Betty's trip to Mumbai, India -- 10-19 April, 2002

In April I went to Mumbai (formerly Bombay), where Gisela was doing research at Apne Aap , a women's collective, working on behalf of and with commercial sex workers. Mumbai has the largest red light district of Asia (ca. 17.000 women), and 40% of the women are trafficked in from Nepal. Another 40% comes from other Indian states, most of them lured there with the promise of marriage, a good job, and the like.

We (Gisela and I) did have some time to go sightseeing. We visited the Gateway of India ( 1 , 2 , 3 ), the Hanging Garden (4 , 5 , 6 ), Mani Bhavan , Gandhi's house in Mumbai, the Jain temple ( 8 , 9 , 10 ), dhobi ghat , where the professional washermen do their laundry, and a mosque, built off the coast (12 , 13 , 14 , 14a ) by a raj whose daughter drowned there. Some other sights, including some street scenes (15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 7 ), were the station (20a , 20b) , 20c , 20d , 20e , the Taj Mahal Hotel . There were the vendors (21 , 22 ), the sunsets, taken both from the home of the Loyalka family, where we were staying (23 ) and from a nearby park (24 , 25 , 25a ), and other scenic pictures: a museum , a college (30 , 31 , 32) . We were also shown the only Portuguese street left in Mumbai ( port1 , port2 , port3 , port4 ). There were also the slums, though on one occasion a policeman whistled me away when I tried to take a picture. Here you can see some along the coast (33 ) and up on a hill, near fance apartment buildings ( 34 ). Mrs. Loyalka, whom we fondly called Naniji , and Jaya , the cook, and Rajkumar , who helped with many things, made us most welcome, and we will always remember the hospitality and friendliness shown by them, and the way they made us feel home in their lovely apartment ( 37a ).

Gisela was there to work, and so most of my time was spent at Apne Aap (38 ). where its friendly staff made me feel very welcome: Manju , Mangala , Prita , Surekha , Sanjana , Sainu , 45a . Here I finally met the people Gisela is always talking about and visited some at their home . It was a delight, as well, to meet the many young people, esp. Sonu , Surekha's daughter; Priyanka ; Pinku , whose real name is Laxmi; Jyoti , who decorated our hands before we left (48 , 48a ); Pooja and Gita , as well as several others (51 , 52 , 53 , 54 ), including Sudarshan V. Loyalka , the Managing Trustee of Apne Aap. Their cheerfulness and zest for life were great fun to watch (55 , 56 ) and I admire their stamina and determination in the light of so many adversities. The last afternoon we were there they threw us a party, and you can see for yourself how they are able to have a good time ( 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 ), in spite of the realities of their lives.