India and Thailand - Part V

Bright and early Monday morning, we checked out of our hotel and headed to the airport for our flight to Phuket. We flew Bangkok Air, a boutique airline that, get this, allows ALL passengers to enjoy the lounge and the complimentary refreshments while they wait for their flight. Consider us fans!

Our flight was quick and painless; only about an hour and a half. Upon arrival at Phuket airport, a driver from Naka Island, the Starwood resort where we were staying, was waiting for us. He immediately showed us to the Toyota Camry (the bimmer option was an extra $30) for the 30 minute ride to the marina. From the marina we took a boat to the island where a golf cart awaited us at the end of the pier. So many modes of transportation for our journey!  The hotel staff then did a small welcome ceremony with us that involved drinking a cold lemongrass concoction and each taking a swing at the gong while we made a wish for our time at Naka Island. From there we were shown to our villa where would spend the next five nights.

On the boat in the marina before our first trip to Naka Island

Approaching Naka Island

Our villa was amazing.  I made a villa tour as a reminder of what the layout was like.  The bathroom was screened in but essentially outside.  The bedroom was air conditioned which made the nights more comfortable, but I really enjoyed the fact that the bathroom was outside.  Of course with the humidity, my hair was never looking its best, but hey, it's vacation = no stress, no worries!

We had a ride around the resort on our assigned bicycles the next morning before heading to the pool.  Parts of the resort were quite hilly so I ended up riding and walking with my bike.  We stayed around the resort until early afternoon and then we headed to Phuket Town. We decided to go ahead and go into Phuket on Tuesday so that we could have the last 3 days of our time at Naka Island without further interruption and also because it made sense to go into town early in the week so that we could go to the grocery store for some drinks and snacks so we wouldn't end up spending a small fortune in the minibar over the coming days.

Pool at Naka Island

Immediately upon arrival in town, we spotted an area with street food stalls so Mo sampled a couple of things. He's more adventurous than me when it comes to unidentified edibles.  Then we just spent some time walking around trying to get our bearings and checking out the Sino-Portuguese architecture around town.  It was a bank holiday so many shops and restaurants were closed and in general it was pretty quiet.  While we were walking around we came across a restaurant that I had read about, called Cook, and decided to have dinner there.

The Thai owner of Cook used to cook Italian at a mega resort so when he opened his own Old Town cafe he fused the two cultures.  There were many traditional Thai options, but there was also a green curry pizza with chicken and a pork curry coconut milk pizza.

After a delicious dinner, we decided to have a Thai foot massage.  Hey, when in Rome...The typical Thai foot massage parlor is a long open room with a long row of plush reclining chairs.  The massage is mostly concentrated on your feet and legs, but they also massage your shoulders and arms for a portion of the time.  An hour-long foot massage (including a fairly hefty tip which seems to be expected but not required) was approximately $5.  If I lived there, there is no doubt I would be springing for one every week! The two ladies that gave Mo and I our massages were really nice and even tried to chat to us in English a little.  They both thought Mo was good looking and asked if he was a Bollywood star!

After our massages we went to the grocery store and picked up some drinks and snacks for the rest of our time on the island before we met the driver from the hotel and headed back to the resort.

The next several days were all about relaxing and enjoying some time at the pool.  A couple of the more memorable moments were the owl we spotted one evening when we went to Z Bar for drinks at sunset; the Korean honeymoon couple that wore matching speedo for him and one piece swimsuit for her in a bright, iridescent, solid color--a different color each day but the design of the swimsuits did not change (wish I had a photo of this); and the food served at the two restaurants at the resort.  We had the pleasure of chatting with the executive chef, Ian Thomason, on a couple of occasions.  He spent many years in London working at different restaurants including The Savoy Hotel before settling in Thailand.  Both restaurants at the resort were really good and one of them in particular was quite affordable, especially for a resort of this quality with a captive consumer!

Mo enjoying a swim in the pool

On Friday it rained quite a bit.  So I took advantage of the situation and went for a back massage and facial. By the afternoon things cleared off a bit and we spent the last afternoon at the pool.

