Day 5 - Share/Marketplace and the train to Bhuj

Day 5 began with a bus and ended with an overnight train. We departed rather early from Pune to drive back north to Mumbai. The tour guide, Alok, forewarned us that this would be a long day.  We packed our suitcases and backpacks with the understanding that we wouldn't have much time to get into our larger bags during this leg of the tour.  They would be stuffed under our bench seats on the train along with the other passengers in our cabin and difficult to rummage through during our ride north to Bhuj.

Upon our arrival back into Mumbai, we drove through what they call "New Mumbai." Nothing looks new here. Imagine a rundown, high-rise apartment complex with what looks like bird cages covering the windows.  Litter of every kind, clay-covered abandoned cars, newspaper shreds --detritus is everywhere. There is no organized system for tending to the waste produced in this area. Later I learned that instead of having slums in the cities, the government attempted to provide these high-rise apartment alternatives to the slums. It has compounded the problem for those in India. 

The entranceway to Marketplace/Share

We drove straight into the traditional slum areas of Mumbai to an organization called Marketplace/Share.  Their office is located in an unassuming alleyway amongst the people who have little living spaces and small storefronts next to a bustling street.  The door opens and our group walks into what seems like another world.  Fluorescent bulbs reflect against brand new, white marble floors and an array of gray tiled walls.  As we carry in the dust from the alleyway, one can't help but feel bad tracking in the city dirt.  This space had recently undergone renovation and the organization completed construction just two days before this visit.  Everything smelled and looked like a Home Depot display model right down to the streamlined ceiling fans and gray patterned mosaic tile detail on the walls.  

The newly renovated interior of Marketplace where we enjoyed lunch with the organization

The Marketplace/Share organization provides a livable wage and fair working conditions to some of the people that live in the slums here. After a short introduction, we were broken into two groups to visit the working areas.  I took hold of the GoPro camera and headed with one group while Mat set off into the streets with another group.  We left the white, sterile feeling of the organization and walked the narrow passages to where a collection of workers sew and embroider the season's latest line of clothing.  Down the alleyway and around a few corners, one of the shop owners led us to where he housed a group of seamstresses and fabric cutters.  Ten to twelve people worked in a space no larger than my kitchen. Above us was another small space for those who embroider. I could sense a level of empowerment felt by the women who work here. Marketplace/Share offers each of them an opportunity to take a leadership role in rotation. They have social workers that provide services for these families, as well as organize weekly enrichment activities for the children of these craftswomen. Central to Gandhi's philosophy is the principle of 'swadeshi', which, in effect, means local self-sufficiency; every stop along the way of this legacy tour seems to echo his vision for the people of India to be active in their role to improve not only their station in life but to embrace ways that can help both themselves and their community.

After the tour, Marketplace treated us to a homemade, delicious meal of naan, rice, and some of the traditional vegetarian dishes of Mumbai. Mat quickly ate and then vanished out the door--disappearing back into the streets to get footage of some of the locals.  He made friends with many of the curious children that played in an adjacent alleyway.  Some would wave while others would come look over his shoulder to see what pictures he'd captured.  

Mat shares his photography with the children of Mumbai

Soon it was time for us to head for the bustling Mumbai train station. As soon as we stepped off the tour bus, we were approached by young women begging for money. Children saddled their hips and motioned the same as the mother -- hands outstretched, tapping each one of us on the shoulder, bringing fingers to sign "eat" and tapping us again. One of our tour companions was very firm with them, and that truly set the precedent for the rest of those looking for us to give them spare change. This area is rampant with groups that work as a team to take money from those willing to give and these beggars are forced then to pass it on to the ringleader. Even if you think you are helping, it does nothing for these little ones.

Mat and I were assigned seats in a cabin with other Indian travelers heading to Bhuj. There were complications with finding accommodations together with our large group, so we were separate from our tour, but just happy to share a cabin with each other. It had been a long day of travel from Pune, and our bodies and minds were running on fumes. Our compartment slept 8 people. 6 were sitting on two benches facing one another and 2 more were across the hall at the other window. As you look up, racks of cots hang from above. At bedtime (which we determined to be early) our seat benches also became beds.  You're really at the mercy of the lower bunks as to when you're forced to climb to your bed and go to sleep.

Our train accommodations: 3 bunks high.

A 15 hour ride meant that as the train continued, our compartment filled gradually to capacity with travelers. My seatmate was in her late 60s and expressed as best she could that she wanted my bottom bunk. It was an easy request for me to fulfill--though there are no official rules on it being necessary. Really the only downside of the middle bunk was climbing down to go to the bathroom. 

Speaking of the bathroom, our tour gave us plenty of water and a boxed dinner for the ride but we barely touched any of it, maybe because we weren't very eager to use the facilities on board. They have a western bathroom on this train--western only in the way that it looks as it has a place for you to sit.  Any toilet waste here flushes straight onto the railroad tracks. You can imagine what the seat and compartment looks like on a moving train as passengers are challenged to steady themselves. 

We were in close quarters and I was thankful to have packed my own travel sleeping bag liner that works as a barrier between myself and the cot below. Each bunk is issued a standard pillow, sheet, and blanket-- however sometimes the surroundings dictate ones desire for extra barrier. Regardless of the conditions, I slept hard.