Saris and Elephants

Moving to what I was told was the ‘armpit of India’, I was prepared for the noise, the smells, the overwhelming number of people and the general chaos that is Mumbai. However, when I arrived I found that there was also a lot to love about this city and the things that really get to me are not at all what I expected.

I was surprised by the level of corruption, that you can’t go to the police if you have a problem (I learnt that the hard way after a friend of mine only got her stolen mobile back Rs 20,000 and two court cases later!) and by the amount of paperwork needed for everything. I am still surprised that in an island city there is nowhere where I would want to paddle in the sea and nowhere to go for a beach-side meal, unless you count pani puri on Chowpatty! I still find the contrast between the rich and poor hard to accept, especially as everyday the rich seem to get richer and the poor poorer. Yet I’ve found that I’ve grown so used to the sounds, smells and chaos that I was prepared not to like, that I no longer notice them.

The one thing that really irks me about Mumbai are those expats who think that they have now made it, that they are a class above the rest. Although most of them have an ego that is mostly to blame, the Indian attitude to foreigners doesn’t help.
There have been a number of embarrassing episodes in the company of fellow expats; one girl, in a popular bar in Colaba, ordered a glass of wine and then threw it back at the waiter telling him that in her country they serve a ‘real’ glass of wine and this glass was too small (despite being measured up to the 175ml line on the glass as in most European countries!). Another sat in a restaurant clicking his fingers and talking to the staff as if they were something he had just stepped in, not hotel school graduates serving him dinner. Another, being the only expat in his office, is angry when asked to clock in with the other employees. Yet another started shouting at a taxi driver, first for not driving fast enough and then for coughing in his taxi! I know we have all had an argument or two, or a hundred, with taxi drivers and had the seemingly unending frustration of the- ‘Do you know where XYZ is?’ ‘Yes madam!’ (Head wobble)-conversation, only to still be driving in circles an hour later; but the attitude seems unnecessary.
I’ve had some great taxi drivers since I’ve been living here, for example ‘George’, who, since my first week here, has insisted on driving me whenever possible, often trying to not let me pay. Which brings me onto my next point, had I been an Indian, would George have proffered his phone number quite so eagerly and offered to wait while I did my shopping? I doubt it. And it is this attitude of showing so much attention to foreigners in shops, restaurants, on the street, that feeds the ego of a certain type of person and creates the ‘I’m-it-Expat’.

This attitude to foreigners seems to be born from a national pride in hospitality and a desire to make people feel welcome here. And I do feel welcome here, the little things like being recognised in the restaurant down the road, or being wished ‘Happy Birthday’ by a familiar taxi driver all make Mumbai feel like home in a way that no other city could.

Amidst the swine flu panic most trains to Pune were cancelled this weekend, but luckily the five of us; Divya, Sardius, Ritvic, Veronica and I, along with Jehan and Samar from Quest Adventures, headed out of Mumbai and caught a train from Dadar to Lonavala. For Veronica and I this was an adventure in itself!
Once we arrived in Lonavala we drove out of town and into the surrounding hills where we started on a 4 hour trek up to the village of Rajmachi and Shrivardhan and Manaranjan forts. On the way we stopped at a beautiful lake, where, apart from a passing herd of buffalo, there wasn’t a single soul for miles around. We escaped the sticky humidity with a refreshing swim and tried, without much success, to teach Divya and Ritvic to float! After our swim we huddled together for a lunch of samosa, vada pav and hot soup in the pouring rain.
Soaked to the skin, we climbed on through sticky orange mud, over slippery rocks, past huge white waterfalls and spectacular views across Bhor Ghat. The area is littered with long forgotten ruins of old forts, temples and stone walls, hidden beneath the undergrowth. Surrounded by jungle, fresh air and birdsong, it is hard to believe you are merely a few hours outside of Mumbai. We spent the night camping on a plateau between the two forts that tower over the village of Rajmachi. Initially we pitched a tent, but the strong winds and heavy rain meant we spent the night in an old temple, which was a unique experience in itself. Dinner was a delicious home cooked meal brought up to us from the village, followed by an evening of ghost stories and jokes which got worse as the evening wore on, we’re still looking for that blue sheep!

After a good night’s sleep (for some of us anyway!) we woke up early, warmed up with a cup of green tea and began the ascent up to Shrivardhan fort. The winding path up the fort started off with gentle stone steps carved into the rock, giving way to a narrow path, precariously close to the near vertical edge. After inching my way along, carefully not looking down, we were inside the fort and could explore and enjoy the feeling of being enveloped in the hazy clouds. While sitting on the upper ramparts, the clouds began to clear and we could really appreciate just how far we had walked.  As the heat of the sun grew stronger we walked down the village of Rajmachi where we were welcomed into one of the villagers’ house for a ‘taashty breakfaasht’ of poha and garam chai. 

