Been a long time since I last wrote. Blogging was a good habit that I have stepped out of. Here is a recap of the Mumbai summer of 2019. This year rains were unusually delayed and lasted about a month longer than expected. By mid June the air thick and muggy. You would do anything for it to cool down and get a little rain. Every day you are hoping for that downpour. Keep in mind from about October to June there is not a drop of rain.
Then the sky opens up, crackle and the relief! The first one of 2019 was torrential and unceasing. Went from completely dry to knee deep water on the street. Your out there playing in the rain. You open up the windows. No more AC! Nice breeze. But months later, it is still going and you’re itching for the sun. This years hyperactive rains made for a wet and mouldy summer. Mumbai 2019 rains broke all past records. It was the highest rainfall since the independence of Mumbai. The rain came unpredictably and with a vengeance. You would hear emergency warnings and then…no rain. All the schools would be shut for nothing. Then at 3pm in the afternoon it would downpour and if you had that long commute home you have to get creative and patient. You just never knew. But one thing is certain about Mumbai, the city never stops. Trains keep running and people figure out a way to keep the financial capital of India productive.
One of the highlights was the visit to Matheran. About 3 hours from Mumbai. Brightest Green Mountains. People in India look at the rain differently. It is celebrated and welcome. People go places to walk and play in the rain. A favorite for the rain and a uniting food for Indians is a thing called “Maggie”. It’s basically the dried instant noodles but all Indians seem to have some nostalgia with Maggie and you can find it everywhere. It’s especially consumed after a long hike or after a long night of drinking. Also, beware of the monkeys! They will steal your stuff. I captured a video of a monkey eating a bag of chips. Saw the monkey steal it directly from the child’s hands. Finally, couldn’t help show another one of my favorite airport condom ads from the inappropriately named brand – “ManForce.”
Here are some pics and videos from July & August
IT Depends...Explain More 