Saturday came way to fast and it was sad to say goodbye to Naka Island.  The only silver lining was that between our return journey to Mumbai and the following one on to London, we got to spend a bit more time with Mo's dad.  He met us at the airport and we headed home to relax, have dinner and take a shower before our flight later that night.

The long flight back to London was uneventful and we arrived early on Sunday morning.  We had a bit of extra time to settle in since Monday was a bank holiday.  We hadn't realized that when we booked the trip and probably would have stayed the extra day in Thailand, but in the end it was nice to get back and have the extra time before getting back to reality on Tuesday.  All in all, it was a wonderful vacation with the perfect mix of family, tourism and relaxation.

Note: This is the fifth and final installment of India and Thailand...FINALLY!

India and Thailand - Part IV

Our flight to Thailand was an overnight flight so we arrived in Bangkok around 6:30 Sunday morning.  Immigration took quite some time but after completing that process and collecting our bags we took a cab to our hotel, The Royal Orchid Sheraton. 

One of the best things about our trip to Thailand was that all of our accommodations were paid for by points earned with our Starwood American Express.  Cash back is an obvious choice as far as credit card perks are concerned, but for those who love to travel, Starwood American Express is awesome.  In addition to the credits we earn, the card also makes obtaining gold status easier which means that we frequently get free upgrades when they are available and we also get other freebies like a choice of free cocktails, or wi-fi during or stay.

The Royal Orchid Sheraton was very nice.  We had a great room on the twelfth floor overlooking the river Mae Nam Chao Phraya.

View from our room in The Royal Orchid Sheraton

We didn't waste much time settling in, just dropped our bags, washed our faces and brushed our teeth before setting out on a full day of sightseeing.  As our flight to Phuket the next morning was around 9, we had to cram as much sightseeing as we could into the 24 hours we had in Bangkok.

We typically like to enjoy each destination as locals would, which for us means navigating public transportation, but we decided that with such a short stay we should make the most of our time and just take taxis.  Taxis are extremely inexpensive in Bangkok if you've taken the time to educate yourself in advance.  Rule number one (come to think of it, the only rule), always insist that the meter be used.  Many taxi drivers in Bangkok take advantage of tourists by agreeing a flat-fare 2-3 times more expensive than what the meter would actually run. As a matter of fact, we got out of a taxi later in the day because the driver refused to use the meter.  We found that 50 Baht which is roughly equivalent to $1.50 covered just about any taxi ride we needed around town even during rush hour traffic. To and from the airport was a bit more expensive; about 350 - 400 Baht.

One other side note--it was so hot! Around 40 degrees Celsius or 104 degrees Fahrenheit. It was also extremely humid.  I stayed damp pretty much the whole day, or at least until the sun set. Over the years I feel like I've really built up a tolerance to heat and humidity between growing up in South Carolina, going to school in Charleston and then Gainesville and more recently living in Atlanta and visiting India frequently. Perhaps it seemed extreme because of the previous 6 months of living in London. But, we had just spent a whole week in India!! Maybe it was the lack of coastal breeze that we get in Mumbai or perhaps it was because it was a jam-packed day with little time for sitting down and cooling off. All I know is at one point I told Mo I didn't think I could spend more than a day or two in Bangkok under those conditions.

Side notes officially out of the way, we took a taxi to The Grand Palace. Before going in, we decided to walk away from the main tourist sights and try to find a spot for breakfast that didn't solely cater to tourists. After a decent walk around, we settled on a cafe near a small outdoor market area. We had a traditional Thai breakfast of some sort of hot broth soup.  I'm not really sure what else was in the soup which is why I wisely opted for the veggie version.  Mo loved it and I must say his broth was better than mine--not sure about the mystery meat though. While I could tolerate my soup, I enjoyed it much less than Mo.  My broth was sort of sweet which was the main reason I didn't care for it.  Regardless, 2 soups and a Coca-Cola was 60 Baht so the price was certainly right at about $1.80. 

