Portuguese vs. Marathi names
So I finally made it to Mumbai after the sleeper from Ahmedabad. When I arrived, I tried calling Nirav, the friend from UVM, and his phone was off. I wasn't sure where to get off but instinctively told the driver to drop me off in the city so I would be able to find a hostel in case all things go wrong. While I was trying to figure this out, another passenger on the bus, Anjara, began to help me out. She offered to let me stay at her house until I found my friend. I was ushered into Mumbai with all of the hospitality India could offer. Her parents kept offering me food and chai. Clearly, I was going to be left with a much better impression of Mumbai than Delhi.
I finally got a hold of Nirav around mid-day so I met up with him after lunch at Anjara's. Her apartment was a split image of those in New York, as was this city. The slums, the traffic, the air and the prices are relative to New York. By the time I made it to Nirav's place, it turned into California (he lived in Santa Cruz East). The day was of course chill and I joined his family for an amazing dinner at Khar Gymkhana. The next day, we started the real exploring. We started at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, and then walked to Hatatma Chowk (Flora Fountain). They were both monuments with not much to explore within. From there we went to Jehangir Art Gallery followed by the Prince of Wales Museum. The gallery had a wonderful collection of local works. I remember shaking my head at how many times they could butcher the spelling for New Zealand. At the Museum, Nirav skilfully got me a NRI ticket, about a third of the cost of tourist one. Score! We spent so much time here, we began lamenting for our empty stomachs. By the end of the day, we ended up at Gateway of India and then the Taj Hotel. One night at this posh hotel would be equivalent to two weeks of my budget for India. My last night in Mumbai, Nirav's family took me to Worli Sea Link road where I could see the whole city skyline. We hopped back into the car and went to Nariman Point with a view of Haji Ali Shrine and the Queen's Necklace.
This was not to say my entire time in Mumbai was blissful. The day before the last morning, a robbery occurred at Nirav's Aunt's apartment when we were having lunch with them. They happened to live in the same apartment complex, but different building and floor. When she got back to her place, she found all of her drawers upturned, and her expensive jewellery she had ordered for her son's wedding were gone. She normally does not wear any jewellery and this was the first time she special ordered some. The guards for the complex happened to be on lunch break and there weren't any CCTV's. It sounded like an inside job to all of us but it's such a pity to not be able to feel safe in your own city. I was definitely very fortunate to have someone guide me around Mumbai so that I missed most of the other craziness. Thanks Nirav!
Next stop, the beach!
So I finally made it to Mumbai after the sleeper from Ahmedabad. When I arrived, I tried calling Nirav, the friend from UVM, and his phone was off. I wasn't sure where to get off but instinctively told the driver to drop me off in the city so I would be able to find a hostel in case all things go wrong. While I was trying to figure this out, another passenger on the bus, Anjara, began to help me out. She offered to let me stay at her house until I found my friend. I was ushered into Mumbai with all of the hospitality India could offer. Her parents kept offering me food and chai. Clearly, I was going to be left with a much better impression of Mumbai than Delhi.
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| Anjara and her parents. |
I finally got a hold of Nirav around mid-day so I met up with him after lunch at Anjara's. Her apartment was a split image of those in New York, as was this city. The slums, the traffic, the air and the prices are relative to New York. By the time I made it to Nirav's place, it turned into California (he lived in Santa Cruz East). The day was of course chill and I joined his family for an amazing dinner at Khar Gymkhana. The next day, we started the real exploring. We started at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, and then walked to Hatatma Chowk (Flora Fountain). They were both monuments with not much to explore within. From there we went to Jehangir Art Gallery followed by the Prince of Wales Museum. The gallery had a wonderful collection of local works. I remember shaking my head at how many times they could butcher the spelling for New Zealand. At the Museum, Nirav skilfully got me a NRI ticket, about a third of the cost of tourist one. Score! We spent so much time here, we began lamenting for our empty stomachs. By the end of the day, we ended up at Gateway of India and then the Taj Hotel. One night at this posh hotel would be equivalent to two weeks of my budget for India. My last night in Mumbai, Nirav's family took me to Worli Sea Link road where I could see the whole city skyline. We hopped back into the car and went to Nariman Point with a view of Haji Ali Shrine and the Queen's Necklace.
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| The family dinner the first night. |
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| Nirav at the Gateway of India. |
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| Inside the restaurant in the Taj Hotel...drool! |
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| The Ganesh idol that is being moved for the festival starting in a few days. |
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| With Nirav's Parents at Queen's Necklace. (Photo courtesy of Nirav Daphtary) |
This was not to say my entire time in Mumbai was blissful. The day before the last morning, a robbery occurred at Nirav's Aunt's apartment when we were having lunch with them. They happened to live in the same apartment complex, but different building and floor. When she got back to her place, she found all of her drawers upturned, and her expensive jewellery she had ordered for her son's wedding were gone. She normally does not wear any jewellery and this was the first time she special ordered some. The guards for the complex happened to be on lunch break and there weren't any CCTV's. It sounded like an inside job to all of us but it's such a pity to not be able to feel safe in your own city. I was definitely very fortunate to have someone guide me around Mumbai so that I missed most of the other craziness. Thanks Nirav!
Next stop, the beach!
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