Day 2: Mumbai

Today was our second full day traveling through Mumbai. We started off by taking a local bus to the train station, and from there we traveled to Asia’s largest slum, Dharavi. Going in, most of us didn’t know what to expect, and were surprised to find it was a bustling community. We learned that Dharavi is responsible for recycling 70 percent of Mumbai’s plastic and is also responsible for producing most of India’s leather, too. From there we went to the Reality Gives community center, where we talked to a few of their students about what they were studying and then ate lunch with all of them. Seeing the contrast between the slum’s poverty and its thriving, resourceful community was an eye opening and unique experience.
 
Once we left the slum, we had down time to journal and reflect on our Dharavi visit. Afterwards, we ate dinner at a restaurant near our hotel. From there, we rushed to the train station again where we anxiously waited to get on the 12-hour train ride to Haranjalu. We boarded the train, set up our beds, and tried to get some much needed sleep after such a long and unforgettable day.
 
-Eric and Sam