Jan 14-15 Monkeys and Mumbai

Since our Airbnb would be occupied the night of Jan 14, we decided to stay in Mumbai for that night.

The famous Taj Mahal Hotel. Also where there was a huge massacre in 2008.

View of Taj Mahal Hotel and Gateway of India at night, photo taken from Elephanta Ferry

Some trains are pretty crowded

On our way to the train station, I saw my first monkey of the day. As we waited for the Uber, the monkey leaped onto a wall into the brush. I didn't get a chance to take a picture, but I remember that the monkey was larger than the dogs chasing it away.

On the way to the train station, we passed a more central part of Pune. There were many murals painted for G20 and the streets felt cleaner in those areas. In addition, I saw runners for the first time since arriving! Probably white collar professionals.

The train station was quite a busy place, though not as bad as I was anticipating. Still, there were many porters carrying luggage on their heads (quite a skill). There were also people pulling carts / flatbeds with various goods to transport on the trains. People walked freely on the train tracks and I watched in awe as some ladies climbed up a wall from the train tracks instead of using the normal exit. They are fit!

 

People walking on the tracks

At the station, I got bit by a mosquito. I only took care of one bite, and the other bite became my mini health crisis of the trip. In the end, strictly enforcing a regimen of antihistamine crème and Benadryl throughout the trip did the job of calming my allergic reaction.

Many of the stations we passed on the train were either blue and white or red and white. Blue stands for the god Krishna, while red has many layers of meaning from fierceness to purity. Another common color I noticed here is orange, particularly orange marigolds which are at basically every celebration.

There were also many pretty views between Pune and Mumbai. Unfortunately photos don't do them justice.

The train we took was the newest high-speed rail in India. We stayed in the Executive Class (EC) train car, which was very similar to the high-speed train cars in Italy/Europe. Everyone spoke English here and wore Western clothes. This made me feel more comfortable but also made me more cognizant of class differences. The Brigadier at NavGurukul commented that English is the language of the upper class, and that rang true in this upper class train car.

Once in Mumbai, a taxi driver who Rishika’s uncle frequently rides with met us at the train station. We drove to the Gate of India; Vidya and I acquired ferry tickets to the Elephanta caves while Isa and Rishika acquired food.

We waited in line for the Elephanta Caves (a UNESCO heritage site), but realized that it was the line to board the ferry only after reaching the front of the line. We asked the tourists in front of us where to purchase tickets and they directed us to the sus guys walking around. Thankfully, the prices were stated on the tickets so not much bargaining was needed.

Boarding the boat

On the boat, I saw lot more PDA in Mumbai than in Pune, though normal by American standards. PDA is basically taboo in most parts of India, but the Western influences in Mumbai likely contribute to the greater freedom. It could also be that these were young couples still enamored by romance.

We brought our lunch (sandwiches from Smokehouse Grill) onto the ferry. It was great to enjoy the food while admiring the docks and boats surrounding Mumbai – a strong port city. When we reached Elephanta Island, it was very interesting that they tied us to another boat tied to the dock instead of directly to the dock.

On the island, there were many cows as usual but also many monkeys. These monkeys were much smaller than the one I saw earlier in the day. Visitors liked to feed the cows and monkeys alike – corn to cows and ice pops to monkeys.

 

It's eating an ice pop.

After walking uphill for a bit, we reached the caves. The entrance fee for Indians is 40 INR but 600 INR for foreigners! While in Indian, we decided to be Indian. We tried to see if we could get an Indian to purchase tickets for us instead. We convinced someone to buy tickets for us, but the guards stopped us. Even though we tried to walk confidently, we stood out too much. They said that Rishika and Vidya pass for Indian but not me and Isa. They charged us 1000 INR to “make up” for the admissions fees for me and Isa, but that surely went into their own pockets. If the admissions fee was being put to good use, we might have preferred to make up the difference at the ticket counter instead of handing it over to corrupt security personnel.

The caves are similar to some of the Armenian monasteries in that they were dug into the side of mountains. However, the caves featured Hindu gods and there were more chambers (rooms) than the monasteries.

 

Part of the drainage system? 🤔

 

On the ferry back, we got to sit at the front of the boat at the small cost of 10 INR per person. Soon, we were swarmed by seagulls. I thought the seagulls were playing in the new air flow patterns created by the ferry’s interference with the wind, similar to how pigeons swoop around a subway car.  I thought it was a cool sight until I realized that people were feeding the seagulls chips. The seagulls caught ringed snacks that were tossed to them and snatched midair bites of snacks held in outstretched hands. Long term, this is not only bad for seagulls, but also bad for humans. The birds waste so much energy for bites of processed food. They also grew aggressive sometimes. While it may be entertaining to watch animals up close, it would not be fun to have a swarm of seagulls peck at you with their sharp beaks if you fail to give them what they want.