Our first sight of our big sightseeing extravaganza was The Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew. We actually ended up deciding not to go in because Mo was going to have to rent a sarong to cover his legs since he was wearing shorts.  The Grand Palace was extremely busy and there were lots of folks around the perimeter heckling the tourists.  In the end our decision to skip going inside was the right one for us this day but we still got to see the distinctly Thai architecture from outside.

The Grand Palace - busy with tourists on a Sunday morning

Entrance to The Grand Palace

We walked over to a riverside park that had a nice view of Wat Arun across the river. Wat Arun consists of four stupas around an elongated tower all covered with Chinese ceramics and seashells.  As Wat Arun was the only sight on the other side of the river that we had any interest in seeing we decided not to make the effort to cross the river and instead see it from afar and focus on the side of the river where most of the noteworthy sights were.

The view of Wat Arun from across the river

Next we went to Wat Pho which is Bangkok's largest and oldest temple.  The main attraction at Wat Pho is the Reclining Buddha and it did not disappoint.  The pictures do not do it justice.  It was enormous.  Way beyond what I expected.  The Buddha itself is 46 meters long and 15 meters high and includes 3 meters high feet with inlaid mother of pearl.



The reclining Buddha

Stone giant at the entrance gate

Temple grounds - the design in the grass says "Welcome to Wat Pho"

Buddha statue with Naga in Wat Pho temple

Wat Pho temple grounds

Wat Pho temple grounds

Our next destination was Chatuchak Weekend Market.  It's a gigantic market, according to my guidebook, the daddy of all Thai markets. Around 200,000 people visit the market every Saturday and Sunday. Our first purchase (not including use of the toilets) was some fresh guava that we enjoyed as we walked around checking out many of the stalls.  A bit later after we were all finished browsing, we had lunch at one of the covered restaurants/food stalls.  We had a couple of dishes including some excellent pad Thai.

Waiting to eat some pad Thai

Trying to stay cool while waiting for lunch

Our next  tourist attraction was Jim Thompson's House which is actually a complex of six traditional teak buildings and the legacy of the American businessman who helped revitalize the Thai silk industry in the 1950's and 1960's.  The traditional wooden houses were collected from as far away as northern Thailand and as near as the Muslim village of Baan Krua, just across the Klong river where silk is still woven today.  Jim Thompson had the buildings reassembled as a private mansion, which took a year, and he lived there up until his disappearance in 1967.  We took a guided tour of the entire complex.  This was definitely one of my favorite tourist sites.  It was very well maintained and managed. There was a lovely restaurant and gift shop on sight.  I really wanted to purchase something from the gift shop because there were so many beautiful things, but I didn't because I wanted to be sure and avoid travelers regret.

Our next and final stop before heading back to the hotel was one of the many sky-high bars.  We went to Moon Bar on the 61st floor of the Banyan Tree Hotel. The views were awesome.  Yet again, we weren't dressed appropriately so Mo was loaned a pair of loose black polyester pants and we both had to borrow a pair of men's slippers.

View from Moon Bar

Another view from Moon Bar

The view from Moon Bar after sunset

After a long day, we headed back to the hotel.  After finally taking a shower we went out for dinner.  I had read some reviews about a place called Harmonique a short walk from the hotel so we first tried to go there, but found that it was closed.  Instead we ended up going to The Gallery Cafe which was very quiet, and not very busy, but very nice.  The food was excellent.  We had a curry crab dish  which was delicious and packed full of crab meat. With our fully bellies we returned to the hotel for a good night's sleep before our early flight to Phuket.  Is it just us, or does everyone agree that it's so much easier to get up to catch an early flight to go on vacation than to go to work!?!?!?

London 2012 Olympic Games

As the world watches, we are living amongst the action of the London 2012 Olympic Games. We are so fortunate to live in London during this historic time. Like most people who are not in London during these two weeks, we have been spending our evenings at home watching events on television.

Deloitte's UK firm is the official professional services provider to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Upon joining the firm back in November, I learned about all the support that the firm was providing through volunteer hours as well as the perks that employees like me could benefit from.  Among other things, Deloitte had lots of tickets to give away to employees for various Olympic and Paralympic events, mostly through various competitions. I'll cut to the chase, I was not fortunate enough to win any.

