I am writing this at 3am sitting in the Business Class
Lounge in Mumbai International Airport. It has been a very long day!
After all the activity yesterday at the Ganesh Chaturthi
immersions, we had one more major event left. We were going to The Emmys (or at
least the Indian Version). Krushna was nominated for an award for best comic
actor for his role in Comedy Central. It is a huge TV show in India. The event
was held in Film City, not far from Juhu where most of the Bollywood movies and
Indian TV are shot. It is a huge complex, in a forest like setting.
Early in the morning we went to the Hare Krishna Temple. It
is a huge white marble complex. Clearly they have a lot of money to build and
maintain it. There are dormitories and restaurants. It is very organized.
In the afternoon I had a massage and Cathy had her hair
done, then it was off to the Emmys (Actually called The Indian Telly). It was
monsooning on and off all day, but we eventually made it through all the
traffic. Krushna was a featured performer at the event, in a Los Vegas style
dance number, with acrobats, flames, fireworks and trapeze artist. He is a
great dancer.
Kashmera and Aarti were presenters of awards. When they got
to Krushna’s category, he won. We cheered, and clapped.
Soon after we returned to Juhu Marriot to check out at
1:00am and head to the airport to catch our flight to Dubai and back to the states.
I have so many movie clips I combined then into just a few clips.
One thing I meant to mention in yesterday’s blog, was while
we were eating Dim Sum in at the Taj, a woman breezed in late to join a group
of women at a table. She came in like a diva bitch, and I had an instant dislike
to her. She sat at the next table, so I never saw her face again. There was
something about her that rubbed me wrong. What a diva bitch aura she projected.
When we left Cathy said that the woman looked like Kajol, a major Bollywood
star – however she was too young to be her. Turns out it was her. So my
negativity about her entrance was offset by Cathy thinking she looked younger
then her actual age.
We had breakfast this morning in the club room at the
Marriot, then we went for a walk. We went to the famous Prithvi Theatre, which
is very near the hotel. The theater is Mumbai’s most famous theater. It turns
out that there was a question and answer session with Naseeruddin Shah in
session when we arrived, unfortunately it was sold out. We have seen many of
his movies.
When we returned to the hotel I had a massage and Cathy a
facial. She looks radiant!
Everyone at this large hotel that we talked to recommended
that we don’t leave the facility today. The streets will be clogged with people;
it can get very wild and rowdy. The hotel is situated between the main street
of Juhu and the magnificent wide beach. Up to half-million people will be
clogging both sides of the hotel, street and beach. The beach access to the
hotel was closed off for security reasons.
Kashmera thankfully had arranged for a bodyguard for us.
I never expected to receive a message from a hotel saying
“Your bodyguard is waiting for you in the lobby”. We went down and met Nandeep.
He looked like a bodyguard. Over 6 feet tall, all muscle, huge arms, tight
shirt. We headed out where we were told not to go: the street and the beach. It
was amazing being guarded by him. He walked ahead of us, occasionally turning
his head to checkup on us. As we walked through crowds he would gently touch
anyone in our way, and moved them so we could walk through the crowd without
being hassled. He was so subtle that the people being moved never realized it
was happening. He was the opposite of pushy, he was totally discreet as he did
his job. He was a real professional. If a drunk came by or anyone seemed to be
getting to close to Cathy, he said a few words and they backed away leaving us
alone. We couldn’t have been out there alone without him. Lots of people on the
beach saw us: two white people, obviously not Indians, being escorted by a bodyguard.
The Marriot, as I said before, is the home for Bollywood stars. So some people
decided we must be American stars and would gawk at us. It was a very unusual
experience for us. Although he was an employee, we felt like we were being
escorted by a friend.
Nandeep clearing a way for us.
I took lots of movies and pictures but nothing can really do
the Ganesh Chaturthi justice. Starting about 4pm millions of Hindus descend on
the beaches of Maharashtra (the state that Mumbai is in). They estimate 500,000
people will go to our Juhu beach. Idols of Lord Ganesh are brought to the sea.