Refreshed, we started the long walk back towards home, singing all the way (to the bemusement of the few groups we passed on the way!) All too soon we were heading back to urban life, covered in orange mud and looking vaguely like Oompa Loompas, sad to be leaving the great outdoors behind for another weekend, but looking forward to that nice hot shower!

Today was the festival of Raksha Bandan, where sisters tie a rakhi, or thread bracelet, around the wrists of their brothers as a symbol of their love and affection, in return the brother promises to protect his sisters and always be there for them. This does not necessarily have to be between blood brothers and sisters, a girl can tie a Rakhi on any one that she considers a close brother. However, this bond is taken seriously and the boy and girl will from then on be considered to share the bond of brother and sister, so no getting together later!I was invited by my students at Vatsalya Foundation, a centre for street children, to attend their Rakhi celebrations. Not really knowing what to expect, I arrived in the morning and was greeted by my students Tushar and Nuresh and seated at the back of the room while the ceremony got under way. The boys at Vatsalya were joined by some of the children from the Bandra centre and were all enjoying themselves singing along to the latest Bollywood tracks on the radio while waiting for the other guests to arrive.During a welcome from Ms Swati (Executive Director of the Vatsalya Foundation), all in Hindi, I was busy looking around, watching the children, when suddenly I heard my name and a room full of expectant faces turned to look at me! Before I really knew what was happening, two other volunteer teachers and I were standing at the front of the room, marking the boys’ foreheads with the traditional ‘tikka’ and rice, and tying the Rakhi to their wrists. My first ‘brother’ was a tiny boy, no higher than my knee with a big cheeky grin and huge dark eyes!Once all the Rakhis had been tied, the day continued with singing and dancing in true Indian style. Two young girls gave a great rendition of ‘I’m a little Teapot’ and other nursery rhymes, shouted in an almost military style, followed by Tushar singing a beautiful Hindi song, and a more questionable Akon number, which I hope nobody else in the room understood!At the end of the day I headed back to work, exhausted, but with a big smile on my face. These street boys had shown me so much love, and accepted me as their sister, or ‘didi’, a feeling that I really cannot express in words.  

With a due sense of apprehension, I left Mumbai for a weekend in the river with 5 of my colleagues. After breakfast at The Park, we drove on, through the monsoon rains, to Kolad. A small sign on the side of the road showed us where to park our car and catch a boat across the fast flowing river to our home for the weekend.

When we arrived we were greeted by Jehan and Samar, our guides for the weekend, who also instigated the song of the trip; ‘bana-na-na-na-na’ (to the tune of Frere Jacques) once they learnt my nickname!

Once we had settled into ‘Rose Cottage’ it was time to try our hands at river crossing. This involved hanging on for dear life to a rope while pulling yourself across the raging rapids in 20 feet of water. The current was so strong in places that the rope was shaking and two of our group were swept under the rope just by loosening their grip for a moment. Safely back on dry land, soaked to the skin from the river and the rain, with aching stomachs from holding ourselves upright and laughing so hard, it was time for a delicious lunch and sugary chai.

Before we had completely dried off we were told we were going to spend the afternoon relaxing in the Jacuzzi, however, this was a Jacuzzi with a difference. A short walk upstream led us to a sheltered section of the river where the water swirled to form a ‘cold-tub’! Here you could float round in circles just by taking your feet off the ground. After relaxing in the eddying water we took it in turns to float down the river on a body board, relying only on the current to steer us. This was great fun, and anyone watching from the side of the road must have though we were insane. We finished the afternoon getting to grips with kayaking, before changing into dry clothes and turning our hand to cooking dinner.

However, our day didn’t end here. After dinner we went in search of crabs, snakes and other creepy crawlies on a night hike, armed with torches, raincoats and stylish umbrella hats (ahem!).

Muddy, soggy but happy, we returned to our presidential suite of the camp to enjoy our warm champagne and laugh about the day.

Sunday morning started early, although most of us hadn’t slept much in between fending off the mozzies and scratching all our bites! We had hoped to go white water rafting, but a night of heavy rainfall meant that it was unsafe. So, after a tasty breakfast of uttapam (a type of rice pancake) we packed up our bags and drove to a small village nearby. From here we trekked up hill through gorgeous scenery and over slippery terrain to the top of an impressive waterfall. Here we relaxed on the rocks, some of the braver among us relaxed in the waterfall, and watched the locals playing games of football and taking a monsoon shower.