One perk I did benefit from was holding the Olympic torch (or one of them) when it travelled to my office. It came on Tuesday, July 24th, just a couple of days before the opening ceremony. I actually got nervous while waiting in line for my turn. The torch was at my office all day and the line remained about 45 minutes long throughout most of the day. I had the pleasure if standing in that 45 minute line...but it was worth it. After holding the torch, the excitement and anticipation of the games really hit me.

Erica with one of the Olympic torches

As a general observation, we have definitely noticed alot more visitors in central London than usual, many of them wearing their country's colors.  Despite the influx of visitors, normal everyday life has not been interrupted--a real testament to the efforts on the parts of the organizers and all of the volunteers.

Friday, July 27th, Mo and I decided to stay in (we typically go out on Friday) and watch the opening ceremony live. The ceremonies did not begin until 9PM, but there was pre-opening ceremony coverage.  At one point during the pre-show festivities, The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, The Red Arrows, did a fly-past the Olympic Stadium spraying red, white and blue smoke trails. It was so cool and exciting when seconds later they flew past our living room windows, leaving the same red, white and blue smoke trails.

The opening ceremonies continued on just past 1AM and I could barely keep my eyes open waiting until The Parade of Nations got to the U's. Even though I thought the NHS (National Health Service) tribute was a little out of place with the rest of the theme, overall I really enjoyed them and they continued to build the excitement of the following two weeks.

For us, the next big event was the one event we managed to get tickets for during the lottery--a football match at Wembley Stadium between South Korea and Gabon on Wednesday, August 1st. I took the afternoon off from work (what could be better than a half day on hump day the day you go to an Olympic event?) and Mo worked from home in the morning. The organizers advised that you allow plenty of time due to increased traffic on public transportation and security checks at the venue. Since the match stared at 5PM we left home around 3PM. The tube journey was relatively uneventful and didn't take longer than normal, but one stop before Wembley Park lots and lots of people got on tube. I've never before been so cramped on the tube. Security at Wembley Stadium was pretty much a breeze especially for me since I got to go in the ladies line which was much shorter than the men's lines!   We met up with our friends Julee and Jeff who had also gotten tickets to the very same match through the lottery. In fact they got 10 so they brought along several friends too.

The view upon exiting the Wembley Park tube station

Mo pre-match in front of Wembley Stadium

Wembley Stadium during the match

Mo and Erica in Wembley Stadium

The match was more fun than I thought it would be. The atmosphere was amazing despite a nil-nil draw. The stadium holds approximately 90,000 and there were over 76,000 in attendance.

After the match was over we returned to Richmond where Julee and Jeff live, along with the rest of the group. Saying they traveled to and from the match in style is an understatement. Julee arranged a private coach (that's a bus in American) and to her surprise it was England's national football team's coach! It was awesome--so spacious with leather captains chairs. I could travel by bus all the time if it was like that. It was so fun to watch random people taking pictures of the bus and we got more than a few waves on our ride back to Richmond. We spent a couple of hours with the gang at The Red Cow, their local pub, watching some Olympic events that evening before heading home.

Our transport from the match

Mo and Jeff inside the coach

While we will continue to try to get tickets for the remaining events, even if we are not successful, our firsthand Olympic experience exceeded all expectations!

India and Thailand - Part III

Our week long vacation in India continues...

We spent most of Tuesday relaxing and taking it easy and just doing whatever we wanted to do.  No schedule, no to do list.  Around mid-morning Mo and I took a rickshaw over to one of the schools that his mom and dad founded and that his dad continues to actively volunteer at, both in the morning and afternoon sessions.  We spent some time with the children and listened to what they were learning.  We also had the pleasure of meeting some of the teachers that Mo's dad works with.  Both the children and the teachers were very sweet and welcoming.  What they are doing for these children really warms the heart and puts life into perspective.  It makes you reflect on your own life and how fortunate you really are despite the daily challenges that leave you feeling depleted.  I for one definitely needed that reminder and as I sit here and type this blog entry I'm reminded yet again how fortunate I am.

