Enjoying Good Indian Food These Last Days

Saturday, Aug. 23, 2008--Mumbai

I left my hotel around 9:00 a.m. I was glad to get out of there. To move, however, I had to shift my heavy things from my suitcase to my backpack. One of the wheels now no longer works at all. Since the rubber came off, the plastic deteriorated fast, and there is almost a whole worn in the case from pulling it along. Then I just carried the suitcase. It was still burdensome, but I managed. I just worry a bit about my final travels until I get to Copenhagen. In Georgia, I may be able to find a place where I can put what I need in the backpack and check the suitcase in Tblisi for several days while I am traveling around the country. For the trip to Lithuania which is after I arrive in Denmark, I will take only my backpack, I think, and leave the suitcase in Grethe's apartment while I am gone.

My new room is so nice. The manager remembers me from when I was staying here two years ago. He's a nice man who has been very helpful. The room itself is freshly painted and clean. There is satellite TV and a/c. It's just so easy to stay in the room and be entertained with my books and TV. For the most part, that is what I will be doing. There is nothing for me to see here in Mumbai that is new, so I will go out a while each day and then return to my room to pass much of the time there.

My neighborhood is a conservative Muslim one. Many men where white clothing with white headcaps. And most of them have long beards. But they are nice men who help me when I ask questions and are pleased when I eat in their restaurants and enjoy their food. Today, I went to one and had chicken biriyani. It was my first meat dish in a long time. And it was so good. They made it very spicy for me. The chicken was white meat. And the cost of the meal was 75 cents U.S.

I stayed in the room during the late afternoon and evening except for running out briefly to by me some snacks for dinner--two samosas filled with a spicy potato-vegetable mixture and one sweet samosa-shaped piece of dough soaked in honey. I watched The Chipmonks Movie on TV.

I finished reading Holy Cow by Sarah MacDonald. The opening is about her negative reactions to India when she goes there fresh out of college. She writes hilariously about it all. But 40% of the book or more is about her return 11 years later to be with her fiance who is assigned there for work. She goes on a spiritual exploration of all the religions of India and finds both good and bad in each as she adjusts to living in the country and tries to find her own beliefs. I gave the book 2 1/2 stars out of 4.

Sunday, Aug. 24, 2008--Mumbai

I decided to Walk to the Victoria and Albert Museum thinking I had not been there before. It is further away from the main part of town than most of the sites here. But when I arrived I recognized it immediately and remembered that it had been closed and under restoration when I had been there before. Next to it is also the zoo in the Victoria Gardens. I first went into the zoo, so happy that they were charging foreigners the same 5 rupees (12 1/2 cent U.S.) that they were charging locals that I didn't even ask for the free admission it said I could have for being over 60 years of age. There isn't much to see in the zoo, but it is a pleasant garden area. Also, I always enjoy watching the people in such places. Afterwards, I checked the museum. It was charging foreigners 10 times what it charges locals, so I decided to pass rather than let them gouge me.

Just outside the zoo, I stopped at a Muslim restaurant and had paneer masala. It was very spicy and delicious. And again, the people there seemed to appreciate that I would eat there and that I enjoyed the food.

Today is a Hindu festival day. There are trucks of young men driving all over the city. They wear t-shirts and shorts. People throw water ballons at them, getting them soaking wet. At certain places, the trucks stop and the men form tall pyramids so that the top person can reach a ball hanging from a line and hit it. Also, there are bands marching in the streets. Of course, eventually, it gets so wild that everyone is a target of the water balloons. I got hit on the leg, but it dried quickly.

Returning to my hotel, I took a different route and got lost temporarily. I knew I was in the neighborhood, but I had to ask directions several times. Somehow I had gone past my street. I think it occurred when I got caught in a traffic jam due to the Hindu celebrants and backed up and went a different way. Anyway, I stopped at a very nice bakery and bought a small box of special Indian sweets. And soon I was on my street and knew how to go to get to my hotel.

Monday, Aug. 25, 2008--Mumbai

I was up early. I took the train to town. We were crushed together to the point that it was hard to breathe. I went to the Thai Airlines office only to learn that it has moved to an area where I was on Friday. I went to the building there where I was told it is only to find that it has moved again, but this time only a few buildings away. Finally, I got there and got my flights confirmed for tomorrow night. I also got directions to Turkish Airlines which is flying those flights. I went there and got seat assignments for both of my upcoming flights with them.

Because of the crush getting onto the train, one of the pins on my watch got pulled off. The watch was hanging by only one pin. I passed a stand on the street where two men were repairing watches and cell phones. He had a pin and put it in for me. It cost 2 rupees--5 cents U.S.!

I returned to the restaurant where I had the cheap biriyani two days ago and had Afghan Chicken this time. It was a chicken breast battered in a soft egg batter (much like is used for chille relleno) and served in a dark, spicy sauce. I got rice to go with it. Ummm and only $1.25 U.S.! I'm going to miss my new "find" here in Mumbai when I leave here.

I'll go back to the room to enjoy the a/c, the satellite TV, and the book I am now reading for the rest of the day.