my mumbai

well i've spent several months now chronicling my travels around the subcontinent. i'd say it's time i gave a little attention to my own little corner of this country. in my months here, in between travels, i've had some time to explore little bits of this massive city and have even been lucky enough to have some visitors to show around. and so, here i have some favorite places i shared with them and will now share with you, dear reader (since i assume there is only one of you).

if you ask any mumbaiker what they love or miss about the city, chance are the first thing (or twenty) will be food. (i distinctly remember hour-long conversations about food my friends had before my arrival that i understood almost none of.) true, the same goes for pretty much any indian, but i think many would agree that mumbai has some of the best street food around, and there's no shortage of variety here. i figured it was a good place to start.

mmm.. spicy non-veg...

i got a crash course in street food early on at muhammed ali road, which i chronicled here, and then again here. it's basically a place where, particularly during ramadan, you can find all manner of sweets (both subtly sweet and syrupy, deep-fried) and non-veg deliciousness. the atmosphere is electric, with families out to celebrate and young people buzzing around gorging on the amazing food. i'll be sad when ramadan rolls around in july and i can't find my way back here.

pav bhaji: just add butter!

then there are the street foods you can get any time of year. the most famous of these, of course, is vada pav. the portuguese influence in bombay is most evident in foods like this, that include bread (that would be the pav/pau). vada pav is a delicious little fried ball of potatoes, spices and green chilis served on a bun with green chutney and a dry red chutney powder. they can be found on just about every street corner, especially in the south. just look for a crowd of men standing around eating. then wash it down with a rs. 5 glass of sugar can juice (which will probably be found no more than ten feet away). also in the pav family, we have the famous pav bhaji. i like to think of this as an indian sloppy joe, although it's totally vegetarian. don't worry, though, the vast variety of vegetables are tempered by the paula deen-levels of butter in this dish. i watched it being made in this giant tawa and it was almost grotesque. we're talking bricks of butter here, people. but of course that's also what makes the dish so delicious. you can find it at almost any little cafe or beachside stand. at juhu beach you can sit on the steps and beckon someone over for the extra bread (don't worry, it's got butter on it too) that you will inevitably need.

beach corn

while you're at juhu beach (a veritable street food heaven) you should try some roasted corn. walking along the crowded sands, in between the photo hawkers and the local picnickers, you'll invariably find someone at a cart roasting ears of corn over the hot coals. he may even let you fan the fire yourself. but whatever you do, be sure to get lemon and masala on it. otherwise it's just a plain old ear of corn. the tangy spiciness makes you lick your lips after every bite - you'll never want to eat corn any other way.

name your poison

but my favorite snack at juhu beach has to be the gola, another of mumbai's claims to foody fame. while to the untrained eye it's basically a snowcone, in reality it's so much more. for one thing, the ice is crushed before your eyes on a great old metal hand-powered grinder that you just know weighs 40 pounds. the ice is served on a stick and the syrup (stored in old whisky bottles) is poured into the cup it's served in. so that, when the flavor from your snack inevitably drips down to the bottom, you just dip it back in the cup. ingenious, right? and the syrups - as you can probably see from the image - come in a wide variety, including typically indian fruits and flavors like mango, khus, and rose. and you have the option to drizzle the whole thing with malai, fatty fatty coconut goo, that just makes the whole thing extra creamy/sticky/delicious. now your only problem is trying to not drip onto your feet. (yeah, right)

lights, smoke, action

then there are the late-night foods. quick snacks, like kebabs and chicken tikka rolls that are great for post-beer wandering down south. bademiya is probably the most famous such establishment. you'll see it from afar with its billowing smoke and crowds of people milling around. there are plastic tables too, but the food's so fast you hardly even need to sit down. in the few minutes you spend waiting for your seekh kebab or chicken roll you can watch the guy making the rumali (super thin) roti by spinning and spreading the paper-thin dough over the stone dome - it's mesmerizing. like watching master crêpier on the streets of normandy. also across the street is a great dive bar, gokal, that has some of the best kheema (minced meat and spices) i've ever had.