Some are hand carried, larger ones on the back of trucks. The families and
villages that sponsor the Idols sing, chant, pray, ring bells, and generally
have a hell of a good time as they carry them down to the Arabian Sea. At any
given time if you look around there could be dozens of idols all sizes being
carried to their watery immersion. There is a large security presence and
plenty of volunteers, yet it is chaos as only India can create. Men and boys
carry the idols as far out to sea as they can, before the idol topples over or
is set free to float away. As an idol is carried by the sea, people gather and
follow it. Once it is immersed or the crowd surges towards other idols being
marched to the sea. Many idols are set on the sand and prayer service is held.
Cathy was even asked to participate in one service. Everyone is very welcoming.
Day Immersions movie Clip
Cathy doing Puga
After a long walk on the beach we returned to our hotel
room, which has a spectacular view of the beach and the activities below. We
went for an Indian dinner at the hotel. Cathy stayed behind, but Nandeep and I
ventured back to the beach to watch more immersions. At night spotlights sweep
the ocean lighting the idols and the waves. It is quite a sight.
Immersions at Night
After we had watched many immersions Nandeep escorted me
back to the hotel. I would never have gone outside the hotel without him by my
side, I was dubious when Kashmera said we needed a bodyguard, she was correct.
Dim Sum Lunch: Crispy Spinach, Shu Mei, Pot Sticker
Juhu Beach from our Hotel Suite Window
View of Bombay from K & K's New Condo
Kashmera and Krushna
Today was the day we checked out of the Taj. I know I am
being repetitive but I don’t think there could be a better hotel experience
anywhere. I have thought a lot about what makes the Taj Palace in Mumbai so extraordinary.
It has a hundred year tradition of service excellence. It is a big hotel, which
means it has every possible kind of facility. It is located in a very low wage country,
which means it has a huge staff and they are very excited and happy to have a
job and want to excel. It is a very large company that offers the staff a
pathway to success and it motivates the staff to excellence. I imagine that
there are hotels in Paris or London or Monaco that could rival the Taj, but
they would be prohibitively expensive. Because Bombay is so hot and humid
(especially during Monsoon) there is no pretentiousness they give you all of
this service even if you are in a sweat drenched tee-shirt and shorts. To us it
is perfect.
We had a final lunch at the Taj (in fact it was the first
lunch we had on the whole vacation to India, we usually only eat breakfast and
dinner). We ate at the Taj’s Chinese restaurant and had Dim Sum. The test of
Dim Sum to me is: Shu Mei, and theirs was excellent. The lunch expanded to Pot
Stickers, Hakka Noodles and giant prawns. We were satiated and thought we could
never eat again (we were wrong).
The whole trip to India was based upon arriving in Mumbai to
experience Ganesh Chaturthi, the 10 day festival where idols of Lord Ganesh
(The Elephant God) are immersed in the sea. We went to Chowpatty Beach and saw
immersions of small family idols. The events throughout Mumbai are very
regulated. Tomorrow is the big day. The grand finale. The big kahunna of idol
immersions. Hundreds of thousands of people will crowd the beach for the
festival. Kashmera and Krushna provided us with an incredible suite at the
Marriot in Juhu. Juhu and the small towns like Bandra are where most of the
Bollywood stars live. This is near where Film City is located where the Bollywood movies are
made. The Marriot is in the center of it, where all of their major Bollywood functions are
held, and the stars stay. Our suite has all glass windows floor to ceiling
looking out on the beach (including our shower and bathroom - memo to self be sure to lower the blinds before showering). For our safety, we can watch the entire procedure
from our room (and be air-conditioned to boot). They have hired body guards for
us, so we can venture out into the crowds tomorrow if we wish.