All too soon our weekend with nature came to an end and we were driving back towards Mumbai, planning our next trip before we even reached the city!

Lost in translation! 

As an English teacher, I hear things every day that make me laugh or smile. Often I forget them by the time I get to writing them down, but this one made me laugh yesterday!

I have a class of beginner level girls from Nepal. Their English is improving well, but their culture is so different not only to mine, but to that of Mumbai and the hotel we work in. I try and bring in some of these cultural differences into class alongside the language and this was an example of this.

While teaching the future, I gave them a sample diary of an imaginary guest and what he planned to do in the next week. This resulted in the sentence ‘On Friday night he is going to have cocktails with his friends.’

One of the students looked at me innocently and asked ‘What’s a cocktail?’ Then her eyes light up and she says ‘Oh, cock, like hen, and tail, like feathers!’

At the beginning of August I spent 6 nights in Hong Kong for a week of shopping, eating and gossip (I met up with my good friend from university while I was there!). Landing at Hong Kong airport was one of the most spectacular arrivals I have experienced. As you start to descend you see all the islands and boats dotted around the sea below, and then Hong Kong, with all its lights and skyscrapers, appears through the clouds.

Hong Kong is a vibrant city, a mix of Chinese flavoured with British colonial touches and gaudy neon lights everywhere you look. Most city skylines look much the same as each other, but here the buildings are all individual and unusual. From the Bank of China building (said to have bad feng shui due to the angular, praying mantis-like appearance) to the towering International Finance Centre, to the smaller colonial buildings; no two are the same. In the evening these buildings come to life with the daily sound and light show which is best enjoyed from one of the harbour side bars.

Behind them all is Victoria Peak where, after taking a tram to the top, you have a spectacular view of the city below. Incidentally, the day we visited Victoria Peak was the first day of what turned out to be a force 8 cyclone, probably not the safest weather to be in a tram clinging to the side of a mountain!

I managed to squeeze a lot of sightseeing into the week, visiting the various districts of the city and went for a day trip to Macau, an ex-Portuguese colony with a distinctly European feel and a lot of casinos! On the day that the typhoon hit we had booked a dolphin watching boat trip. Oblivious to the storms of the previous night we woke early and headed down to the meeting point to join our boat trip. It was only when we got there that we registered the rubbish strewn streets and windswept trees. Unsurprisingly, the boat trip was cancelled and we had to make alternative plans for the day. Because of the extreme weather, all public transport had stopped, and most shops and sights were shut for the day. Down at the harbour we saw the local news crews filming the damage, before heading to the only place open – the cinema, where we watched a Chinese movie. I’m still not sure what it was about!

Away from the commercial shopping areas and designer shops, there are the night markets with a more Chinese feel where you can buy almost anything, including a good bowl of noodle soup! Although you can never completely get away from the fake handbag and watch touts that lurk on every corner. I also had my palm read by a fortune teller in the Temple Street Market, I will have to wait to see if it all comes true!

Hong Kong is an exciting, bustling city with a lot to see and do, although I have to admit I felt a little claustrophobic being surrounded by all those skyscrapers. I would definitely recommend a visit; the dim sum and Peking duck alone are worth the trip and taste even better with the Hong Kong skyline in the background!

In November, my Mum came over to visit for two weeks so we went off to explore Kerala and then spent 3 days in Auragabad, allowing us to experience a variety of different climates, scenery, food, history and people. We left Mumbai and headed down to Cochin where we spent the afternoon taking in all the sights of the city, from the old Jewish Synagogue to the surprisingly beautiful Chinese fishing nets at the harbour. After 7 months in the city it was so refreshing to breathe fresh air and be surrounded by green trees!

Cochin itself is an unusual city comprised of two distinct areas, that of the old town and the new. The new town is a fairly nondescript city with the usual shops, a few low-key hotels and not much else. The old town however is more picturesque with the architecture acting as a constant reminder of the early Portuguese influence. The rapidly depleting Jewish community still maintains a beautiful synagogue, originally built in 1568 and decorated with hand painted Chinese tiles, each one different from the next. After taking in the sights, wandering around the stone paved streets and buying spices and other local souvenirs, we took a relaxing stroll through the fish market and along water’s edge. Here we found a small restaurant nestled under a thatched roof, serving fish and seafood fresh from the sea and cooked to perfection in the simple Tandoor oven.

On our second day we drove out to an old elephant training camp where I had to be reminded that although the hotel allows pets, bringing a couple of elephants back with me might not be appreciated!

