India and Thailand - Part II

On Sunday we decided that we would go into town on Monday and play the role of tourist in Mumbai. The last time we did this was my first trip to India back in December 2007/January 2008. Mo's father arranged a car and driver for us for the day which cost about 1,300 Rupees (approximately $26) for eight hours--what a bargain! If you've ever visited India you will understand that it's not a place where you want/should attempt to drive if you aren't used to it. There's very little observance of the rules and regulations of the road. After the car was arranged we figured why not plan the day or at least make a rough list of the things we wanted to see and do so that we could put it into some meaningful order so as not to waste time in the car going back and forth. On the way to town our first stop was Dhobi Ghat where most of the cities laundry is done. The hard labor of washing and rinsing happens in the morning so we missed that part but we saw all of the laundry hung out to dry. Kind of strange to think that the towel you use in a Mumbai hotel room is likely sent here for cleaning each day.

Dhobi Ghat

Next stop was Crawford Market, the oldest and liveliest market in Mumbai, mostly selling fruits and vegetables as well as other necessities like toiletries. We had a look around and returned to the car so that we could make our way to Cafe Britannia for some lunch before it closed.

On our way to Cafe Britannia, we drove by Victoria Terminus now known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. A beautiful structure designed and built when the British ruled India and one of Mo's favorite Mumbai landmarks. Today it continues as a public transportation hub and thus a lifeline of the area.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus

We arrived at Cafe Britannia around 3:30 in the afternoon with a thirty minute buffer before closing time at 4. The restaurant is Parsi owned and specializes in Parsi cuisine. It is one of the few remaining restaurants of its kind and is located in the business district of Ballard Estate. We had their signature berry pulao, fried Bombay duck (which is a soft fish) and dhansak. The gentleman running the place was easily in his eighties. He was so happy to chat with us and find out where we were from. He also had a few stories to tell of his own.  He has such a colorful personality and was full of energy.  Sadly, I forgot to take pictures of him or the restaurant.

Next, we drove around the extreme south of Mumbai, Navy Nagar.  A military area established in 1796 and currently shared by the Indian navy and Indian Army.

With our bellies still full, we were ready for a little walking...or some browsing as it turned out along Colaba Causeway. Mo tried his hand at a little bargaining with one of the street vendors for a couple of pair of counterfeit Ray-Ban's (one for him and one for me). We ended up purchasing two pair for 320 (about $6) after an initial quote of 350 for one.

The shopping didn't end there, we also hit up Cottonworld, probably my favorite Mumbai clothing store. Most of the styles are western with a hint of Indian detail.  Think Indian Gap. I was on the hunt for a pair of linen capri pants but ended up purchasing a linen skirt and t-shirt instead. Indian sizes just don't work for me when it comes to pants...skirts are no problem and I wear the same size as I would wear in the US or UK. Regardless our shopping was a success and concluded for the day.

Our next destination was Leopold's Cafe, a well known establishment among international travelers. It was one of the places targeted by the terrorists during their attack on Mumbai on November 26, 2008. The bullet holes are preserved as a reminder and a warning that the city, its people, and the patrons of Leopold's cannot and will not be broken so easily.

After Leopold's it was nearly dusk so we got in the car and took a driving tour of a few more of the iconic sights of Mumbai including The Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel and Gateway of India. We drove along Marine Drive also known as Queens Necklace after the illuminated curve of the bay front road at night.  We continued on  through Malabar Hill and also passed the tomb of Haji Ali which was all light up at night and busy with pilgrims crossing the narrow causeway between the mainland and the tomb which is only accessible at low tide.

No trip into town is complete without some major traffic.  We headed home via the Worli Sea Link highway before abruptly stopping in classic rush hour traffic that Mumbai is known for.

Nearly reaching home, we decided to stop for dinner at Regency Hotel for old time's sake. It was the site of Mo's birthday celebration when he was about five or six years old. They feasted on Chinese food (though they also offer Indian) and so we did the same.  Sadly, most of those present at the birthday party are no longer with us but Mo and his father share fond memories of the place and that night.  I've heard it mentioned so many times before so it was good to experience it myself. There was nothing remarkable about the place per se but it was a nice detour down memory lane that just happened to be on the way home. 

Upon reaching Regency, we settled up with the driver so that he wouldn't have to wait for us through dinner so after dinner we took a rickshaw back home for a good night of rest after yet another busy and fun day.

Yay! Vacation Time - India and Thailand - Part I

Our flight out of Heathrow on Saturday, April 21st was at 6AM. So, while the rest of London was sleeping or still partying their Friday night away, we headed to the airport at 3:30AM. On the prior Thursday, Mo arranged for a car to pick us up outside our flat. Wouldn't you know that when they had not arrived, Mo gave them a call and discovered that there was no record of our booking. I witnessed the booking, so I knew Mo hadn't dreamt it, but obviously this was not the start to our big vacation that we were hoping for. Fortunately, we are believers in packing light so it wasn't much trouble to walk over to Piccadilly Circus and hail a cab. 45 minutes later we were walking up to the ticket counter of Swiss (formerly Swissair). A very nice gentleman checked us in and tried to make sure we had the best seats available for the flight to Zurich and onwards to Mumbai.
After a quick stop by the restroom, a coffee from Cafe Nero, and the compulsory browse through the duty free shop, we went on to find our gate and board the plane. Our flight to Zurich was only about a third full which was a relief because our layover in Zurich was brief and less people equals a quicker deplaning process. Our flight got off a little late and we subsequently landed approximately 30 minutes behind schedule. Still we had adequate time to make our next flight. The approach into Zurich airport was amazing. Gorgeous views of the snow capped Swiss Alps against the brilliant green forest, deep blue of the lakes, and the sunshine, made it a landing to remember.

