Salaam Mumbai

Trip Start Dec 26, 2008
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Trip End Feb 06, 2009


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Flag of India  , Maharashtra,
Monday, January 12, 2009

Our taxi driver was a talkative one, but it was something to which we would get used to in our three days in Mumbai - everyone is a tour guide, everyone is trying to 'hire out' their services.  Due to a truckers strike, there had been no petrol delivered to the gas stations, therefore the roads were pretty empty.  A journey that would normally take 1.5 hours took 40 mins.  Our driver delivered us to the hotel, where we were taken to another annex of the hotel on Alanna Marg.  The room was better than I had reserved, and slightly cheaper - plus, they were able to accommodate us for 3 nights, so we were good to go.

The location couldn't have been better - right in the heart of Colaba, around the corner from Leopolds, the Taj Mahal hotel, the Gateway of India.  A great starting point for all of our sightseeing.  First order of the evening was beer, so we headed to Leopolds to not only sample the fayre on offer, but to do a bit of gruesome sightseeing.  There are bullet holes everywhere, including in a mirror at the back, next to which we were setting.  An all to present reminder of the tragedy that happened just a few short weeks ago.  In fact, there are signs of it everywhere.  The old part of the Taj Mahal hotel is not yet open; the ground floor is boarded up, as are some windows at the top of the hotel.  Barely a car drives past it.  But it is vast, and it is impressive, stretching along two or three city blocks.  It makes you stop, stare and think for so many reasons; its size, its grandeur; imagining the chaos and panic that must have encompassed this area at that time........a constant reminder in this city that has moved on.

A bottle of cheap, Indian champagne later in Cafe Mondegar, and we found ourselves in the company of two Swedish girls and a Welsh bloke.  All of us travelling, all of us coming together to share our experiences.  As with most of our drinking and dining in Mumbai, we were in another LP recommended venue, with a somewhat cheesy jukebox, no a/c but plenty of fun and friends.

With the remnants of a hangover, the next day found us at Thermobramo - a wonderful cake shop, that does pain au chocolats to die for.  It would be our breakfast venue of choice for the next three days.  A walking tour of Mumbai then ensued, taking in a myriad of sights - Gateway of India, Royal Bombay Yacht Club, the Prince of Wales Museum (which we visited to avoid the midday heat), Elphinstone College, Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue (we weren't allowed in as we are not Jewish), Flora Fountain, St Thomas' Cathedral, High Court, University of Mumbai and ending at the Oval Maidan - a huge open air space in front of the University.  It was here that we got our first glimpse into the madness that is the Indian following of cricket. Game upon game upon game was being played here, in the blazing heat - so many games that Ted & I wondered how anyone knew to which game they belonged, they all appeared to be overlapping one another!

Dinner on Saturday was a more low key affair, but of a much higher quality - again, an LP recommendation.  Indigo was our venue, and it was frequented by well-to-do Westerners and Indians alike.  Ted assures me that the wine list was fantastic, even if fantastically over priced and I can certainly vouch for the quality of the food.
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