The waterfront

7th of December

I’d bought a cheap compass earlier that day and it took me west in the evening. I’d seen a map that morning and I did what I could to remember how lost I could have been. At least I wasn’t walking in circles, but I didn’t really know where I was heading either. It hadn’t quite worked out to get some help with direction during the day; about two out of three that could answer a question had sent me the wrong direction.

I got there, eventually, and it happen kind of a sudden. Around a corner, and there it was. No more houses, the sun settling somewhere else but a beautiful picture of Mumbai across the bay. The waterfront was crowded in the evening and I had to walk a bit along the sidewalk before I could find a free spot on the stone wall towards the water.

It was the type of place you could fall in love at and I was clearly not the first one to think so. Couples occupied the majority of the space and presumably homeless girls had an easy time, comparing with other places, to sell roses. Love was in the air and went for the climax as the sun went down and for the last time that day painted the sky in the colors of romance. I think everyone along the waterfront felt like going home with someone as the city got darker and darker.

I walked a bit to a new spot, not sure why, where I sat down again. The sidewalk was still crowded with people even after sunset, which hadn’t been that common in either India or Nepal. Something in this city was still awake after sunset, even if I think many wanted to head home around me. Some of the couples had probably not yet reached that point of romance required to share a bed, and there was no better place than this to find that last fuel for the passion. If the culture here worked as it did at home on this aspect at least.

I stayed there until my butt was cold, and that didn’t happen too quickly in this climate. Even with the sun down had this place still a lot of beauty left. Beauty and calm was what this place was all about. It’s like if the street sellers visualize the spirit of every place in this place, and here they slowly move up to and respectfully whisper their offers. It’s nice, I wish they would do that in more parts of the city, and not just when selling hash, because that’s just (place for word of choice) creepy.