We boarded the plane for the leg to Mumbai and settled in to our seats for the next 7 hours. The plane was quite nice and roomy compared to Delta so that was a nice surprise. The plane was equipped with individual televisions with an array of movies available on demand. Typically I've seen most of the movies that are available and of interest to me, but this time was different. I wasn't sure what to watch first. I decided on The Descendants and Mo chose Sherlock Holmes. Our movies carried us all the way through dinner service. Both of us thoroughly enjoyed our movie choices. I don't know what it is, but it seems the older I get the more easily moved I am...I cried enough during the movie that at one point Mo looked over at me and asked if I was okay. After dinner I moved on to movie choice number two and proceeded to fall asleep almost immediately...I woke up to credits rolling. I still need to see Iron Lady. As most of you know, my falling asleep had less to do with the quality of the film and more to do with my narcoleptic tendencies. By this time we were about 4 hours into the flight. Next on the movie reel for me was War Horse. Such a good movie and once again, a tear jerker, at least for me. Shortly thereafter the lights came on, snacks were served and we began our initial descent.

We landed about twenty minutes early and thanks to rapid movement through immigration and baggage claim we were united with Mo's father minutes after we were supposed to land.

We were both wearing our signature travel outfits consisting of running shoes, jeans, a t-shirt for me and a collared dry-fit for Mo, and light fleece pullovers. The heat and humidity of the Mumbai night enveloped me and the pullover had to come off. We arranged for a cab and began the ride to Mo's childhood home ("home" for this leg of our trip).

We reached home put our luggage away and headed out to dinner. By this time it was almost 11pm.  We walked over to Urban Tardka, one of our favorite, local, Punjabi style restaurants. In true Indian fashion there was still a wait but as soon as the host caught a glimpse of my milky white skin, a table became ready. Probably unfair for the other patrons, but I may never tire of the special treatment I've received over the years while visiting India. It's the only place in the world that views me as a VIP and I will take it as long as it lasts.

After a tasty meal of dal, roti and chicken, our bellies were full but not to full for my favorite Mumbai treat...Natural's ice cream. We caught a rickshaw to Juhu and the ice cream shop was packed! They were out of my first choice (choco almond) and also Mo's (custard apple). Most of the flavors at Natural's are fruits, but a girl loves chocolate. I actually went back four other times and they were still out of choco almond.  This was my first trip to India without having my favorite ice cream.  Definitely a disappointment.
After ice cream we headed home, took a much needed shower, and went to bed.

I woke around 10:30 on Sunday morning. I don't know what it is about India but I could sleep forever here. We went over to the next door neighbors house, Auntie and Uncle's, for breakfast consisting of South Indian cuisine of idlis, mango lassi, sambar and coconut chutney. Once again our bellies were full and we were content.

Now we needed a walk after all this food. Where better to go than our favorite shopping destination...Star Mall. Mo and I think it's related to Tesco, our UK grocer, because they had some Tesco products available. Star Mall is an Indian Wal-mart of sorts. I was on the hunt for some linen capri pants since my favorite ones, holes and all, got thrown out when we moved to London. I tried quite a few and nothing was quite right but I can say with confidence that in Star Mall sizes I'm a XXL ...yes a double extra large and that's after shedding a few pounds since being in London...nothing like a little Asian sizing (no pun intended) to dash your hopes about the way you look, or more specifically your size! We picked up a few groceries and toiletries...yes, I did say this place is like Wal-mart, and headed home.

Around 1:30pm we headed to Andheri station to catch a train to Bhayander to visit Mo's uncle, Vilas (his mom's younger of two older brothers). This was a momentous occasion as it was my first local train experience in Mumbai. To give you some context, it was a Sunday, the least busy day for train travel, and we had first class cabin tickets, and we still had to stand up for most of the journey. We also met a fellow Deloittean along the way who was headed home after a Sunday morning in the office...go figure!

On the train returning to Mumbai

Mo's uncle lives in an old age home among about two hundred other folks. He was thrilled to see us. We only called him once we reached the station as we didn't want to excite him too much or cause him much trouble in the way of preparations to meet us. We visited with him for a bit and gave him some treats that we had brought him. After a while he walked us to the main entrance where a rickshaw was waiting to take us back to the station. It was a very emotional goodbye especially for Vilas.

Being an XXL already , we figure what the heck, we would stop by Natural's on the way home from the station for a little pre-dinner treat. I still got ice cream though choco almond was still unavailable. I got anjeer (fig) this time and Mo got jackfruit. Many of the fruit flavors available at Natural's (or in India for that matter) I had never seen or heard of prior to my trips to India. Once we reached home, Mo's dad prepared a delicious dinner of fried fish, cabbage, dal and chapaties. We settled down for the evening, Mo watching cricket and me with my current book. Another lovely day of vacation and it was only Sunday, so by my count it was still the weekend and official vacation would begin tomorrow.

Procrastination

Okay, enough procrastination already.  A little background for you...I keep an ongoing list of the trips/events, etc. that I want to post about or have already partially written a post about but not finished editing or adding photos to.  I initially was dead set on keeping this blog in chronological order, but now I give up.  I'm just going to have to try to catch up over time.  I've got posts on my list that date back to December that I haven't yet completed!!!  So without further ado, I'm going to be posting a series from our recent vacation to India and Thailand.  Just bare in mind, you might find a post from May 2012 followed by one from December 2011.