also a staple: paper menu under plastic table cover

also in the south (mostly) you'll find a fair amount of parsi food. the city has a substantial parsi population although it, along with the number of persian cafes, is dwindling. the ones that remain are some of the oldest and most interesting though. the décor looks as though it hasn't changed in fifty years (it probably hasn't) - dust-covered frames hang filled with deceased relatives, musty plastic chandeliers hover over checked tablecloths covered in plastic. yellowing wallpaper peels off walls covered in old posters or placards ('upstairs for family only'). in short, charming. you can go to britannia for the famous berry pulao, teapot cafe for its  chicken dhansak or ideal corner for one of their changing weekly specials. but my favorite thing to do is go to kyani and enjoy the standard irani chai and bun maska. the joy is in the simplicity - irani chai is essentially regular chai with a little something special (it's also called special tea) and a bun with butter. generally this means a lot of butter (you're shocked, i know) but i shamelessly scrape the excess off with my finger before devouring it.

a stone's throw from kyani is metro theater, one of the oldest in the city. virtually every book i've read that takes place in bombay has made reference to at least one of these classic theatres - metro, eros, regal. though metro has been redone inside into a 6-screen multiplex, at some of the others balcony tickets can still be had for rs. 150 or less. there are also some in the grant road area (just past the red-light district, apparently) that constantly run cheesy movies from the '90s (think DDLJ) for a pittance. like the parsi cafes, these theatres are some of my favorite relics of a bygone past that nevertheless remain a vibrant part of the cityscape.

yes this is bombay

actually the south is full of such buildings. even if the façades are dirty and neglected, you can't hide the beauty of some of these structures. they're even more beautiful in the mossy, high saturation of monsoon season, when i first began wandering among them. in the fort area you'll find quasi-sassanian parsi buildings along MG road, neo-gothic revival style over by the oval maidan (the big open grassy space that always reminds me of the mall in DC - just substitute softball games for cricket and football), and of plenty of art deco (second largest number of art deco buildings in the world!). even a few baroque buildings (blue synagogue). i love meandering around the fort area - you turn a corner or wander down an alley and all of a sudden you look up and find yourself in a street that could be somewhere in europe. well, until you almost run into a cow in the road.

the dark horse

just south of fort is the kala ghoda area. so close, in fact, that i'm not entirely sure where one ends and the other begins. it's named for the black horse statue that no longer stands there. even the cool mural (pictured) has been painted over since i took the photo, sad. the area's great for all the galleries and cafes peppered throughout it. artisan's gallery, which caters to craftspeople throughout the country, the institute for contemporary indian art, the jehangir gallery, with its famous art café and many spaces with constantly changing exhibitions - all are great to wander in and out of. you can see some pretty great artists in these and other galleries. also nearby is the national gallery of modern art, which has a surprisingly nice little collection, and which shamefully few people are even aware of.

shor in the chor

another of my favorite little pockets of the city is chor bazaar. a funny name (as 'chor' means thief), it actually derives from the word 'shor' (referring to the noise-level - much more appropriate). but somehow chor stuck, and chor it remains. i'm generally a fan of all things old and cheap so flea markets are sort of my thing. and any flea market that includes things like ancient cameras, rusted old tea tins, and vintage bollywood posters has my seal of approval. this goes without saying, but also a great place to hone your haggling skills. you know, if you [scoff] need that sort of practice.

standing

well as long as we're talking about old things, i feel i have to mention the national park. a bit of a hike, up at borivali (though really only a train ride away) the national park contains the kanheri caves, some of which date back as far as 1st century BCE. while, true, it's no ellora, you will still see some pretty old buddhas without having to leave the city limits, or spend the better part of your day on a boat to the elephanta caves (which i am told are overrated). the caves are carved right out of the hills and the shallow steps criss-cross all over the gently sloping rocks. i never did figure out the number system, but suffice it to say that there are over 100 caves. even if you don't make it to them all (and really, i doubt you would) you'll see your fair share of pretty impressive statues and deep relief carvings (and some that are less deep: 'vijay 2004'..). definitely worth the trip. but maybe don't wait till midday in one of the hotter months to go there, like we did..