 

(One of them also pooped on me, though that is not why I’m against feeding them.)

The docks by Elephanta Cave

 

Seagulls were fun and game at first...

Sunset!!!

We wanted to visit some art galleries afterwards, but we wouldn’t get there in time since transportation takes so long around here. So we opted to get some street food. But not from the street.

We drove along Marine Drive to Swati Snacks, a restaurant which serves street food-style dishes. The wait for a table alone would be 30 min, so we ordered takeout to eat at the hotel and instead waited 30 min for the food only.

 

Clockwise from left: khichdi, pav bhurji, pav vada (center), bhel puri, panki chatni, satpadi roti

Here’s the spread:

My favorites were the satpadi roti and the pav bhaji, followed by the panki chatni and bhel puri.

• Panki chatni – turmeric rice crepes steamed in banana leaves. Crepes were thin and soft. Banana leaves were slightly charred, so crepes infused with savory (rounded) plant flavor. Served with cilantro chutney.
• Satpadi roti, gatta nu shak – Gujarati specialty. Roti/paratha (layered) made with seven grains and spices. Gatta nu shak is what’s actually called curry here. Curry here typically refers to a gravy made with yogurt and spices; the British simply expanded the term to mean all things with gravy. The curry was creamy and rich and mellow in spices. Not much cumin, coriander, or warm spices to me – so different form the typical spice mix I’ve been exposed to. There were little dumplings (unfilled) made out of besan (chickpea) flour in the sauce.
• Sabudana khichdi – Khichdi is one of the sick foods in India. It’s made of tapioca balls (which remind me of pearl couscous in texture), salty cheese (similar to feta), and peanuts for crunch. It’s pretty much unspiced - it was topped with cilantro and may have had a few cumin seeds.
• Pav bhaji – soft buttered bread with a curry (in the English sense) of mixed vegetables. This curry was a bit sweet, characteristic of Gujati style cooking. The spices, vegetables, and sweetness were balanced and created a depth of flavor.
• Pav vada – potato patty in a soft bun. This version was quite spicy.
• Bhel puri – Rishika was a bit concerned about this since it’s not cooked, but she also has gotten sick too many times in India to risk it. For me, it’s yolo. Puffed rice with crispy threads, red onions, cilantro. Sweet and sour (from tamarind sauce) and just a little spicy.

My favorites were the satpadi roti and the pav bhaji, followed by the panki chatni and bhel puri.

The hotel we stayed out was pretty fancy. It is a bit of a culture shock for me to think that US college students could afford to stay at a five-star hotel here. Even lower-income Westerners can be part of the upper-echelons of society here. So what does that mean for the lower-class locals here?

 

Behind the rich tapestry, courtyards, and well-dressed servers and room staff, there are still flaws here. The bathroom door didn’t lock and some of the bathrooms stank. While everything seemed fine on the surface, there were signs of trouble lurking beneath the surface…Anyway, just a statement about many things in life.

 

Breakfast was included in our stay. There were many stations: traditional Indian food, dosa, idli, Western food, omelettes, fruits, yogurt, pastries, and drinks. Here’s what I tried:

• Turdka idli – spices coat the outside of idli. Fermented dal and rice in idli bring complex tanginess. Typically spiced with curry leaves, turmeric, mustard seeds, coriander, and red chili powder so more aromatic than spicy.
• Grains
• Poha – “flattened rice,” mildly spiced with turmeric and others, also onions, coriander, and peanuts for crunch
•  Pongal – mung bean and rice porridge, mildly spiced including mustard seeds and curry leaves
• Masala oats – oatmeal with savory spices
• Fried foods
•  Pakora – vegetables battered with gram (chickpea) flour. Sort of like tempura?? Gram flour keeps everything pretty light.
• Medu vada – fried dough rings made with urad dal, love the slight sourness paired with a little bit of cumin and other spices. The best part is the texture - dough is light and airy and there are thin crisp threads on the outside that contrast.
•  ___ boondi? – some fried dough thing that had depth of flavor probably bc of the flour used
• Rishika had some roti with some sort of vegetable (fake) curry. It had some drumstick which I saw at the supermarket earlier on the trip. She let me try and it reminded me of artichoke in that you split it in half and scrape off the soft flesh from the skin with your teeth. Again slight “gum” flavor here.
• Oat pancakes – so good! Slight sweetness enhanced by vanilla. Soft and pillowy, but substance and depth of flavor from oat flour
• Omelette with mushrooms, tomatoes, onions – served with soft roasted potatoes and slightly blistered tomatoes
• Kheer – rice pudding. Tasted so rich and creamy! I thought there was heavy cream, but turns out the intense flavor comes from cooked down milk. Very good when topped with pistachio, pumpkin seeds, golden raisins, figs, etc.
• Fruit – fruit here is so good! Cantaloupe and papaya were sweet and ripe!
• Drinks
•  Chai – brought to the table. Made by default with milk and spices, but no sugar added. Warm in my tummy! Very good
• Cucumber spinach juice – Slightly sweet, pretty light – would be good in the summer or later in the day I just wanted my greens.
• Lassi – sweetened yogurt drink. Pretty sweet. No mango so no sour to balance out.
• Chass – thin yogurt drink (thinner than lassi), slightly spiced with cumin

Favorite foods from breakfast: Medu vada, oat pancakes, kheer, chai

 

Some of us had stomach troubles, but thankfully I didn’t have anything noticeable (*knock on wood*). Maybe thanks to microbes in the fermented foods I eat in the US.

