Travel to Peninsular India: Mumbai / Bombay: Rising or Sinking?

Mumbai is famous for so appalling visitors that they tell the taxi driver to turn around and take them back to the airport.  To Indians both rich and poor, however, Mumbai is the most exciting and dynamic of India's cities.  Which is it?

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Not far from the Taj Mahal hotel, a colonial building has been topped up and seeded.

Around the corner, a top-drawer hotel of the British era has shut down, its lobby converted into a market.

The shop is too small to hold a grand piano. A few actions sit on shelves; an upright awaits a customer.

Out beyond the Sassoon Docks, on the east side of Colaba, fishermen ready their nets, as though none of this colonial nonsense had ever taken place.

On the other hand, the boats are motorized, and there are plenty of other European elements.

Plastic hose for one.

And manufactured ice, crushed and slid into holds.

Over on the moneyed side of town: Back Bay, with Malabar Hill.

Fronting on that same beach is Marine Drive.

Latte? Foam?

Oh, you've got sharp eyes! No, not the CST (the ex-VT) on the right, but that red sign on the left. Leave it to McDonalds to find the corner of the city with the greatest number of passersby.

Morning in the McDonald's courtyard, with the railway station in the background.