sun down, lights on

rounding out the list of typical must-do highlights on the mumbai list is the haji ali dargah. it's on every major tourist list, and for good reason. it's sort of like the mont saint-michel of the city, a mosque you can only reach at low tide. when i visited it happened to be the perfect time of day. the sun was low in the sky and the breezes coming in off the sea were blowing our dupattas around our shoulders. we made the walk on the raised stone path, leaving the tall city buildings and stones near the shore behind us. we walked all over the mosque itself, buzzing with activity before the evening prayers. then just as we were getting ready to make the trek back the lights came on and the call to prayer began. the mosque looked so beautiful in dusk, with the strings of lights coming on, so of course we stuck around for a bit. when we did make it back to land we rewarded ourselves with an obligatory stop at the famous haji ali juice center. overpriced, maybe, but where else could we find custard apples out of season?

marine drive-by

much of the appeal of haji ali (apart from the juice) is the water itself, of course. no matter what time of day or season - even in pouring rains - people can always be seen along marine drive just sitting facing the sea. young couples arm in arm, kids kicking around a football, or men just staring out at the water. the calm constancy of the sea seems to be a good antidote for the craziness of the city. even as cars whiz by just a few meters away, people seem to take solace in water and soak in the tranquility of the sea. i think there's just something undeniably peaceful about looking out and seeing nothing but rippling water.

paperback heaven

the last - though certainly not least - of my favorite things to do here is shop. india's a great place to shop in general so in mumbai i've found time to uncover some little pockets of great finds. the first of these is flora fountain, my first go-to book stop. sure, there are little stalls and streetside blankets set up with books around the city. but those are very hit-or-miss and often filled with pirated books (boo!). i prefer flora fountain, which has piles and piles of secondhand books attended by friendly and incredibly knowledgeable bookwallas. i just hand them my list and they can tell me immediately if they have any of the titles and, even more impressively, where in the massive stacks they are. most days when i stop by i come home with at least one or two new finds.

then of course there are clothes. down on colaba causeway you can get all manners of shirts and scarves (you can find some nice silk ones if you dig a little) but of course you have to put up with the constant hassling from vendors who at first assume you are a silly tourist. a little farther north on MG road you can find all sorts of men's shirts, belts, underwear - which vendors will try their best to pawn off on you despite being both a woman and clearly uninterested. to round out my shopping i go to hill road, just a short walk/ride from my place in bandra. all kinds of dresses, shoes, accessories, but again, you have to be willing to dig. i have a few favorite go-to spots along the road.. but i can't divulge all my secrets, can i?

my thai-land

once again we found ourselves at the bombay airport (i think that makes 4 times in 5 days or something obscene) and - after being mistakenly dropped at the domestic terminal - were on our way to bangkok. in less than five hours we were in bangkok. i have to admit, it was a little weird to be out of india. the language of course i knew nothing of (but i will say the alphabet looked something like malayalam or tamil). at first it was a little stressful leaving the airport with no idea how the transportation works, how much something should cost, etc. etc. but once i realized i was just a tourist and there was no expectation (from myself, more than anything) to know any of these things i relaxed and just braced myself to get somewhat ripped off. something that's always hard for me to accept.

we got in a thai version of an auto rickshaw (each country seems to have its own) - he took us a bit farther then realized he either didn't know where we were going or for some reason no longer wanted to take us there. he dropped us off and fortunately we were able to find a nice taxi driver who even went by the meter.

we arrived at our hotel which was perfectly situated in the old part of town along the river and, as it turned out, had an unbeatable view of wat arun, the temple across the water. the hotel - sorry, residence - has only a few rooms and ours was just lovely. a living area and bathroom with a loft bedroom area above. the shape of the space and the look of the stairs (and, i suppose, the presence of water) made it seem somehow boat-like and fun. we briefly enjoyed our surroundings and then rushed out to find some food. it was now past 2pm and the cookies we'd had on our 6 am flight were a distant memory.

fortunately on the corner of our little street was an unassuming outdoor eatery of plastic tables and chairs (this seems to be a wide trend among southeast asia). we sat down and had two bowls of delicious noodles/rice with pork and a few sodas. i made note of the accoutrements on the table - we had a set of various spices, vinegar and chilis - sort of like the typical indian lemon, onion and pickle combo. we devoured everything in front of us and paid our bill (about $3) and were on our way fully satisfied.

