Mumbai, India (Day 2 of 2)

Took an excursion this morning to see some key sights: the Taj Mahal Hotel, the Victoria Train Station, a Krishna Temple, the Ghandi Museum and Dhobi Ghat, a 140-year-old, open-air laundromat.

Why visit a hotel? Because its story is legendary. The Taj Mahal Hotel was commissioned by Jamsetji Tata (yes, that Tata) and opened in 1903. The story concerning the reasoning behind the construction of the hotel was Tata being refused entry into Mumbai’s Watson's Hotel because it allowed Europeans only. It’s a stunning five-star hotel well worth visiting.

The Krishna Temple and Ghandi Museum were interesting but what amazed us was Dhobi Ghat, the open air laundromat. Mind blowing. There are about 200 families who live there and 1,200 people who work there. The concept is simple. Customers bundle up their laundry for washing and ironing or just ironing and it’s picked up and then delivered when it’s done. Our guide explained that having a washing machine is not a given in India and that even those with washers and dryers send their items for ironing. This type of service is not unique to Mumbai but this site is the biggest.Read more