Mumbai Quick Escapes

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 very active climbing community centered around his small house and some boulders and cliffs in the nearby hills. His two room house resembles a bouldering cave with a bed in the corner, a pile of crash mats and a couple of rock drills.  As strangers, we arrived at his apartment and he welcomed us with tea and a plate of nuts for breakfast before introducing us to some locals to show us the boulders.The climbing is fun with the boulders scattered under the canopy of a dry 
jungle providing a very pleasant way to spend a Mumbai Sunday morning.

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