from there it was a short walk to one of the ports. along the way we saw all manners of dried seafood, fruits, nuts. at one point i took a picture of a basket of shrimp and was immediately accosted by the shopkeeper and unwittingly dragged into a 10-minute conversation in which he showed me every photo he had of the members of his family and all the countries he'd visited (which was quite impressive). he was nice, but it was still very odd, and ended with him giving us an envelope and enlisting us to send him something from america. lesson learned.

nightly boat traffic on the river at wat arun

we reached the dock and decided to take a trip on the water taxi as an intro to the city. we quickly hopped on a boat - they seemed to be arriving every few minutes - and wobbly found a seat on the long, low narrow boat. we saw a few temples.. then fewer, as we headed into the more hotel/corporate end of the city.. then an interesting expansion bridge.. then the sun began to set and we figured we should turn around. we got off at one stop, easy enough, then waited for another going the opposite direction, and suddenly realized that we hadn't really seen any. it only ended up being about a 10-minute wait, though, and we arrived back at our stop just as it was getting dark and the temples were being lit up. we hurried back to our hotel where we enjoyed both the spectacular view of the opposite temple lit up and our complimentary welcome drinks. it happened to be valentine's day, as well, so on our way down we passed several couples dressed fancily (when was the last time i saw so many miniskirts and heels??) for a dinner at the hotel's classy restaurant.

street food/night life

we walked the other direction this time, in search of a cheaper option. on the way i was excited/dismayed to learn that there was a french movie playing outdoors nearby - very cool, but unfortunately we were too hungry/late to catch it. we walked on and soon came upon the beginnings of a street market (produce and sweets mostly) where we saw another corner restaurant. same plastic chairs, same table garnishes, slightly different but delicious food. this time noodles with pork balls (which can also be seen roasting on every street corner). we got and paid for our food mainly through pointing and gesturing, then enjoyed it as we watched a few cars zip by along the street.

the next day we set out early since we had so little time in the city. hoping to do the royal palace first, we headed in that direction. on the sidewalk we were intercepted by a man who told us we weren't properly dressed for the palace (half-true) and that it wouldn't be open for foreigners until the afternoon (not true). instead he recommended we visit several other temples in the rickshaw that just, hey, happened to be nearby. in retrospect, we quickly realized this was a scam. still, the ride was dirt cheap and we were only taken to a few jewelry/silk emporiums - at one of which we bought something, the others we extricated ourselves as quickly as possible. apparently the drivers get a cut when they bring us there. pretty sneaky. at any rate we saw a few temples, tried a tempting chicken-on-a-stick (full of fat, bleah) and had a wonderfully spicy lunch (fiery shrimp paired with a thai iced tea with milk) before being dropped off back at the royal palace.

all that gold must be heavy

entering the grounds feels very much like entering disneyworld. there's a big crowd, cheesy music piped in and a recording that repeats a welcome message and the opening hours for visitors. once inside we found out i had to cover my shins (seems like vital information for a guide book, no?) so we had to wait in line to borrow a wrap-around fabric. it was actually quite pretty but also very hot in the rather stifling heat. the grounds of the palace are, of course, massive. we wandered around the vast set of temples - all covered in ceramic mosaics or gold. actually there's just a lot of gold here, period. and here i thought india was super-decorated. every inch is covered with something - either a guardian figure, some sort of stylized flames, or just tiny tiles. after exhausting our bodies and cameras we left in search of a respite. we got some water and street food (crab wrapped in dough and dipped in some sort of mango butter, i think) and walked through an informal street market that had wares ranging from food to old coins to plenty of tiny buddha figurines.