Kashmera and Krushna have just bought a large condo on Madh Island. Bombay was originally a series of islands that were subsequently connected as
the water between them was filled in. Madh Island is one of the islands, and it
is still separated from the main city by a small creek. Nothing can prepare you for the trip to Madh Island. Bombay, known as Maximum City, the center
of entertainment and finance is huge, with high rises everywhere, jammed
traffic, construction gone wild. In the middle of the city is an active fishing village that
could be 150 years old, one long dirt road, no sign of progress, happy people,
seemingly oblivious to living in the middle of this great city. At the end of this
dirt road, is a muddy path to what can only generously be called a pier. A boat
appears, two rickety boards are stretched out from the decrepit boat and people and motorbikes scamper
aboard, trying not to fall into the water from the gangway. The boat shoves off for its 5 minute ride across the
water, everyone exits and you walk up another muddy rise to the dirt road above.
Kashmera and Krushna have 5 cars and drivers. We keep
switching cars and drivers. I feel like I am in a gangster movie. One car and
driver takes us to the ferry. Another car and driver meets us on the other side.
Another car is parked along the way and we switch to a smaller car to navigate
into the village. After crossing the water on the rickety ferry, being met by a
driver and driven through another old fishing village we arrive at their new condo. It is
in a gigantic new construction that reminds me of a Los Vegas Hotel with all of
the trimmings. The juxtaposition of the wealth of the condo and the poverty of
the village is unbelievable. Here is view of Bombay from their balcony and their new condo.
Krushna is a major TV star and Kashmera is a
Bollwood and TV Celebrity. Everywhere we go people recognize them and want to
have their picture taken with them or just shake Krushna’s hand. They are
incredibly accommodating to their fans, unlike American stars they are totally approachable. They stop for pictures and usually the person slides up next to
them and they put their arms around the stranger and pictures are taken. The
smiles on the people are amazing, I am sure for some of these people the
picture of themselves with a Bollywood star will be a lifetime memento.
We picked up Krushna’s father and he joined us for dinner.
We went to our 2nd Chinese dinner of the day at 1China. We had eaten
there before and liked it. Krushna’s father should have a movie made about him.
He took an instant liking to Cathy and me. Thought we were saints. His judgment
clearly needs to be tempered. He is very spiritual, extremely loquacious, sometimes
drops his speech into a guttural Hindi, repeats himself (which is ok when is repeating we
are saints). He has a very strong personality, and although I am not sure of
everything he said (no matter how many times he said it), it was a kick to be
with him. He reminds me of village character actor in foreign movie. Not a bad
thing at all!
We drove with Krushna and Kashmera back to their current
condo, switched drivers and he drove Krushna’s father (gosh just realized I
don’t even know his name) home then dropped us off at the Marriot.
I strung a bunch of clips of the ride through the village to
Krushna and Kashmera’s new place and the walk from the ferry to the car. Do remember this is all located in the
middle of Mumbai not some distant village!
Today was Tom’s last day in Mumbai. We decided to go rug
shopping. There is a guidebook that we like: “Love Mumbai” that recommends only
2 rug dealers in all ofMumbai. I
am sure there are thousands, but what the hell, we decided to go with what the
book recommended. The dealer we chose was about an hour from the drive the Taj.
Our driver had great difficulty finding the store. However Google Maps was
actually accurate as to the address. Mumbai is a close second to Tokyo in the
race to have a city where you can’t find anything. A typical Mumbai address
would be: “Across the street from the post office, up a block from the fire
station, near the intersection that is under construction.” Basically people
drive to a location near where they want to go, then roll down a window and ask
someone. Sometimes they are lucky and get an answer that is correct.
On the drive to the rug merchant, we drove around to show Tom Mukesh Ambani's house. It is the most expensive home in the world. He spent over 1 Billion dollars to build this 27 story house. 3 people live in it, it has a staff of over 200 people to maintain it. There are multiple guards with machine guns around the entrance. Talk about flashing your wealth!
Our driver after many calls to the store for directions, eventually found
the rug dealer. I think all rug dealers in India are Kashmeri. I know that when
you negotiate with them you are going to loose. We went into the basement store
and they started pulling out rugs to show. There are a lot of variables in what
makes a fine rug, thread per inch, design, quality of the silk, etc. Basically
it finally boils down to what do you like, what can you afford and how hard do
you want to bargain. Most people think cricket is the Indian National Sport, it
isn’t bargaining is!