After Cochin we drove the 5 hours up into the hills to Munnar. The journey was beautiful, we passed waterfalls, rubber plantations, more goats and cows than I could count and cooled down with a paddle in a stream on the edge of the road. Once in Munnar, we stayed at the Blackberry Hills resort, a cosy cluster of cottages with balconies facing out over the surrounding tea plantations – bliss!

We dragged ourselves away from the view to go watch the traditional Kathakali dance and have an Ayurvedic massage. The massage was an experience in itself, in a small concrete building on the edge on a hill, stripped naked, covered in a herbal smelling oil and lain on a plastic bed in a freezing room! Although I have to say the massage was excellent and very relaxing, once I got used to the surroundings and ignored the power cut and few minutes of chaos somewhere in the middle.

On our second day we went to the Tea Museum where we learnt about the history of the area, as well as the difference between white tea and black tea, and leaf tea and powdered tea (I never knew there were so many types of tea).We also visited the school and vocational centre set up for some of the employees’ children who have mental or physical disabilities. Here we bought some strawberry jam and some paper handicrafts made by the local people.

Another 5 hour drive brought us to the town of Alappuzha where we boarded a houseboat to explore the Keralan backwaters. We spent the rest of the day calmly floating amongst coconut trees, kingfishers, herons, cormorants and the many smaller boats of people going about their daily business. While on board we had the opportunity to sample some of the local food, including some fresh fish from the lakes and, of course, the ubiquitous coconut! In the evening we moored the boat on a deserted section of the backwaters with only the sounds of the fish splashing in the water and birds nesting in the rice paddies. After a peaceful night rocked to sleep but the gentle waves we awoke early to watch the sun rise over the coconut trees before the backwaters fizzled into life with boat loads of people heading to work in the paddy fields.

Our last port of call in Kerala was Kovalam where we stayed at the Leela Kempinski hotel. We managed to fit in a bit of sightseeing in Trivandrum, and then went back to the arduous task of serious poolside relaxation!

After a couple of days back in Mumbai we headed up to Auragabad. Here I was able to indulge the archaeology student in me and visit Daulatabad fort and Ellora caves, both of which were amazing. The fort was built in the 14th century and is an impressive piece of skilled workmanship with a clever moat and tunnel all designed to confuse and defeat any approaching enemy. After walking around the dark tunnels with the bats squeaking in my ears, and seeing the cleverly designed tricks and traps, including a slide directly into the moat of hungry reptiles, I can see why they call it an ‘unconquerable fort’. When our guide put out the light for a few minutes to demonstrate how dark the tunnel is I have to admit I was holding on embarrassingly tight to my boyfriend next to me!

With aching legs after all the climbing at the fort, we headed on to Ellora where I was amazed again by the beauty and detail of the carvings, and by the sheer manpower it must have taken to carve them out of the solid rock.

On our way back to the hotel we stopped at the Panchakki watermill, a site much revered by the locals as an ingenious invention using the nearby river to grind grain to feed the village as well as pilgrims to the adjoining tomb of a Sufi saint. However, as a tourist site, there is nothing of note to see; a couple of large ponds and a small millstone in one corner is all that remains of the working mill.

Another popular site in Aurangabad is Bibi Ka Maqbara, a 17^th century monument nicknamed ‘the poor man’s Taj Mahal’ due to its similarity in appearance, although much smaller in size.

After our long, tiring day walking around in the dust and the heat we were glad to arrive back to the Taj Residency hotel, a somewhat dated, palace-style hotel set in beautiful grounds with the added novelty of a swing seat on the balcony of every room.

These two weeks spent in three distinctly different regions of India have wet my appetite and left me planning my next Indian adventure.

Bademiya, Colaba; famous for its mouth-watering kebabs and ‘local’ setting, was the venue for our first work Dinner Club gathering. Nine of us squeezed around the table on the side of the street, amongst the cars coming and going and the general hustle and bustle of Colaba. Each of us ordered something different, even the strictly vegetarian among us were catered for. We had Baida roti, chicken rolls, Bhuna Ghosht, chicken cream roll, Reshmi kebab, paneer tikka…the list goes on! The meat melted in your mouth, with so many different spices and flavours Although not the five star service we are used to providing, the food arrived quickly and hot from the grill! The paratha were so soft and fresh and the meat so tasty that no one was satisfied with just one and we quickly ordered more! Once we had all eaten as much as we could manage, we headed to Café Mondegar, a popular bar on Colaba Causeway, to wash it all down with a cold beer, or two! Not as infamous as the nearby Leopolds, Café Mondegar (aka Mondys) is always busy with an eclectic mix of young locals and expats from all corners of the globe, attracted as much by the vibrant cartoon-like murals and fun atmosphere as the reasonably priced beer and variety of comfort food. All in all, we had great evening, with more food than we could eat, and all for under Rs400 (about £5) – bargain!

