Last Days in Mumbai

We have officially started our last week of work here.  While we try to take advantage of our last days in Mumbai and get ready for our 10-day trip up north to New Delhi and Manali, here are some photos for you all to enjoy: 

 Me and Jon hanging out in the Royal Bombay Yacht Club during the race briefing for the guests before heading out to the race course

My team on the jetty before heading out to the Beneteau 7.5s 

And then getting into the competitive spirit before the races start 

After a speedy reach leg, my team caught up and was able to make Jon a little nervous on the way to the finish line

After sneaking across the finish line ahead of my team by the smallest margin...

I like the think the racing was closer than the results make it seem  

Jon's winning team accepting their prizes

Better Late Than Never

Jon, me, Gilly, and Mugdha covered in colored powder during Holi - the festival of colors

A Distinctly Un-Indian Experience

At the entrance to Pondicherry (a city about 160 km south of Chennai), where the French influence is still strongly felt; a vestige of the European presence prior to India's independence.  The Life of Pi is set here and many of the scenes in the movie released last year were filmed here as well.

Colorful flowers on the street of the French Quarter - free from shops, stalls, and general clutter that line the streets of the rest of India 

Within Pondicherry, there is a town called Auroville that can really only be described through their mission statement: "Auroville wants to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony above all creeds, all politics, and all nationalities.  The purpose of Auroville is to realise human unity."  The Matrimandir (the gold building in the photo) is in the middle of town and serves as a spiritual center.

The serene pathway leading to the Matrimandir through town

 In front of the carefully manicured - though difficult to see in the hot, pre-monsoon conditions - landscape surrounding the Matrimandir (hiding behind the trees on the left)

A tree whose branches send down new roots as it grows larger to plant new trunks and stabalize the monstrosity

I thought I would end with some more nice flowers - it is rare to see much color in the country during the hot, dry months of March-May

Vacations Inside Vacations

After spending exactly one month in Mumbai, I had the opportunity to fly south to Chennai - the capital city of Tamil Nadu - and spend the week with Ajay Rau, a friend from my semester abroad in Sydney, and his family.  It was refreshing to visit an Indian city that was somewhat less hectic than Mumbai (though, the humidity was pretty oppressive.)  Here are a few photos from the first few days I was there:

View of the clean, quiet, and exotic coast of Tamil Nadu 

Graveyard where the Royal Madras Yacht Club's Annex used to stand before the 2004 and 2006 tsunamis 

Carved monolith that made a scenic backdrop for a picnic lunch

Temple by the sea in Mahabalipuram (60km south of Chennai) built in the 6th century  

Crocodile madness after snatching a low-flying crow at a reptile zoo

The Golden Hour

Watching the sunset from Marine Drive, which runs a long way up the coast of the city

 Seawall we sat by that was made of giant, concrete jacks pieces

The sun slipping behind the thick layer of hazy smog that covers the city everywhere - it is a special day when you can see the sun hit the horizon

Tis the Season

Some photos I took of the Gateway of India when coming in from a sail two days ago.  It was all dressed up for St. Patrick's Day.

Monkeying Around

On our day off last week Jon and I took a ferry over to Elephanta Island, which was pretty cool.  It was a beautifully clear day with a breeze, so we weren't too hot trekking up the mini-mountain.  Once we got through all of the shops that lined the majority of the walk up, there was a big opening with monkeys hanging out everywhere!  The main attraction of the island was supposedly some ancient caves that were built up as places of worship, but if you had seen those baby monkeys, you'd have thought otherwise as well.

Anyway, when I got home and tried to put the photos we took onto the computer there was some unknown mishap that ate every one of them.  So, in lieu of the perfectly framed, artistic shots I will not be able to share with you all, I am posting some of Jon's pictures from his first trip over to Elephanta Island a few months ago.

 

Entrance to one of the more natural caves

Aquasail

 A group of people from a corporate program we hosted at the sailing center across the harbor in Mandwa

My impressively unimpressed face while chauffeuring a Bollywood actress and her friends around Bombay harbor

The sailing in India isn't all bad, though!

First Few Days in India

 I am he, as you are he, as you are me, and we are all together 

(a cool sign we saw on the street that rotated between three languages)

Sunset from the band stand in Bandra

Last weeks of school

 In the words of Phil, "Professional photography for only $216!" (Me getting my first ever speeding ticket...)

 There's never a wrong time for llama shadow puppets

 The rocky southern coastline of Australia

 Taking a break on our all day tour of the Melbourne area

 Australia's coat of arms - I have eaten both of those animals

A stuffed otter in the Melbourne Museum

 Melbourne is known for its street art

Gaol?  Jail.

Jen before her first sail

Me teaching Ben Staples to skipper on Rose Bay - Ben George in the background