One interesting thing I learned was that Silk rugs look
different depending upon how you look at them. They would show us a design and
you would see a color. They would then spin the rug around 180 degrees and it
would be a totally different shade. I did come to realize I like the feel of
silk rugs.
Tom turned out to be a great negotiator. Once he decided in
his mind what he wanted, he must have spent another hour taking pictures,
walking around the rug, asking prices, getting email address so he could
contact the dealer if wanted the rug. The Kashmeri dealer knew if he allowed to Tom leave without buying the rug, he would never hear from Tom again. Tom kept
asking questions, looking at the rug, not committing. Finally after an hour of
this subtle negotiations, they reached a price they both agreed upon. I
wondered if it would happen. Tom knew what he was doing.
We returned to the Taj, dumped off our 3 rugs (2 for Tom,
and did I mention we bought one too). Final score: Kashmeri team 3, Los Angeles
team 0.
Cathy and I went for tea in the club room (actually lime
soda) then went out to rest by the pool. Soon it was time for cocktails
(courtesy of the Taj). We met our new friends Richard and Anil from England
over drinks. Soon it was time for dinner. Once again we ate a Marsala Craft,
the exceptional Indian restaurant at the Taj. Crab, flaming Kashmei Lamb, Dal,
Rice, Roti, Gobi (cauliflower) of course, and Okra. We think of Okra as slimy,
Indians cook it crispy with onions, it is delicious.
Here is a short video of serving the Kashmeri lamb. It was delicious!
We then retreated to the Club room for Cognac and chocolates
courtesy once again on the Taj. It was then time to see Tom off to the airport.
We are really happy that Tom and Scott enjoyed India. We then returned to the
Club Room to finish our drinks and staggered up to our room.
The Taj Palace where we are staying and the Taj Tower
A Ganesh Statue pre-immersion
Street Docorations
Another Ganesh
Anti-Terrorist Sign
Tandoori Chicken, Pomfret, Gobi, Eggplant
Jeera Rice, Dal
Today was a typical monsoon day in Bombay. Rain, rain stops,
rain starts again, rain stops. It was very humid, when you were outside you
were either soaked from sweat or soaked from the rain. It made no difference.
Late in the day we came back to the Taj after a walk. We were soaked with
sweat. We were then going to meet Tom and some new people we met for drinks.
Then we would be going out for dinner. At home we would definitely had showered
and put on fresh clothes. Here we are staying at probably the best hotel in the
world, and we said “screw it, why bother?” Two minutes after we walked out of
the air-conditioning we would be soaked again either from sweat or from rain.
We started by walking to an antique store a few blocks from
the Taj. By the time we got there we were dripping wet (not from rain). The
store had great Indian artifacts. We spent a lot of time there. Just before we
left the monsoon struck. It was really raining hard. We grabbed a cab back to
the Taj, and traded our still dry shoes for the rubber boots that Kashmera had
insisted we bring with us. We then went out and hired a cab, to take us from
store to store. Between the cab and the rubber boots we remained dry (at least
from the rain).
After returning to the hotel and resting, we went out for
another walk. The rain had stopped. Today was a day when there would be no
immersions of Ganesh Idols. It is very regulated over the 10 day festival. Immersions occur only on odd numbered days. People have Ganesh idols in their
home which they will then take to the water. In addition, neighborhoods sponsor
Ganesh and structures that are built to house them. Everyone comes and looks and
prays at them. It is almost like a neighborhood contest to see who could make
the best idol. We viewed many of them on our walk.
We had briefly met two men who were staying on the same
floor as us at the Taj. We ran into them on the elevator and then
several other times. We invited them to join us for a drink at the Club Room. The
Taj has free cocktails in the club room every evening. It turned out one of
them had been to India 60 times. He is obsessed with India. Both are professors
of Law. One who is from Trinidad is an aficionado and critic of Bollywood
movies. He is originally from Trinidad and is quite amusing. The other from
England is a serious gardener. It made for an intriguing time, as Cathy
discussed Bollywood and Tom discussed flowers. The Trinidadian had just bought
and read a book about Cathy’s favorite Indian movie: Rang de Basanti. He
generously gave the book to Cathy. We exchanged numbers and will probably meet
again tomorrow for cocktails. We invited them to join us for dinner, but I
think they only drink!