Finally the weeks of waiting were over and from my window seat I could see Mauritius appearing out of the sea beneath me. After a very long wait at immigration, where I had to convince the immigration officer that I was going back to Mumbai and not staying in Mauritius to work, while trying not to cough or sneeze and make him think I had Swine flu, we were on our way to Four Seasons at Anahita.

Mauritius is beautiful and on the drive we passed fields of tall, swaying sugar cane, secluded beaches and families lazing on the verandas of their shady, colonial style houses; I couldn’t get enough of the fresh sea air after leaving pre-Monsoon Mumbai!

After a tour of the resort on a golf buggy we were shown to our room, although here your ‘room’ is a private villa with your own pool, garden, outdoor shower and beach access! Our plans of sightseeing started to evaporate as we realised that actually you could have a great holiday without even leaving the villa!

There were a few familiar (but now tanned) faces around the resort who used to work with me in Mumbai. Chef Suksan took us to a great local restaurant on the first night for some traditional Mauritian fare (traditional here incorporates Indian, Chinese, Mediterranean, French and African cuisines!) and cooked me a Thai feast for my birthday; I’d almost forgotten how much I love his signature Thai Green Curry!

On my birthday we spent the night at the local hang out ‘Green Island’ followed by beers on the beach. We were also joined by some new friends from Four Seasons who helped us cultivate a taste for the local rum! When I returned to my room in the early hours of the morning, housekeeping had decorated the bed with two origami swans and ‘Happy Birthday’ in rose petals – they definitely wowed me!

During the week we visited the island’s capital Port Louis, the nightlife of Grand Baie, some of the smaller towns nearer to the resort and we visited the first Hindu temple on the island, built in traditional Tamil style. We also tried our hand at some of the watersports on offer from kayaking, to sailing, to snorkelling to a more subdued glass bottom boat ride. On my birthday we took a speed boat to Isle aux Cerf, a small island off the coast, where we swam on the beach and snorkelled around the mangroves.

As always on holiday, the time went too fast, but we managed to squeeze in some of the sights, see some good friends and eat a lot of delicious food, including some of the largest prawns I have ever seen! On our last day we visited a friend at home for a lovely lunch (thank you Rasha!) before heading back to the airport and bidding a teary farewell to the island that inspired heaven.

7.30am on a drizzly Sunday morning, Dad and I are up and ready for a relaxing day in the hills, the perfect cure to last night’s cocktail induced hangover. Even taking into account that we are working on IST (Indian Stretchable Time), our car arrives considerably late but by 9 am we are on our way out of the smoggy city, heading towards the peace, quiet and fresh air of the Western Ghat.

After a scenic drive up into the hills, we arrive in Lonavala, along with what appears to be most of Mumbai making their weekend getaway. We head to the popular Fariyas resort for breakfast and a cup of tea before venturing off to see the sights. We had planned to visit Tiger Point, from where you can see across the valley and enjoy the misty weather. However, our driver had other plans.

It soon transpired that our driver was not at all familiar with the local area, not only that, he also refused to either ask for or take directions. This soon meant we were very lost!

The ‘Tiger point’ that we were taken to later turned out to be the Bushy Dam car park, although in the thick fog it could have been the most scenic place in the world and we would have been none the wiser. After being directed to what appeared to be a public latrine to ‘enjoy the view’ while our driver finished his cigarette, we paid a visit to Bushy Dam. Here we made our way through the growing crowds of people, past the cows and squelched through the mud, to climb the steps overlooking the dam. Once the rains are in full force this view must be beautiful, today it is a small puddle in the bottom of a muddy bowl.

We decide that we have had enough sightseeing for one day and drive in the direction of Dukes Retreat, another well known resort in Khandala, the neighbouring town. Or so we thought. Once again our driver takes us on a mystery tour of Lonavala including the long traffic queue over the level crossing, several chikki shops and some deserted narrow lanes. Eventually, many phone calls and several stops for directions later, we arrive at Dukes, which turns out to be in a completely different direction to where we originally headed, but only about 10 minutes from where we started.

Finally we could sit back and have the relaxing day that we had planned, although by now we only had an hour left to enjoy the fresh monsoon air and beautiful view. A refreshing beer while watching the rains advance over the hills and before I knew it I was heading back into city life and the hills of Lonavala now seem a million miles away.