One thing I really enjoy about the food here is the variety of flours used. Whole wheat, different type of wheat (semolina, etc), millet, chickpea (besan), dal – all adding a depth of flavor and fulfilling in my stomach.

We walked around the hotel a bit and found a very nice view on the top floor of the hotel. I’m the designated photographer for the group, while I certainly know people who are better photographers. After some tips, everyone became better photographers as well.

After breakfast, we headed to Jehangir Gallery, since the art district (Kala Ghoda) is closer to the train station than other destinations. There was a variety of art by contemporary artists: Impressionist-like landscapes of India, brightly-colored psychotic-esque paintings, portraits of the working class, cool collages and works with a variety of textures and materials.

 

Here are some of my favorite works:

Sort of Impressionist painting of Indian city. The people really stand out against the dusty background, which I think speaks to liveliness of India despite the living conditions. Notice how there's no tag next to the painting :(

Bright colors, reminiscent of fire or fieriness, like melting landscapes mixed in with hieroglyphics.

Part of a collage by Arunkumar HG. The collages add meaning to newspaper clippings, framing important text in bubbles of black, linking two people together with an extra hand, or in this case literally adding an extra dimension by inserting a cow.

Making something cool of apartments. The ridges and valleys, the circle in the middle, and the balconies that literally jut out from the circle create something cool out of something mundane. By patterning balconies close together, this work draws attention to the tight living quarters in India. 

This person seems weighed down by life, or at least some of their own thoughts and doubts.

Over winter break, I read All the Beauty in the World written by Patrick Bringley, a former guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. He wrote that art prompts you to think. I resonated with this, perhaps because there were no curators to tell me anything about the works and the works were often untitled. These works prompted me to think about India (and life) and created an experience distinct from others I had in India prior.

Then we walked to Burma Burma restaurant, a comfortable higher-end sit-down vegetarian restaurant. (btw adjective order is a thing in English)

Samuza hincho

• Samuza hincho – samosa served in tangy soup with vegetables and desi chana. A lot of depth of flavor in soup – probably tomato, chiles, and others
• Bean sprout dumplings – shaped sort of like siu mai. Different textures – bite from bean sprouts but also crunchiness
• “Grill that bao” – steamed buns (sort of like burger bun) with savory mock meat, buns are well-buttered which adds to the aroma
• Crunchy tofu steamed bun – soft bun, light but crunchy crust on tofu, spicy sauce (mayo or something else creamy)
• Chili tangy chickpea tohu – tofu made with chickpeas. Flavored sort of like takeout, meh
• Side sauces – moringa (?) or some other leaf thing, black bean, chili
• Khowsuey – signature noodle soup with coconut milk, turmeric, lemongrass, tamarind. Served with crispy garlic, shallots, scallions, chili crisp, peanuts, lime. I added lime to balance. It was good but I had better at Michelle’s house, where there was a thin chili oil on top.
• Edamame & tofu curry – mainly salty and a little sweet, very liquidy perhaps common in curries in Maharashta? Meh
• House special tea – They served it with a whole scene – pouring the hot water and swirling the pot tableside. They even brought hourglass timers for how long to steep the tea. White tea with orange and other fruitiness. Tasted a little artificial but maybe just the citrus oils? But balanced out at the bottom of the pot where tea was stronger (and more bitter) or with sweet crispy cracker thing they served with the tea.

We also wanted to try the taro and moringa soup, banana flower croquettes, and their saffron tea, but they did not have those items. Burma Burma is a chain so I might visit again if I’m in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, or Kolkata.

We attempted to find Sanjay’s Sandwich Stall, but to no avail. I didn’t feel like trying other sandwich stalls because I would want to know that the food is worth possible illness.

We took the taxi back to the train station (CSMT), which is actually a UNESCO heritage site. Interestingly it had a lot of features of Gothic cathedrals with many ornaments inside and outside. The ticketing area reminded me of St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, though St. Thomas is neither Gothic nor Catholic.

While we didn’t visit many destinations, I enjoyed seeing the monkeys, gaining new perspectives on Indian society, enjoying the food, and admiring the art in Mumbai.

Bonus pics: