Exploring the World : Bombay Hot Spots

The Siddhivinayak Temple

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Sunday was a great day. We got to sleep in, then Richa took me on a tour of Mumbai! First we took a rickshaw to Lokhandwala Market to practice my Hindi. I practiced talking to the vendors and bought a few little goodies. Next, we went to a South Indian food restaurant. I ordered "Ek idli saambar aur ek masala dosa aur ek dal fry ek roti." It was delicious- especially the dal fry! As we drove downtown in the cab, I learned about the Ambani brothers, their wealth, and the saw one of the most expensive houses in the world (in which they don't even live!). I can see now how books like Shantaram and people who have been to India talk about the stark contrast of extreme wealth and extreme poverty side by side. I learned about the different famous Mosques and Temples and some of the traditional religious ceremonies. Both the Siddhivinayak Temple and the Haji Ali Dargah Mosque were incredibly beautiful! It is amazing that there is such a mixture of everything here- the juxtaposition of Temples, Mosques, and Churches; those who are Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Parsee, Jain scattered among large groups of people; the drastic contrast of rich and poor; cleanliness and filth; an eclectic mixture American, European, Asian, and Middle Eastern influences in restaurants, advertisements, buildings; Hindu and Arabic calligraphy elegantly written on buildings; and smells of every sent you could possibly imagine flooding your olfactory system... I could go on and on. It's a lot to take in at first.

Next we saw the Gateway of India- where Richa's fans ran up to her asking for pictures and autographs (haha not sure what world I'm living in right now haha, defintely not like my days filled with work and studying)- so we quickly moved on to see the beautiful Taj Hotel. Next I got to experience Colaba Causeway and practiced more Hindi :), Then Leopold's Cafe with the lovely combination of Kingfisher beer, cheese cake, and kabobs. Next we ventured over to Bademiyan, and had my first taste of street food! So much tastiness. I felt like I was being brave, but apparently it's one of the hot spots for tourists. We took our street kabob rolls and baida roti to go and went to see the Queen's Necklace on Marine Drive where we ate our delectable street food, with a beautiful view of the city, the Saifee Hospital brightly lit behind the "Queen's Pearls" (lights along marine drive), and looked out over the Arabian Sea.

Simply amazing.

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