3/6/25 TLDR 😂
Christ was wide awake when I shuffled to the bathroom around 6am and was not going to let me go back to sleep, but I did get to lay in bed until a little after 7. We then ate way too much food at the buffet for such an early hour and came back to the room to wait for a call from the medical team. Thanks to my favorite week of hormones, I was actually able to sit down and get some work done without too much mental persuasion or unanticipated side quests. When we finally got word that pre-op meetings would likely be pushed off until tomorrow, we studied the map and made our way back out onto the chaotic streets of Mumbai.
Three kilometers or so later, with zero direct hits from vehicles, we made it to our first stop. The tunnel alleyway to the Haji Ali Dargah mausoleum was brimming with vendors and I was immediately targeted to buy a shawl to cover my shoulders. Secondary benefit to modesty: cover from the sun!
The long road in was blanketed with people and had views of the skyline. As we entered the mausoleum we were directed towards a men’s and women’s viewing area. I wish I had known what we were looking at as everyone seemed quite moved while standing there. Despite my ignorance, I appreciated the moment to pause and be grateful for where I was.
As I retrieved my shoes, I noticed Christ taking pictures with a group of men. Knowing he did not know these people, and watching the interaction for only a few moments, I couldn’t help but smirk at the realization that he was being bombarded with selfie requests. Our magnetic field was at an all time high today, pulling people in at an exponential rate. As I also experienced in China, being white is as much of a tourist attraction as the actual place we were visiting. To top it off, Christ had his full jewelry set in his beard dreads and was looking mighty regal.
We pulled away from the group of eager young men just in time for the prayer call to begin. Examining the detail of the building while watching and listening to the Imam’s prayer echo across the space was enchanting.
Surrounding the mausoleum and extending out into the sea in all directions was a mix of what appeared to be destroyed buildings and some kind of unrefined iron. We did our best to traverse each area, but every few feet of exploration was met with a new barrage of people wanting to get a picture; and a selfie, and another picture. Celebrity status reached an all time high as we tried to make our way back down the long road towards the tunnel. Young men and women encircled us taking turns being in the photo, posing with their arms draped over our shoulders, and always wanting one more.
Aside from the fact that each touch sent electrical shocks down Christ’s arm, we laughed off the attention and continued on our adventure. Not long into our walk towards the park, Christ glanced to his right and spotted another beautiful Temple. Out-front lay a single pair of sandals, worn down to half a shoe each. We never even saw the owner while they paid homage to the Hindu statues. We admired each one and enjoyed the rare moment of solitude in this bustling city.
The walk back to the hotel included a brief walk around a park where we watched a game of cricket and childrens’ sports practicing, then took a not so brief stop in an exquisite hardware store. Never have I seen so many unique door knobs and handles. They treated us like royalty bringing the best coffee I’ve had on this trip and showing us each and every piece of hardware they had in the store. When their credit card reader wouldn’t accept a foreign charge, they simply let us pay the cash we had and asked us to come back with the rest. They did not even ask for a name or number, though we provided it for integrity, and karma.
The rest of the trek home was familiar and is already beginning to feel like home. A cold shower felt delicious on my sunburnt chest, swollen knees, and exhausted body. Dinner out front of the hotel was superb and we crawled into our beds almost immediately afterwards.
