The Shifting Sands

One day I said to my Mum "When can I get a bird,  I love birds,   I really love animals too".  And then my Mum said "Why don't we go look at some birds,  maybe you deserve it, you have been wishing since you were two."  So we went out to get 2 birds.    I named them Harry and Lara.

One of the challenges in Mumbai is quickly escaping the crush of life here.  One of the great ways to escape is the sea kayak.  Despite the murky brown of the water close to the beach, a couple of kilometers off-shore there is a very distinct line where the water starts to look cleaner.  What is surprising is the amount of marine life despite the unimaginable things that are flushed into the ocean. There are always fish jumping and there is a large pod of around 30 dolphins that you often encounter off-shore. One the favorites is to set a westerly heading and after about 4km, Mumbai disappears into the smog, the sky is a brighter blue and apart from the occasional fishing boat you are alone which a great feeling in a crowded city.  Paddling along the shore gives you the opportunity to view the many Portuguese Forts that dot the coastline from the Arabian sea. The other escape is to go bouldering in Navi (New) Mumbai.  A local climber by the name of Bong has developed a ver