Shopping in Bombay

Sunrise view from our private balcony 

All I want to do is take a shower!

Sorry, you have to wear a Sari

Lunch at the Taj

Nice location for glass of Wine

Calamari at Trishna

Butter Garlic Crab, Pomfret Hyderabadi, Jeera Rice

Kulfi not Coffee

Cognac and Chocolate

Bed, Prepared

We spent the day shopping in Bombay. We are very familiar with the Colaba area around the Taj and felt comfortable just walking around. My vow is to give away to goodwill two items for each one I buy. That way I am will be at least able to justify my shopping by thinning my closet. Actually I won’t be give to Goodwill, although that’s a good option, but instead we have been giving our good, yet unused clothing (doesn’t fit etc.) to a college drama department where they can use the clothes for their theater productions.

We had breakfast outdoors on our patio, watching the sunrise over the bay. Although you see water, it is the bay not the Arabian Sea, Bombay is a peninsula that is surrounded by water (sort of an upside down version of San Francisco). From our room we see the sunrise, not the sunset.

I decided to have a bespoke suit made for me at the Taj. They must have taken 20 different measurements. Now I can't gain or loose any weight. Cathy and I differed on the color of the linen (it is to be a summer suit) and I, of course, bowed to her superior tasteful judgment. A custom made suit, is a joy to wear and I look forward to it. 1^st fitting is tomorrow. The tailors work all night.

The cost for the custom suit? $ 250.00. When I started to think about the price, and thought about the color I originally wanted, I immediately requested a 2^nd suit in my choice of  color. Cathy is getting a sari! Who would have thought? We are ready for our big Bollywood wedding in May!

We returned to the Taj after shopping at some of our favorite stores and had lunch by the pool. There were some Bollywood DVD’s we wanted to buy and we walked to a DVD store, where they had most of what we wanted. Along the way we passed the Modern Art Museum (closed today) but will return to it in a couple of days, there is a show we want to see.

As were returning towards the Taj we passed the Regal Cinema, one of the oldest theatres in Bombay. Jai Ho, its a new movie with Salman Khan was about to start, so we decided to buy tickets. We were in the the dress circle (first rows of the balcony). Signs warned "beware of pickpockets". The theatre wasn't filled so there was no worry. They play the National Anthem and everyone stands before each performance. The movie was entirely in Hindi with no subtitles, but it was such a formula movie we could follow. Good guy (Salman Khan) beats up bad guys (everyone else). 

After the movie we had a leasurily walk back to the Taj and had drinks by the pool. There is something about a Gin and Tonic in India at the Taj, that brings back a feeling from a bygone era. The Raj was fool’s errand but it left its mark for good and bad on both India and Britain. I can’t quite understand the Indian’s fascination with all things British (cricket highest among them), but they do love to emulate their former masters.

After drinks on the patio, we retired to our room for drinks on our deck (do I detect a pattern?). We finally took a taxi to Trishna, our favorite restaurant in Bombay. It specializes in fish. They recognized us from previous visits and I hardly needed to order they knew well what we wanted: Butter Garlic Crab (out of the shell), Pomfret Hyderabadi (in a black pepper fried preparation), Crispy Calamari, Jeera Rice (made with cumin, coriander, butter and cilantro) and Naan. Add a bottle of white wine and it is a perfect meal. We ended with Kulfi (the traditional ice-cream like dessert).

We returned to the Taj for cognac and chocolates in their Palace Club Room.

Before finally going to sleep I finally finished Donna Tartt’s 770 page epic novel The Goldfinch. Tomorrow we will spend with Kashmera.