftop restaurant, which has the reputation of being one of the most expensive in the largest city in India, and our bill was less than $20.00 each, which included gratuities.

For small activities, such as handling a bag, tips of 10 rupees, about 30 cents, appear adequate.

Tomorrow is our last full day in India and the confederation of Indian Industry, Western Region, has arranged a full day program which includes a visit to the Stock Exchange and the newspaper, Business India.