Mumbai - final moments

My last few weeks in Mumbai have been spent enjoying what there is to do both locally and in one of my favourite places in India, Udaipur.  I have continued my walks, trying to do 5k every day, either in the evenings around Joggers' Park, or on weekend mornings down Bandstand, up Mount Mary, along Carter Road and over Pali Hill.  There is so much that I'm going to miss!

One walk that I did with Tracy was through the underpass of the motorway and along the seafront opposite Mahim.  There is a lot of funky artwork on the bridge as well as a Mumbai installation along the front.

As well as this there have been a flurry of people who have wanted to spend time with me.  One of these is Tara who has met me several times for evenings drinks and a couple of times for brunch (at Taj Lands End, the Leela and the Oberoi).  I've also been out for Diana's birthday brunch to the Marriott in Juhu.  Tara and I have also managed to "gatecrash" a couple of the hotel pools for a swim after our brunches.

It was also great to finally meet up with someone I've known online for almost 10 years - Edna - who came to Mumbai for a PYP workshop.  We went to the Novotel in Juhu for drinks by the Arabian Sea.

Gosh - I will miss this place!

Using my flood voucher

Back in August I had to spend the night at school with students because of the flooding in Mumbai.  Because of this I was given a voucher for a night at the Renaissance in Powai as a sort of compensation.  It took quite a time for me to get the time to use it, but finally in February I had a lovely couple of days of relaxing in a lovely hotel.

A day downtown

Back in Mumbai again, Cindy asked me if I wanted to go with her and a new teacher downtown for the day.  As we were driving over the Sealink she looked off to the left and asked about the Worli Fishing Village.  I think I was the only one who had been there - so we decided to make this our first stop.

Cindy did an amazing job of driving through the narrow streets and eventually finding us somewhere to park the car.  We wandered through the small lanes, coming across many interesting people.

Mumbai used to be made up of 7 separate islands, one of these being Worli.  The island was inhabited by the Kolis, a community of fisherfolk, who first came to the island around 1100 AD.  The name of Mumbai is derived from the Goddess Mumba, the Deity of the Kolis.

The Koli families are still involved in fishing - they go out to sea in the early morning and sometimes late at night using the Mahim Creek and the beach.  Their fishing boats moored up around the Sealink are quite picturesque.

A couple of years Chris Martin and Coldplay used the Worli Fishing Village as a location for their video.

After some time in the village we set off for Dhobi Ghat - the outdoor washing area of Mumbai.  Known as the world's largest open-air laundry, the washers (dhobis) work in the open to wash the clothes and linen from Mumbai's hotels and hospitals.  There are rows and rows of concrete wash pens, each with a "flogging stone" and rows and rows of washing lines where the clothes are hung to dry.

We carried on downtown for lunch to the Kala Ghoda area of town - here we ran into a child walking a tightrope.  We also visited the Gateway of India, the Prince of Wales museum and looked at the lovely architecture of Mumbai University.

Staying local - a long weekend at the Taj Palace

We had a long weekend and nothing planned.  It was Jenni's last long weekend before she departs Mumbai to South Africa, and something we had both wanted to do was to do a staycation at the Taj Palace in downtown Mumbai.  She booked it, and I went along.

 

From the start we were lucky as we got upgraded from the Tower Wing (the modern bit) into the Palace Wing (the heritage bit).  As well as that we got the upgraded service which included butler service, food and drinks throughout the day including high tea, cocktails, cognac and chocolates.  The palace has the feel of a colonial building, but in fact it was built by Indians for Indians (because the British refused to let them use their hotels).  It contains many different styles of architecture and it really is a beautiful building.

The Taj Mahal Palace opened in Mumbai, then Bombay, in 1903, and now overlooks the Gateway of India (though of course that wasn't built until later). This hotel has been visited by dignitaries from across the globe, including most recently Wills and Kate.

  

We spent the first day checking out the amenities of the hotel, including tapas in the evening on the top floor of the Tower Wing, overlooking the harbour.  We went on the Heritage Tour around the palace as well.  On the Sunday I spent a lot of the day by the pool.  We checked out very late, and then went for afternoon tea and cocktails in the Sea Lounge where we watched the sunset reflected on the Gateway of India.  It was a really great couple of days - well worth the money as it was a once in a lifetime experience.

Rooftop Bars

I have been checking out some rooftop bars in Mumbai.  Jenni and I tried the Terra Cafe at the Executive Enclave - at sunset on a Friday it was quiet and empty.

I tried Aer on the 34th Floor of the Four Seasons in Lower Parel on Monday.  There is a great view out over the sea and of Haji Ali.  It was a bit hazy, but still a good view of downtown Mumbai.