I’ve got three lists of cities that I add to as my travel takes me around the world.

The first is World-Class Cities. Places like New York, Paris, Hong Kong and London.

Each is a huge metropolis that’s just off the map in terms of energy. Then I have Cool Places to Live. Right now I only have Rome on that list, though I’ve been tempted to add Barcelona.

And then there are Fascinating Places. I’ve just added Mumbai to that list, which includes cities like Naples, Venice, Seville and Istanbul.

Mumbai is fascinating for a number of reasons. A population of 18 million is one. Then it’s colorful, diverse, and a little crazy. You can get your haircut for about 70 cents (including tip) and your shoes shined for about a dime. An hour-long taxi ride might cost you $4, but it could easily be less. There aren’t too many places in the world you can find those kind of prices.

But it’s not all beautiful. The poverty is hard to fathom, with people sleeping on the street in a way you don’t even see in the poorest countries of Africa. It’s dirty, and I don’t want to think about what I was breathing in during the week I was there. But it is truly fascinating, and I’d gladly go back. I only wish I had a better camera, as India looks like a photographer’s dream. But these shots will at least give you an idea of the sights and sounds of the big city that used to be known as Bombay.

Update -5:00pm: The Indian media here are reporting Deccan Mujaheedin has sent emails to Indian Media saying a 2nd attack will come Dec 3rd- Dec 7th and will target Delhi, Bangalore, or Chennai  airports.

I heard one guy practically yelling on TV saying, “If I’m going to get killed in a war – I don’t mind.  I just don’t want to get killed while eating food with my parents at a restaurant.”

4:42pm: Pierre was attacked by an angry mob last night while we where in between LIVE shots.  One man started shouting and threatened to beat him.  They were looking to pick a fight.  Varuna stepped in and spoke to them in Hindi.  That managed to calm them down.   People are so emotionally charged here.  Tonight feels like the climax.  We took no chances.  We headed to the area of The Oberoi Hotel to do our LIVE shots, instead.

A young girl, no older than 5 years, was selling coloring books.  20 rupees for one (40 cents) or 10 for 180 rupees ($3.50). I bought 10, gave her 200 rupees and told her to keep the books.  She refued and said I had to take them.

3:13pm: The crowds are getting out of control.  We can’t find our driver to head to The Oberoi Hotel for lives. No one has a cell phone signal.  Crowds keep streaming in from all directions.

We decide to take a cab.  All the taxi drivers refuse to take anyone.  After the fifth cab refused us.  I just opened the door to the sixth cab and got in.  Cameraman Pierre, Producer Mark and Varuna, and I pile in.

1:15pm: As we made our way to The Taj Hotel LIVE shot position, just before sunset, we knew we had problems.  Thousands of Mumbai residents were marching to the hotel.  It was supposed to be a peaceful solidarity march but there was lots of negative energy.

Some signs read:

“Die Pakistan Die”

“Make Pakistan history”

“8% GDP growth, 100% terrorism growth”

My cameraman Pierre and I climbed up a street divider full of plants to do a standup to show just how large the crowds were.

Keep checking back for more updates LIVE from India!

We visited the site where the terrorists sailed in from.

Check it out in the video below:

Guards outside of the Taj Hotel

The commando emerged from The Taj Hotel tired, sweaty and unshaven.  A white surgical mask hung below his chin.  He seemed completely drained. The three-day standoff had just ended, but night had fallen before the commandos began to leave the compound.

He explained that there were still 150 bodies inside The Taj Hotel on Saturday night — most shots were by AK-47 rounds. He told us, “They were all over the hotel — on the floors, in the kitchen, in the bedrooms, just scattered throughout.”

I asked him: “What was the most difficult moment during the standoff?”

He paused for a moment and said, “The fact that they didn’t even spare the women or children.”

The commando walked us through the final hours.  “It was 4 a.m. Saturday morning and suddenly we heard two massive explosions,” he said. “Then loud gunfire.  Then another explosion.  All of them coming from inside the Taj.”  The leader of the Indian commando unit had announced several hours before that the operation was nearing its final hours.  “The lights went off in the hotel,” he told us. “Then some lights started blinking.  It appeared as though someone was sending a message.  But no one knows for sure.”

The commando told us that in the last few hours there were two militants left.  Grenades were thrown to try to knock the terrorists off balance.  Then shots were fired.  The attackers were ultimately killed on the first floor of the hotel.

When I asked why authorities were unable to end the siege earlier, he said: “It was hard to tell how many there were.  The terrorists would keep firing and move around. They had so much ammunition and they really knew their way around the hotels well.”

He said the terror group used “incendiary bombs” — meaning they’d throw grenades at gas canisters. This also means they had access to the hotels early on.  Both hotels — the Taj and the Oberoi — have denied their employees were involved in the attacks.

The commando still looked slightly overwhelmed as he described the attackers’ having a surprising level of sophistication. “They had satellite phones,” he told us. “You wouldn’t believe the amount of ammunition that was used inside. I didn’t realize how advanced terrorists are today.”

Here are some EXCLUSIVE photos from India: