Greetings from mumbai

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​Today we woke up with the sounds of Mumbai coming to life.  At the Garden Hotel we had an Indian-styled breakfast on the rooftop of a nine story building, which some of which included french-fries, bread, eggs, dosa, fresh fruit and rice.
 
Now fully energized on a full stomach, we began a short waking tour to the Taj Mahal Hotel and the historic Gateway of India. Many of us were greeted by non-American tourists or locals who wanted to take pictures with us…it felt a little like being a celebrity and it was kind of fun. 

​During a short bus ride we had opportunities to learn more about the history of Mumbai (do you know when and why the name changed from Bombay?) and ended up visiting one of the Mumbai’s many sacred reservoirs and a scenic overlook park,  Nehru Park, named after the first Prime Minister of India.
 
A busy morning helped build an appetite and was the perfect chance to be introduced to the Indian tradition of eating with our hand (singular…remember right hand only!).  Everyone had their favorites, from the pannier, to the pea, the fresh lime soda to the rice, but the overall winner may have been the buttery topped roti.

​Up next, a visit to the past as we traveled to the house of Mahatma Gandhi, a revolutionary leader of the non-violent movement of independence from Great Britain. After absorbing a great amount of interesting history, and seeing the artifacts from Gandhi’s time, jet lag crept its way closer and closer so siesta seemed fitting.  While some students boasted about being over the jetlag, nearly everyone took time to sleep back at the hotel, if not on the bus.
 
Once our rest was over, we headed to the park across the street from our hotel with to do some team building activities, discuss safety, and finish laying the foundation for the remainder of the program.  We concluded the day with a light, but spicy dinner at a local restaurant.
 
We had a very eventful first day, are appreciative of all the people we interacted and connected with throughout all our experiences, and can’t wait to see what else lies ahead.

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