And then the Prime Minister came to town..

Our eyes turned wider the further down in Colaba we drove .. There we were - in the back seat of the car cruising down the street - but where was the usual vibrant Colaba causeway scenery? No shops open. Hardly any people around. Cafes closed. Stalls closed. Streets closed. Only police. Heavy armed police in their khaki uniform and soldiers with bullet proof vests.

- The prime minister is in the area, they told us. Yes, it turned out that India's prime minister Narendra Modi was also in Colaba that Saturday morning, so what did we do? Well, I for one, suppressed my instant urge to drag up my camera. I politely listened to advice given to me - and I did not start to click pictures of that highly unfamiliar scenery...

And in the end - what a beautiful perfect south-Mumbai day it became....

We strolled around, viewed some sights, architecture, green spots, did some shopping, had a good lunch and lots of good laughs. And with my enthusiastic friend Alice - we also decided it was high time we had our names written on a grain of rice. And ta ta: a new key chain for 20 rupees... How awesome art is that?:-)

And after a good lunch and some parsi refreshments (with a guarantee: contains no fruit:-))...

... we were still in an artistic mood, so we decided to pop by one of the many amazing Art Galleries that are in this part of Mumbai. Great decision! So many young artists showcased their work, and I got hung up in this one painting: "Fairies taking away the books". The artist, Shahed Pasha, was there himself and it was so fun to talk with him.

And then - what could be a better way of ending the day - than on my good friend's balcony - sipping a cup of tea, chat, and watch an amazing day turn to evening in this way...:

PS: And if you have been wondering throughout this whole post what on earth the Prime Minister was doing in Mumbai on that particular Saturday - check out Times Of India:-) Wouldn't want to leave you sleepless dear reader:-)

Hope you had a good weekend and I wish you a good start of the week:-) We have the amazing Ganesha festival coming up- and for me also some traveling... Stay tuned:-)

Ta ta from Mumbai!

A Foodie's favorites in Matunga

So, I had a revelation. You see, exploring Matunga, there was an aspect (of the exploration) that I instantly knew deserved a blogpost of its own. And if you are a foodie like me, you will completely understand....

Because, dear reader, those south Indian flavors...oooooh yum!

We started our morning at Cafe Mysore - or as the sign outside says: The oldest restaurant in Mumbai for South Indian delicacies. The coffee here is served like this:

... and then you have to mix the coffee, milk and sugar yourself by pouring from one tin cup to the other - a few times. Or have a skilled waiter do it for you in a very elegant way. Our attempt ended ... well on the table in a not so elegant way - but fun and very tasty. We were told that coffee is more of a south Indian drink than India's national drink tea. Our tour guide from Travel-logs told us that a popular story goes that a Muslim saint on a pilgrimage to Mecca, smuggled 7 coffee beans from Yemen into India, and planted them in the hills of Chandragiri in Mysore. But think again if you think this is a place for coming and hanging out over your coffee while chatting with friends for hours. The message is clear:

I have to admit we might have bended the rule a bit because we did a lot of chatting over those coffee cups... However, we did try the local specialty: 

At Cafe Mysore we had toast omlet - because as being (the first ) udipi restaurant in Mumbai .. for the south Indians coming to Mumbai to work and settle down these restaurants were set up to provide quick, simple and cheap meals. And the omlet had no eggs in it  ---- a very tasty vegetarian version.

And the foodies moved on, and I tell you now: if you love idlis, like I do, you will be in paradise at The Idli House. Also a small come-order-eat-and-leave place, and with a "waiting room " on the pavement outside - because this is a popular place!

...and if you do not finish your pudi, you will have to pay 8 rs penalty.. Ha ha - how great is that?!

.....aahhhh - in idli heaven... before:

..and during.. My favorite was the coconut idli - with a sprinkle of chili powder on top, but all so yum!!

After the idlis we were strolling on, and passed this cute little book store - can you imagine going treasure hunting in there? - and what could be more perfect than having a coffee bean outlet next door:

Ayappan Idli Stall was a very busy place - perfect for dosas and vadas - a quick bite on the sidewalk - a very popular place.  Centred on a busy street corner you could also drive up, jump out and get your fast food - but so not for a minute think it is a drive-in-restaurant- . You have to get out of your car/bike/rickshaw and yourself go up and order...