We took a cab to a Punjabi restaurant that we had previously
been to: Shere-e-Punjabi. They have two identical restaurants on opposite side
of the street. One serves Alcohol the other doesn’t. Guess which one we went
to? It turns out they only had one half bottle of wine left to sell. So I
volunteered to drink an Indian Beer while Tom and Cathy shared the wine. We
returned back to the hotel, and I got a kick out of the driver. No one in
Mumbai stops for a red light. They just drive through them. I don’t understand
why there aren’t more accidents!
Late at night the Taj serves free Cognac and Chocolates.
Another trip to the club room was in order to top off the night.
We have stayed at the Taj Palace many times. We have stayed
at very good hotels elsewhere. No other hotel measures up to the level of
service at the Taj. It is the closest one can come to living like royalty. Everything
about staying at the Taj is special. The BBC is doing a four part series about the Taj Hotel called Hotel India. You can watch a trailer here.
Tandori Gobi, Crab in Butter Garlic Sauce, Shrimp in Curry Sauce, Rice
Late Night Chocolate and Cognac at the Taj
Today was our first full day in Mumbai. We had a breakfast buffet
at the Taj, then went shopping. The Taj has a wonderful bookstore, a jewelry store
that we always check out, a shoe store called Joy we like - so there are lots
of shopping opportunities.
Tom and Scott left for a tour of Elephanta Island (an island
about an hour by boat from the Taj with historic Hindu and Buddhist caves) but
that didn’t pan out. The Prime Minister of Australia was coming to the Taj and
for security reasons they wouldn’t allow boat trips to Elephanta island today.
Security was very heavy at the hotel, and the red carpet was rolled out,
streets were blocked and I watched the Prime Minister's caravan of cars arrive.
The Taj is the place that all major titans of industry, movie stars and
political leaders stay when they come to Bombay.
The Taj is in a class by itself. We love it. An example: we
got caught in a monsoon. We were soaked to the bone. Our shoes and clothing
were drenched. We arrived back at the hotel and went to our room to take a
shower and clean up. We left our soaking clothes and shoes in the bathroom to
hopefully dry overnight. I had an idea. I called the butler and asked if they
can dry our shoes. “Of course” he said (now that I think of it, knowing how to
dry shoes in a monsoon area must be quite common skill). The butler quickly
came to our suite and then asked us if he can also take all of our wet clothes and have them washed
and dried. He then spontaneously asked if we would like some hot tea to warm us
up. It was extraordinary service indeed. I can get used to butlers!
Once the guide explained to Tom and Scott the tour of
Elephanta island was an impossibility they decided to take a city tour with the
guide. They enjoyed the tour and then returned to the Taj to meet up with us.
Shopping was then on the agenda for all of us, followed by high tea.
Cathy and I then decided to go to Chawpatty Beach.The beach is famous for Ganesh Chaturthi
celebrations when thousands of people from all over Mumbai come to immerse their
idols of Lord Ganesh in the Arabian Sea. This is the reason that we had come to
India in the hot summer months. Previously we had only gone to India in the
cooler winter. Everyone knows Ganesh, the God who is the remover of obstacles. He
is India’s favorite God. He is portrayed as the elephant god, with the head of
an elephant on a human body. For some reason, which I will never understand
only in Maharashtra State (the state where Bombay is located) they have a
yearly festival that honors Lord Ganesh. The celebration is big, huge, the
entire city of Bombay comes to a standstill for 10 days. We have seen many
Bollywood movies that use this festival as a backdrop. We always wanted to see
these immersions.
People build or buy idols of Lord Ganesh, they then proceed
to take these idols to the sea and immerse them in the water. They march their
idols, proudly carrying them, singing, dancing, playing drums, setting off
fireworks, and generally having a hell of a good time. In addition the festival
is always during monsoon season, so everyone gets soaked from the rains. How
could one resist going to such a festival? I am writing this at 12:30am and I
can hear drums and crowds and fireworks outside of the Taj. It doesn’t stop.
