We arrived at the airport last night around 11 pm. It was 11 30 by the time we got our luggage and I guess the customs officers were anxious to get home because they shut down the customs and let everyone through without having to declare anything.
Marco had arranged for a car to pick us up from the airport so as we exited, we had to look for a sign that said his name. The drive to the hotel was exciting and we got our first peek at India. Outside, there was a symphony of horns as drivers drifted from one lane to the next and scooters squeezed between cars and pedestrians.

The following morning, we ate breakfast on the roof of the hotel. From there, we were able to see Back Bay in the Arabian Sea but because of the intense smog, we weren't able to see very far. After breakfast, we headed out to explore the city. We walked along the water for a long time and got many curious stares from the locals. We spotted an interesting looking building and decided to venture farther inland. That as when we first saw the real chaos that is Mumbai. People were everywhere and so were the cars, which were continuously honking either at each other or at the pedestrians. The lack of traffic lights made crossing the street very difficult and scary! We ended up walking all day in the city and saw a lot of interesting things, though we didn't visit anything on our tourist map. Cows, goats, chickens, dogs and cats roam freely in the streets.
After walking all day and not quite knowing where we were or how to get back to the hotel, we decided to grab a cab to the Gate of India and the Taj Mahal hotel. We took a few pictures, had a few pictures taken of us by the locals.
Arriving in India, I expected to be more culture shocked than I was. The smell was not as bad as I was warned it would be. I only held my breath a few times! We were not hassled by store owners to go shop in their stores or by street vendors trying to sell us their merchandise. The maps and lack of street names and indications made it hard for us to find our way around. Towards the end of the day, the chaos of the city became frustrating. Overall, we had an interesting first day. We are planning a more organized visit for tomorrow.