SUNDAY July 8th, 2007
Cut and Polish
We woke up late of Sunday, and decided to take ourselves to a nice brunch as a treat. The restaurant books that Hardy bought (and studied) ranked all of the restaurants, bars and clubs by food, décor, etc, but as to a really good meal that we could savor, we hadn’t had one- until then. The restaurant is called Indigo, on a street right behind the Taj, housed in an old Colonial Mansion. The décor was beautiful and simple, and the food was amazing-even the bread basket was like heaven (with some super-yummy homemade donuts!). We ate and drank (only one drink for me) until we were stuffed and happy, and felt our equilibrium return. Bombay is a very “in your face” place, and sometimes a little respite from the hustle-bustle is so very welcome.
After the meal we went to the Gate to see if we could catch a ferry to the Elephanta Islands which are famous for the ancient carved figures of Ganesh inside some caves. After some dispute over whether the ferry runs to the Islands during monsoon season, (Taj and guide book said no, our hotel, after a phone call, said yes) we found the ticket seller in the crush of commuters going to the other ferry stops, and although the ferry was running, it was now too late in the day.
We stopped quickly on the way home to see the Victoria Terminus Train Station in all its Victorian glory, still mobbed with people and still seeming to run like clockwork, but with a long new regime name.
When we got back to the hotel, we decided to go for a walk on nearby Malobar Hill, where there was a park that Micheal Owen- our US Consular General, whom had been so helpful in all things- suggested was very pretty.
We walked up the hill past the Parsi Tower of Silence, an area we weren’t allowed to see because of its unusual purpose. The Parsi are Zoroastrians originally from Persia who played a large part in the establishment and growth of Bombay, and are a sizable sector of the society. Parsi worship the Fire, Air and the Earth, and because of this cannot bury or cremate their dead. The solution to this is to put the body on a tower, and have vultures devour it. Not really a sight for tourists! Behind the tower, which we couldn’t see, farther up on the hill, is a wonderful canopy of old-growth trees filled with multitude of avians; parrots, Bombay’s distinct grey headed crow, small fruit bats and the aforementioned vultures. Since we were passing at dusk, they were at their most active and it was exciting to see so much wildlife and hear their various cries. Farther on is a large park spreading out on either side of the road that was more like a formal partierre garden, and, as it was Sunday, filled to the brim with families taking a stroll. We found out later you are actually supposed to walk in a clockwise direction, (we weren’t) but what can a foreigner do! The gardens were lovely and had a great view, and so we kept walking further into Malabar Hill intending to walk to the end of the peninsula. This area was very cool and judging from the beautiful, well-maintained buildings, must be very expensive. Mumbai is the most expensive city in India, and Hardy, in his search through the paper every morning, was surprised to discover that the condos in the more fashionable areas sell for $2000 sq ft- high for anyplace including Manhattan!! So we walked along admiring Sir ____’s Mansion, and came across a barber shop directly out of a 1930’s time-warp. Beautiful cast iron and leather barber chairs facing an ancient mirror, and all the day’s runaway hairs making fine lines on the marble flooring. Of course Hardy got a haircut (he needed one!). The barber made quick work of it-but not rushing through the shave and the scalp massage- even though there was a line. Cost-Rs 80!
After this, we were pretty tired, and decided to go home and await the Surgery the next morning.
Cut and Polish
We woke up late of Sunday, and decided to take ourselves to a nice brunch as a treat. The restaurant books that Hardy bought (and studied) ranked all of the restaurants, bars and clubs by food, décor, etc, but as to a really good meal that we could savor, we hadn’t had one- until then. The restaurant is called Indigo, on a street right behind the Taj, housed in an old Colonial Mansion. The décor was beautiful and simple, and the food was amazing-even the bread basket was like heaven (with some super-yummy homemade donuts!). We ate and drank (only one drink for me) until we were stuffed and happy, and felt our equilibrium return. Bombay is a very “in your face” place, and sometimes a little respite from the hustle-bustle is so very welcome.
After the meal we went to the Gate to see if we could catch a ferry to the Elephanta Islands which are famous for the ancient carved figures of Ganesh inside some caves. After some dispute over whether the ferry runs to the Islands during monsoon season, (Taj and guide book said no, our hotel, after a phone call, said yes) we found the ticket seller in the crush of commuters going to the other ferry stops, and although the ferry was running, it was now too late in the day.
We stopped quickly on the way home to see the Victoria Terminus Train Station in all its Victorian glory, still mobbed with people and still seeming to run like clockwork, but with a long new regime name.
When we got back to the hotel, we decided to go for a walk on nearby Malobar Hill, where there was a park that Micheal Owen- our US Consular General, whom had been so helpful in all things- suggested was very pretty.
We walked up the hill past the Parsi Tower of Silence, an area we weren’t allowed to see because of its unusual purpose. The Parsi are Zoroastrians originally from Persia who played a large part in the establishment and growth of Bombay, and are a sizable sector of the society. Parsi worship the Fire, Air and the Earth, and because of this cannot bury or cremate their dead. The solution to this is to put the body on a tower, and have vultures devour it. Not really a sight for tourists! Behind the tower, which we couldn’t see, farther up on the hill, is a wonderful canopy of old-growth trees filled with multitude of avians; parrots, Bombay’s distinct grey headed crow, small fruit bats and the aforementioned vultures. Since we were passing at dusk, they were at their most active and it was exciting to see so much wildlife and hear their various cries. Farther on is a large park spreading out on either side of the road that was more like a formal partierre garden, and, as it was Sunday, filled to the brim with families taking a stroll. We found out later you are actually supposed to walk in a clockwise direction, (we weren’t) but what can a foreigner do! The gardens were lovely and had a great view, and so we kept walking further into Malabar Hill intending to walk to the end of the peninsula. This area was very cool and judging from the beautiful, well-maintained buildings, must be very expensive. Mumbai is the most expensive city in India, and Hardy, in his search through the paper every morning, was surprised to discover that the condos in the more fashionable areas sell for $2000 sq ft- high for anyplace including Manhattan!! So we walked along admiring Sir ____’s Mansion, and came across a barber shop directly out of a 1930’s time-warp. Beautiful cast iron and leather barber chairs facing an ancient mirror, and all the day’s runaway hairs making fine lines on the marble flooring. Of course Hardy got a haircut (he needed one!). The barber made quick work of it-but not rushing through the shave and the scalp massage- even though there was a line. Cost-Rs 80!
After this, we were pretty tired, and decided to go home and await the Surgery the next morning.
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