After visiting the school we went to a restaurant near home called Gajalee.  Mo and his dad tried it for the first time when Mo visited in December.  While the restaurant has been around a while, the one we went to is a newer branch.  We were the first table to be seated for lunch that day and it never got too much busier, but I suppose that's what should be expected of a Tuesday during lunch in a fairly suburban, residential area.  Lunch was delicious and the service was top notch.  Mo truly enjoyed himself...and would probably rank it among the top 5 meals in his lifetime. 

The remainder of Tuesday was laid back and we just spent time enjoying Mo's dad's company.

Wednesday was a long day!  We left home around 7AM and headed to Pune to visit relatives. The journey was moving along fine and it seemed we'd managed to escape morning traffic.  Day trips in India always start off as planned, but traffic is so unpredictable in India, the journey ALWAYS takes much longer than expected.  This time was no exception.  Instead of traffic or an accident delaying us we got majorly lost.  Mo's dad aways takes the train so he is not familiar with the driving directions.  We essentially missed the turn off and it wasn't until we reached the center of the city that we realized we missed the turn and had gone too far.  We ended up totally lost as none of us, including the driver, was familiar with the city.  Why oh why did the driver not have GPS?!?!?  Eventually we pulled over and called one of Mo's cousins to come meet us and lead us back to his home.  He showed up about twenty minutes later by motorcycle and we followed him to the house--the home of Mo's aunt (his father's eldest sister) and her husband and their two sons and their families.

Mo and his dad with relatives in Pune

Mo's aunt and her daughters-in-law had prepared delicious snacks which they insisted we have, in true nurturing, female, Indian fashion. As we were visiting mid-week and in the middle of the day, Mo's other cousin took a break from work to come all the way home just to spend a couple of minutes visiting with us. I had never met these relatives before and Mo had not seem many of them in quite some time so it was well overdue and well worth the effort made.

So that we wouldn't spend any more time lost, Mo's uncle, Bhai mama (his mom's eldest brother) came by motorcycle to lead us to his home.  Bhai mama and his wife Lata mami and daughter Sonum used to live in Nasik but relocated to Pune a little more than a year ago.  This was our first time visiting them in Pune.  Of all of Mo's extended family, I know them best as I have spent more time with them than any of Mo's other relatives.  Also my visits with them are much more interactive because Bhai mama and Sonum speak English very well which allows me to join in the conversation more easily.

Lata mami prepared a delicious lunch.  Mo loves her mutton curry and she made some just for him.  Lata mami is an excellent cook and they are especially careful to take all the food preparation precautions to ensure that what I'm eating will not cause an upset stomach.  I can always eat whatever Lata mami prepares and know that it's safe to do so.  After spending about an hour or so with them, it was time to hit the road and get on back to Mumbai.  We were hoping to miss the rush hour traffic.

Of course things couldn't go smoothly.  Our driver was quite young and he must have been inexperienced because he did not know his way around Mumbai and he totally got lost again!  He ended up just pulling over and asking for directions no less than a dozen times before he finally figured it out and got us home. Mo and I had an over/under going on how many times he would pull over and ask directions...I took the over and I won! We could not have been more glad that day trip was over!!!

Thursday morning we went to Star Mall for a few provisions in preparation of going to Kelve for an overnight stay.  We met Farookh around 1PM at the designated pick up spot which is literally on the side of a highway. He lives in another area of the city and to come all the way to pick us up just doesn't make sense so we always take a rickshaw to the designated place and wait on the side of the road until he arrives.  It would be an odd sight to see in the US, but there are so many people all over the place in India at all times, you are never the sole person standing on the side of the road.

Farookh drives and has a car so while he and Mo's dad typically take the train to Kelve, since there were four of us, he drove us.  Our journey to Kelve consisted of several stops.  The first was a dhaba (traditional roadside restaurant for travelers) for lunch.  The food was really good and this dhaba had alot of character.

Lunch at the dhaba with Mo's dad and Farookh

The next stop was Papi's house, Mo's dad's youngest sister, who lives near Kelve and more or less on our way there.  Just about every time Farookh and Mo's dad go to Kelve they stop by Papi's house because she always prepares some food for them to take along for dinner that night.  This time was no exception and I knew that we were in for some good food because she prepared it for us the last time we went to Kelve in November 2009.