baskets and bouquets - thousands of roses

in need of a rest, we headed back to the hotel to relax before dinner. by the time we headed back out it was dark (it does get dark early) and we set out in search of the night market. after a short, overpriced rickshaw ride we realized it was just a bit past where we'd walked for dinner the night before. live and learn. we wandered through the market - first flowers. thousands and thousands of flowers of all kinds. but mainly marigolds (yellower than the indian counterparts), roses, carnations, and orchids (so cheap you almost just want to buy one for the novelty!) an amazing site. i stopped for an iced coffee (so delicious - like south indian filter coffee but with condensed milk) and we walked on through the food sections with produce, sweets, all sorts of fruit, meat, just about anything. we crossed a big intersection and entered the other part of the night market, that is, mostly retail. all kinds of clothes, shoes, cosmetics and accessories. there were some pretty good tees and sneakers - definitely a step above fashion street (sorry, bombay). i had my eye on some sneakers but in the end only walked away with some nail polish. oh and a tiny blueberry waffle which was delightful. we ended up hungry and wandering to the nearest restaurant we could find - over a little bridge right on the river (which i recognized later in a scene of the hangover 2, on tv the next day). they had tom yum soup - exactly what we'd been searching for. it's a delicious tomato-based soup with shrimp, lemongrass, lime leaves, basil, and other subtle citrusy spices and herbs. perfectly accompanied with a cold singha beer. one of our favorite meals of the trip.

gaudi, before gaudi

the next day it was up early to head to the temple across the street. you gotta break up these temple visits; there are so many and it's easy to get 'templed out'. we were there a little after 8 and found a pretty peaceful temple, with just a group of schoolchildren in formation reciting some kind of pledge. we wandered around, watching as people fed the one or two puppies and went about their morning routines. it was more of the same decoration - lots of ceramic of all kinds and a few golden spires. the interior, here, though, was the main attraction. in one of the temples resided the sleeping buddha, a reclining buddha that's over 45 feet tall (god only knows how long) and takes up almost the entire space. the buddha himself is covered in gold - all but the bottoms of his feet, which are mesmerizing swirls of mother-of-pearl. pretty amazing.

we decided we had time so we'd head across the river to wat arun, that temple we'd been gazing at from our hotel every night. a quick ferry ride and we were right there. it turned out this temple was worth a closer look. it was, like others, entirely covered in ceramic and gold, but the ceramic of this temple came mostly from broken cups and saucers of all different designs. very gaudi-esque. you were able to climb up the (incredibly steep) steps up part of the stupa which i did, clinging to the flimsy metal handrail.

then back across the river and out of the sun for a somewhat unremarkable lunch (our first) before checking out of the hotel and heading to the train station to leave our things. this ended up being almost hassle-free, and a nice service to have. from there we went to the jim thompson house (after some minor difficulty finding a cab), which is the residence of a WWII soldier/architect who moved to thailand after the war. i was skeptical as everything was very overpriced and chi-chi (the store prices were ludicrous). but actually the house itself was quite innovative. he incorporated indigenous design elements with clever ideas of his own. he even incorporated antique asian pieces (like doors) in interesting ways - as room dividers or tables.

from there we took the metro to a shopping area in the newer part of town - somewhere we hadn't really explored yet. the metro itself was quite nice - user-friendly and clean, with TVs everywhere. but it was rather expensive. and with all the line-switching (there are two separate lines with separate payment systems for some reason) it ended up being probably more than taxis would have cost us. seems counter-productive to me.

another quick stop for a market (again mostly retail - cute but very small clothes and shoes) and another ill-advised chicken-on-a-stick (same result) and then back to the train station. there we hoped to enjoy a massage as we waited. there was only one staff member on the job so mom got a foot massage while i explored what little the train station convenience store had to offer (ice cream flavored oreo? crab flavored chips?)

then pretty soon it was time to board. next stop: chiang mai

eid mubarak!

you may remember me mentioning my sojourn to mohammed ali road a while back. well, with ramzan coming to a close we decided it was time to venture out there again. my roommate (i should probably start calling her by her name - which is kristen) hadn't been there at all but was eager for a crazy, totally indian experience.

people running to and fro under the shadow of the masjid

if it was crazy we wanted, we got it. our first adventure involved getting onto the central railway line for the first time.. which proved harder than expected in the labyrinth of stairs and covered walkways that is bandra station (not even the craziest station.. by a longshot). we ended up on the wrong train but ended up at the right stop (if that makes sense..) which was, appropriately, 'masjid'.