We grabbed a cab to take to Chawpatty Beach, one of the
immersion sites and proceeded to walk to the water. It was a joyous sight for
us watching the people bring their idols to toss into the sea.
Here is a short movie clip of the immersions.
Most of the people carried their idols out to sea. Bigger idols were loaded on a raft that took them out to sea to get dumped.
Here they are loading the raft.
All of a sudden
out of nowhere the Monsoon turned on – full blast. Our umbrella was useless in
the deluge. Some people took shelter, others just continued in the warm rain.
We laughed, remembered walking in the summer rains as children, and were
totally happy to be drenched to the bone. We wanted to experience the
immersions of Ganesh Chaturthi – our wish was fulfilled. We loved it and plan
to do again on this trip.
We grabbed a cab to return to the hotel the driver didn’t
mind 2 soaking wet people getting in the back seat and returned to the Taj.
Here is a short clip from our cab ride to the Taj where you can hear the music and watch people load an idol on the back of a truck to take to sea.
After cleaning up, it was cocktail time. Tom and Scott came to our suite and we
drank 2 bottles of wine. We then said a sad goodbye to Scott who had to leave
Bombay for his mother's Birthday in Taiwan.
Tom joined Cathy and me for a dinner at our favorite
restaurant: Trishna, where we ordered all of our favorite dishes, Crab, Shrimp,
Gobi, Dal, Pomfret, Calamari. Another bottle of wine was consumed. It was then
a cab ride back to the Taj, for Cognac and Chocolates, then to bed. What a day!
Today was devoted to travel. We left Dharamsala descending
once again from the high mountain towards the airport. Because of the rain some
of the direct roads were washed out, but we eventually got to the airport with
plenty of time to spare.
The security at the airport was extremely thorough. They
checked our identity several times. There are few direct flights between cities
in India. For many locations you have to fly through Delhi. We actually flew in
a small prop plane seating about 40 people, a type of plane we hadn’t been in
quite awhile.
After a short layover in Delhi we headed for Mumbai also
known as Bombay (they are used interchangeably) A.K.A “Maximum City”. We have
been to Mumbai many times, this is Scott / Tom’s first visit. The monsoon rains
were pelting the city as we drove in at dusk. During the over hour ride to the
Taj Palace, the rain would start then stop again. The rain made the traffic,
always bad, worse. People were out strolling and shopping, some with umbrellas,
most without - disregarding the showers.
When we checked into the Taj, there was confusion about our
rooms. Although we had confirmed reservations for a sea view (our preference)
none were available. We have always spoken highly of the Taj and its service to
Tom and Scott and were surprised at the lapse. The manager was very gracious, offered
us a free dinner and promised to move us to sea-facing rooms tomorrow with a
double upgrade of quality. The suites we both have now are spectacular (minus
the view). They are extremely large, dining room, living room, bedroom, and
huge marble bathroom. We have been to many Indian homes. This suite is bigger!
Tom and Scott immediately understood the inspiration for our recent bath
remodel.
Tom wanted to have a crisp shirt to wear for dinner,
apparently the one he wanted to wear was wrinkled, when he called the butler
for his suite for an Iron and ironing board, he was surprised when the Butler
just took the shirt and disappeared to get it ironed. Tom has a new
appreciation of Butler service.
We ate a Marsala Craft, the Taj’s Indian restaurant. We had
great food, lots of appetizers. We were trying to figure out what to have for
entrees and the waiter told us that someone had a pre-ordered a whole chicken
cooked en croute (cooked inside of bread wrap), it has to be ordered 24 hours
in advance. They apparently were a no show for dinner, and we could have it if
we wanted. It serves 4 and was a perfect choice. It was succulent and fragrant.
We then had desserts. Two bottles of wine later, it was almost midnight and we
were ready for bed. I think Tom and Scott went on to explore the hotel.
