“Mumbai is not India” Someone told a foreigner tourist. Even I cannot say Mumbai is the place you can feel “India”. Most of tourists like to visit north India. Started from Delhi, Agra or Varanasi, Darjeeling. Russian or British like to visit Goa in their winter time. But for Asian people, we have more beautiful beach in East Asia like Thailand or Indonesia. These people rarely visit India for spending time on beach.

I have still clearly have the memory of first day in India. It was in Delhi and 3 a.m. in the morning. I just reached India from Hong Kong and scared going out from airport. I was with a Japanese guy and he had already visited India several times. I followed his way and found a hostel in town. I always communicated local people and these people made impression about India in my mind. Totally adventurous days in each places. Every memories are vivid enough inside of me. And now, I am feeling those experiences are the memories which I had in another country. Mumbai totally spoiled me in 1.6 years. This city is most convenient and safe to live in India.

My place, Andheri West is a kind of fancy area in North Mumbai. Tourism area is southern area which is 40 min far from Andheri by train. Here, Andheri is not the place for sightseeing but you can get anything what you want in your daily life. There are 3 or 4 big shopping mall nearby and the store you can get imported stuff. Cinema theaters are available in walking distance. Rent cost for single room is 22,000 Rs onwards. You can pay only 40 Rs for rikishaw going to station, 20 Rs going to tourist area by train. Last train is 1 a.m.. Nothing happen if you take rikishaw at night. I have never faced accident here like pickpockets or groper. If I behave same in another states or cities in India, I may have trouble.

“People in Delhi never say sorry or excuse me when you want to walk through among people but Mumbaikar often use this words each other. Or else? Delhi is totally unsafe for girls, you can never go out at night!” A Mumbaikar told me how he is proud of Mumbai. It could be too much but also can be true about some parts. Of course, people have different opinion. I hard some people hate Mumbai as this city is too crowded and huge for them. I grew up in city, not feeling stress about these points. But if I compare with Japan, Mumbai can be more stressful place because of less organized things as I wrote on last article.

“Why don’t you go for travel in another place?” Some friends asked me since they know I traveled a lot before. I can travel but not feeling for that. Mumbai spoiled me and make me lazy to have different experiences again. Maybe Goa can be on my list though. Some of foreigners around me plan for short trip on weekend and I saw many photos or heard stories about their adventures. I was like that 3 years ago. But none of them can make me move. I went to south area in Mumbai every weekend and see the ocean, take photos and walk around at evening time. Light and shadow at evening time in Mumbai work a magic on me every weekend. “Why should I go out from this city?”