i was quite proud of us for navigating ourselves successfully to mohammed ali road. we only asked for directions a few times. i had assumed we could follow the noise and lights but, this being eid eve, there were noise and lights everywhere. as well as trucks, buses, motorcycles, carts, bikes and street vendors. but what else is new. at one point kristen was wedged between a massive truck and a motorcycle; she was convinced she wasn't going to make it out without losing a few toes.

a local proprietor enticing potential clients

once we made it to mohammed ali road, we descended into the madness. if i had thought it was crowded before, well, i was right. but it was even more crowded this time around. families with little ones dolled up in their finest sparkly attire, young guys roving in packs, and of course the older men beckoning each and every passing potential customer. 'madam, madam, come sit.'

we bounced around to different places - standing, sitting, sampling. eating this and that. i won't bore you with the details of what we ate (as it was largely a reprise of my earlier trip, supplemented by a few different varieties of meat and starches) but suffice it to say that we were quite stuffed with all kinds of greasy delicious food.

at one point we turned down a side street, only to find ourselves face to face with skinned goats and various animal innards. we gauged that we weren't on the tourist street anymore and quickly turned back.

getting back was almost as exciting. by sheer dumb luck we managed to snag a cab among the throngs of people. the first solid 15 minutes of our cab ride we spent at about 5 miles an hour, happily watching the madness pass us by from the comfort of our seats. it seemed to be a never-ending parade of white spotlights, people rushing here and there, and the dangling lights of ramadan. as we made our way back to the west and passed high-end brunch places and fancy gyms, we wondered 'can this really be the same city..?'

bombay belly

i should start by saying that while i appreciated mumbai right away, for the first couple days i didn't experience much of it, really. the first few days were filled with the monotony of registering with the police, buying cell phones, and endlessly looking for apartments (in mumbai, easier said than done. much easier).

so i was particularly excited at the prospect of spending some time with arlene, a friend of a friend, who was born and raised in the city. i met her in a crowded bar but even so she was hard to miss - and not just because she's probably the only chinese girl in the room - she has a warm, friendly personality that's just infectious. so naturally she graciously invited me out with some of her friends afterward. and, luckily for me, it just to happened to be the night they had chosen to make their annual trek to mohammed ali road for ramadan (or ramzam) fare.

the madness at mohammed ali road

if you haven't heard of mohammed ali road (as i hadn't), it's referred to - at least during ramadan - as the street that never sleeps. as you approach the street by taxi you realize just how true this is. the streets are brighter than midday - with the blindingly white kurtas lit with giant fluorescent lights. in front of these people in white kurtas and taqiyahs bustle about looking through piles of shoes or rushing on to enjoy the feast that awaits. as you approach the looming green and white mosque, you can see the crowds thicken around the glow of dangling lights. the smoke and smells of delicious food frying waft up through the air and beckon the eaters forward.

brain food..

we began with a small meal in a rather dingy walkup, adorned with plastic tables and dangling chickens outside. walking up the stairs was treacherous not only because of their steepness but because of the layer of grease on the floor unlike any i have ever seen (and i worked at a cheap restaurant..) there we ordered an assortment of goodies.. tender chicken reshmi with chutney, mutton kebab (in this case just chunks of meat), and an eggy bread i didn't catch the name of. this we capped off with bheja masala (goat brains! very soft) which we washed down with some limca and thums up sodas.

tasty firni

from there it was back outside onto the craziness of the street. from here we skipped the salty snacks and moved straight to sweets. we had sandhal, a light puffy treat with a thin layer of malai (coconut) sort of paste on top. then it was on to the real sweet stuff.. we had some firni, a tasty thick rice pudding-like dish served in charming clay pots.

frying malpuwa

then it was on to malpuwa - which we first saw frying in giant vats of oil and surely later smothered with ghee and who knows what else. everyone jumps in and grabs a piece - deliciously greasy. all this just about filled us up, and by 2am it was about time to go - although each girl had to take a few of this or that home, as per moms' requests.

serving up late night snacks

so i think the lessons here are: if locals offer to take you to food, GO (obviously), muslims get really creative with food at ramadan (also obvious - when you sit and think about food all day you must get pretty good at it), and of course it's never too late for snacks!