Dharavi Slum, Mumbai

Just got back from Mumbai and finally putting my thoughts down! On the first day, we visited Dharavi Slum, led by our local guide Pooja—a petite, energetic woman who barely reached my collarbone. Under the sweltering 34°C heat and humidity, we trekked for four hours, leaving me sunburned and drenched. 🏭 More Than a Slum: A Living, Breathing Factory What surprised me most? Dharavi isn’t just a residential area—it’s an industrial hub. 60% of the visible structures are workshops: Soap-making, plastic recycling, suitcase assembly, pottery kilns—all in dimly lit shacks with a single bulb. The air is thick with acrid chemical fumes, burning plastic, and damp earth. At one point, we choked through black kiln smoke, then fled tearfully from a pungent acid stench, only to stumble upon a wide-eyed toddler playing with a cat. Pooja scooped her up, cooing affectionately, while I gaped at a giant goat nearby. The sensory overload was unreal. 🏘️ The Maze of Narrow Alleys The residential lanes are so cramped that only one person can pass at a time. Tangled wires blot out the sky, casting perpetual shadows. Kids popped up like fireflies, racing to yell "Hi!"—if one missed us, they’d chase us down just to greet us. (I suspect it’s a competition.) Adults were equally warm: Some waved; others muttered quick apologies if they brushed past. No resentment, no despair—just resilience and hustle. As Pooja said, she’s saving to move to NYC as an accountant in three years. The people here don’t deny their struggles, but they wear them lightly, as if this is just a chapter, not the whole story. (Note: When Pooja asked where the world’s largest slum is, one elderly tourist guessed China. I—😑. But honestly, many urban villages share Dharavi’s raw, pulsing "aliveness"—places where people claw roots into concrete.) #DharaviSlum #Mumbai #India