Wed 12 Nov Mumbai
Up at 5:30 am (but 7 pm according to our bodies). Mike has sort of slept. Carol hardly at all. In the early morning we use the computer in the hotel foyer. As we do so, a staff member hangs a chrysantemum wreath on the devi's portrait. Then small bells are sounded and an incense stick in the main altar is lit. Thus starts the business day.
Breakfast at 8:30 is idli (steamed rice cakes) with a chutney sambal and milk tea.
We go out walking. We have three goals - buying a SIM card for the phone; purchasing train tickets to Surat for Saturday 15 Nov; and changing more money.
As we walk, we see our first holy cow. A block later, the first rat.
Our initial accomplishment was buying a SIM card for only 400 R ($6.67). We had to go around the corner for copies of our passport and visa, and fill out a whole bunch of official government forms. But it was done. However, the phone was not going to be activated until 8 pm; come back then for the final steps.
We visit the Monetary Museum, a really good comprehensive history of India, from 3500 BCE, through the Greeks, Mongols, Mughals, Brits and other European colonizers, Partition, and more recent events. Beautiful coins. So much personnel - guards and unnecessary runners. Loved the air conditioning in the museum after the already wilting heat of mid morning.
While inside the Monetary Museum, we heard chanting outside. When we went outside, we saw the reason: crowds of bank workers had gone on strike, and were marching in the streets (to government offices?) snarling the already-impossible traffic something fierce. So, almost no banks are open today.
Someone suggested we change our money at Thomas Cook. We went in - the rate wasn't very good, so we didn't do any business. Two interesting observations, though. There was as sign with an arrow pointing to the "MICE" room (Meetings, Interviews, Conference, Expositions, or something like that.) Carol went to the restroom where there were signs: "Kindly dispose the used sanitary napkin/pad only in the concept unit." [concept unit?!?] "Paper towels only for hands/face. Kindly do not use for shoes/feet."
On the street there are vendors crushing cane to make sugar cane juice, cutting up coconuts for their milk and meat, preparing artistically-arranged plates of cut up fruit, frying somosas and all sorts of little fried things. Mumbai is street food heaven.
Someone points out a money changer: signed Western Union Forex. The rate is 60 R to the dollar - the best we have seen so far.
Our lunch is at Apeksha Rest, 27, Muddanna P. Shetty Marg, Fort. Pure veg, business clientele. We had paneer burji (85 R), veg. Korma (85), 2 buttered naans (45 each), buttermilk (16 and just the right beverage), ginger lime soda (26) and for dessert, a drink made from cold coffee with ice cream (70). The total was 373 R ($6.25). A real find. Everything was delicious.
After lunch we visited Knesset Eliyahu Synagogue, built by the Baghdadi Jews and David Sasson, part of the Sasson family which dominated trade in Bombay, Calcutta, and Shanghai throughout the 19th century.
So by 3 pm we have accomplished all three goals plus eating a good lunch.
On the way back to the hotel we pass through Horniman Park, a circular park the Brits laid out very early. Two comments: (1) much of this part of Mumbai was laid out with broad avenues, parks, fountains, etc.; and (2) a huge number of the buildings have Parsi roots. Parsis were Zoroastrians who left Persia starting in the 8th century, when Persia became Islamic. Many came to the western coast of India and became prosperous. Although their numbers are disappearing because of thie refusal to accept new blood by marrying out, their past infludence is everywhere in Mumbai.
More cows equals more cow poop.
By 1530 we are back in the hotel, totally soaked in sweat. We take off everything, hang it up, and sleep for 2 hours. Our stuff is dryer after our respite so we put on almost dry, rather salty, clothing, and go out.
First, east into Ballard Estates, a newer development (from about 1900). Then, as it gets dark, up along a couple of market streets.
A working-man vegetarian restaurant beckons, Om Ganesh Ratan Veg Rest, 7, Perin Nariman St, Gate Bazaar. We go in and each get a "Special Thali" for 70 R apiece, along with a "Chaas," which is cumin spiced buttermilk, and a salted lassi. A thali is a large plate of food with a number of small dishes - in this case alu (potato) mutter (peas), alu methi (fenugreek), chana (chickpea) masala, jeera (cumin) rice, yellow dal (lentils), paratha and chapatti. Not special, but quite filling. The place only wanted 132 R. Mike pointed out that we had 2 drinks, but 132 was all he wanted - less than half the price of lunch.
If you eat this way, it is hard to spend more than $5 a person a day. Even with meat, seafood, and drinks, you don't get much more than $10 a person a day.
After dinner we headed back to the vendor who had sold us the SIM card, because it needed to be activated. Our phone would not activate, so he took out our SIM card, placed it in his phone and got it working. But our phone stubbornly refused to cooperate. It was a 2-SIM phone. Finally, he removed the other SIM card (from our Romania trip), put the India SIM card in the #1 position, and finally got it to work.
It was now 2045. We shook hands goodby, and walked back to the hotel. One the way back, we passed a juice bar and decided on juice from the "grenade fruit." Its real name is "custard apple" or "sitafel" in Hindi.