Our final stop before reaching Farookh's house was the small, nearby village for some groceries--milk for chai, eggs and a few fruits and vegetables.  Mo and I just waited in the car while Farookh and Mo's dad went about talking to the villagers and making their purchases at each individual's stall. Over time they've gotten to know many of the villagers quite well and they periodically bring them items that they need from Mumbai. It took considerable time for Mo's dad to purchase the eggs because we had to wait for them to be delivered...apparently the egg shop had just run out...but finally a motorcycle arrived with about 50 plastic crates stacked one on top of the other on the back of the motorcycle.  How you transport eggs like that and keep them balanced much less keep them from breaking, is beyond me.  Amazing India! Wish I had taken a picture of that!

Finally we reached Kelve.  It is about a two hour drive outside of Mumbai close to the coast.  Mo's dad owns a home there and his friend Farookh owns one opposite.  The area is really rural and these two homes are some of the very few around.  Farookh spends quite a bit of time there and his house is beautifully furnished and cozy--he probably visits almost on a weekly basis.  Mo's dad's house is more of an apartment building with six units that Mo's mom envisioned  becoming sort of a retirement home for them and some of their friends.  Mo's dad rarely stays there so he doesn't keep the utilities on all the time, therefore, we all stayed over at Farookh's house.

Mo's dad's place on left and Farookh's on right

Farookh's kitchen

Farookh's family room

Farookh's house

Mo's dad and Farookh on Farookh's front porch

Friday morning Mo and I made breakfast--french toast--definitely not a typical Indian breakfast, but a nice break from curry for me.  Then we went across the street to Mo's dad's house for a bit.
He keeps a bunch of old family photos there so we had a great time going through the photo albums and reminiscing.  It was quite emotional seeing all of the old photo's of Mo's mom and grandparents.  We even saw some photos of Mo's parent's wedding for the first time and Mo's dad let us pick out a couple to bring home with us. 

Us in front of Mo's dad's Kelve house

Mo and his dad in front of Kelve house

When we returned to Farookh's house, we freshened up and packed our bags and then he showed us around his plot of land.  He's doing a lot of farming and has been for some time, but he's now starting to yield enough to sell some of it.  He grows many fruits as well as rice and onions.  He sells the onions and he and family and friends consume the rest. After the tour we packed the car and headed back to Mumbai.

If anyone is interested in a stay at Chateau Farookh, just let me know.  Mo and I both give it two thumbs up!

Farookh's remaining onions in the store room

Farookh's unofficial pet/a stray dog that's stayed around for years

Farookh's farm

Hibiscus flowers in Farookh's garden

That evening the three of us went to see Bombay Talkies at Prithvi Theater.  We all thoroughly enjoyed the production though some of it was a bit lost in translation for me since the actors threw in some words/sentences in Hindi here and there.  We went to the 6:30 show so afterwards we went to Mo's dad's favorite little hole in the wall seafood place.  We are talking extremely local.  I may be the first tourist that has ever eaten there.  The seafood was good and cheap.  Afterwards we headed home.

Saturday was our last day in Mumbai.  Mo and I went to the early movie to see The Avengers. We were able to get reserved seats in the VIP area complete with popcorn and coke for about $11.  It sounds expensive by Indian standards, but now that we are used to London movie prices of about $45 just for two tickets, we were thrilled and amazed by how cheap it was/seemed. 

VIP waiting for The Avengers to begin

We also saw this movie poster in the lobby while we were waiting...am I the only one that found it hilarious?

Don't angry me...you rowdy rat whore!

That afternoon, I went for a few beauty treatments.  After capitalizing on the inexpensive movie experience, I decided that I needed to capitalize on other things that are inexpensive in India and super expensive in London!

That night Mo's dad cooked us a nice dinner at home and we packed up and got ready to embark on the next leg of our trip...Thailand.

Our goodbyes are always emotional, but this time it was not nearly as tough as normal because we  knew we would see Mo's dad again in a week on a stopover before we headed back to London.

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.