To bed.
Up at 5:30 am (but 7 pm according to our bodies). Mike has sort of slept. Carol hardly at all. In the early morning we use the computer in the hotel foyer. As we do so, a staff member hangs a chrysantemum wreath on the devi's portrait. Then small bells are sounded and an incense stick in the main altar is lit. Thus starts the business day.
Breakfast at 8:30 is idli (steamed rice cakes) with a chutney sambal and milk tea.
We go out walking. We have three goals - buying a SIM card for the phone; purchasing train tickets to Surat for Saturday 15 Nov; and changing more money.
As we walk, we see our first holy cow. A block later, the first rat.
Our initial accomplishment was buying a SIM card for only 400 R ($6.67). We had to go around the corner for copies of our passport and visa, and fill out a whole bunch of official government forms. But it was done. However, the phone was not going to be activated until 8 pm; come back then for the final steps.
We visit the Monetary Museum, a really good comprehensive history of India, from 3500 BCE, through the Greeks, Mongols, Mughals, Brits and other European colonizers, Partition, and more recent events. Beautiful coins. So much personnel - guards and unnecessary runners. Loved the air conditioning in the museum after the already wilting heat of mid morning.
While inside the Monetary Museum, we heard chanting outside. When we went outside, we saw the reason: crowds of bank workers had gone on strike, and were marching in the streets (to government offices?) snarling the already-impossible traffic something fierce. So, almost no banks are open today.
Someone suggested we change our money at Thomas Cook. We went in - the rate wasn't very good, so we didn't do any business. Two interesting observations, though. There was as sign with an arrow pointing to the "MICE" room (Meetings, Interviews, Conference, Expositions, or something like that.) Carol went to the restroom where there were signs: "Kindly dispose the used sanitary napkin/pad only in the concept unit." [concept unit?!?] "Paper towels only for hands/face. Kindly do not use for shoes/feet."
On the street there are vendors crushing cane to make sugar cane juice, cutting up coconuts for their milk and meat, preparing artistically-arranged plates of cut up fruit, frying somosas and all sorts of little fried things. Mumbai is street food heaven.
Someone points out a money changer: signed Western Union Forex. The rate is 60 R to the dollar - the best we have seen so far.
Our lunch is at Apeksha Rest, 27, Muddanna P. Shetty Marg, Fort. Pure veg, business clientele. We had paneer burji (85 R), veg. Korma (85), 2 buttered naans (45 each), buttermilk (16 and just the right beverage), ginger lime soda (26) and for dessert, a drink made from cold coffee with ice cream (70). The total was 373 R ($6.25). A real find. Everything was delicious.
After lunch we visited Knesset Eliyahu Synagogue, built by the Baghdadi Jews and David Sasson, part of the Sasson family which dominated trade in Bombay, Calcutta, and Shanghai throughout the 19th century.
So by 3 pm we have accomplished all three goals plus eating a good lunch.
On the way back to the hotel we pass through Horniman Park, a circular park the Brits laid out very early. Two comments: (1) much of this part of Mumbai was laid out with broad avenues, parks, fountains, etc.; and (2) a huge number of the buildings have Parsi roots. Parsis were Zoroastrians who left Persia starting in the 8th century, when Persia became Islamic. Many came to the western coast of India and became prosperous. Although their numbers are disappearing because of thie refusal to accept new blood by marrying out, their past infludence is everywhere in Mumbai.
More cows equals more cow poop.
By 1530 we are back in the hotel, totally soaked in sweat. We take off everything, hang it up, and sleep for 2 hours. Our stuff is dryer after our respite so we put on almost dry, rather salty, clothing, and go out.
First, east into Ballard Estates, a newer development (from about 1900). Then, as it gets dark, up along a couple of market streets.
A working-man vegetarian restaurant beckons, Om Ganesh Ratan Veg Rest, 7, Perin Nariman St, Gate Bazaar. We go in and each get a "Special Thali" for 70 R apiece, along with a "Chaas," which is cumin spiced buttermilk, and a salted lassi. A thali is a large plate of food with a number of small dishes - in this case alu (potato) mutter (peas), alu methi (fenugreek), chana (chickpea) masala, jeera (cumin) rice, yellow dal (lentils), paratha and chapatti. Not special, but quite filling. The place only wanted 132 R. Mike pointed out that we had 2 drinks, but 132 was all he wanted - less than half the price of lunch.
If you eat this way, it is hard to spend more than $5 a person a day. Even with meat, seafood, and drinks, you don't get much more than $10 a person a day.
After dinner we headed back to the vendor who had sold us the SIM card, because it needed to be activated. Our phone would not activate, so he took out our SIM card, placed it in his phone and got it working. But our phone stubbornly refused to cooperate. It was a 2-SIM phone. Finally, he removed the other SIM card (from our Romania trip), put the India SIM card in the #1 position, and finally got it to work.
It was now 2045. We shook hands goodby, and walked back to the hotel. One the way back, we passed a juice bar and decided on juice from the "grenade fruit." Its real name is "custard apple" or "sitafel" in Hindi.
To bed.
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