And if you have eaten south Indian food, you have probably, like us, had some kind of banana - or maybe had it beautifully served in banana leaves. Well, the banana market said it all:  

In my quest to explore my adopted city Mumbai, I have, in addition to heading around (sometimes like a headless chicken) on my own, also tried out different tour guides and companies. Walking tours are my favorite, and this time I for the first time went with Travel-logs. According to their site they are: a bunch of intrepid travellers, who love travelling … seeing new places, experiencing different cultures, trying to de-mystify history, and of course eating different foods! We are a team of loosely connected but tightly bonded individuals. And what binds us together is our deep passion for India and discovering her, everyday.

I have to say I felt that passion:-) I enjoyed their enthusiasm and level of knowledge, so Chief Explorer Dhiresh and co: you will see me again for sure. Your tour was interesting, varied and fun:-)  

NB: This tour was not sponsored. And as always: my opinion is mine and mine alone:-)

Ta ta from Mumbai! 

Some Matunga moments

Mumbai is a melting pot of different people, religions and cultures. People from all over India have settled here and foreigners too. I spent my Saturday in an area where south Indians live, and looking through my pictures, I quickly realized that I will need more than one blogpost to show you what I saw... So today let me give you just a small taste of south India in Mumbai... 

A stroll at Matunga market, and especially at the flower market is a delight for all senses.. Jasmines, roses and garlands in all possible colors and those wonderful aromas. Fruit, vegetables and pottery and colorful temples. Just have a look: 

Doesn't it look wonderful? It was. This was just a small taste for you... And talking about taste...

You know my love for Indian food right? so you might not be surprised to hear that I grabbed the opportunity to explore also the south Indian kitchen with both hands... Idlis, dosas, vadas... Mmmmm - Need I say more?

Stay tuned, dear reader, more Matunga moments coming up soon...

B for Banganga

So, yesterday we went all the way up to the Acropolis but today we are not traveling very far, at least I am not. Today I am taking you to one of my favorite places here in Mumbai: the Banganga tank at Malabar Hill.

When I first went there in 2012, it was love at first sight. Walking down some steep stairs and taking in the whole scenery of the narrow streets around the tank, all the temples, the trees, the people, just feeling the peace and quiet... And then sitting down at the stairs, looking at the water, hearing people talk around me, and get this intense feeling....  of both sadness and happiness.

You see, Banganga tank is one of Mumbai's most holy sites. Since it is said that the water here comes from Ganges, it is considered sacred and with healing effect just like the Ganges water. People come here to remember their loved ones who has passed away. You can see groups of people sitting on the edge, dressed in white and often with shaved heads (White is the color for mourning in India) - letting small packets of memories float off on the water or swim themselves in the sacred water of the tank.

(Almost) car-free alleyways surrounding the tank... 

So, the legend says that the spring was created by an arrow shot by Rama (the hero of the epic Ramayana), and the minute the arrow hit the ground, water gushed from the ground, creating a tributary of the Ganges. Therefor the name is Banganga, the Ganga created on a baan (arrow).

To me, this place has a unique atmosphere. Sitting there, getting all dreamy and melancholic while philosophy-ing about life itself is what makes the Banganga tank a dream(y) destination for me. I hope that you enjoyed coming along with me as well? And stay tuned, because tomorrow we have a high up and down below destination when we travel to C....

Until then!

1-30 April I participate in the A to Z blogger challenge, and this post is written as a part of that challenge. Check out some amazing participating blogs here. My theme for the challenge is Dream Destinations. I hope you had fun coming along? Please stay tuned for a new destination tomorrow. 

Go to a-to-zchallenge.com

A little boy in the big city

Imagine you are seven years old. You come home from school on a normal Wednesday afternoon, and the weather is perfect. Perfect ... for skiing with your family! It is cold, and the air is crisp and clear. As you put on your skis, it starts snowing again. Just a light sprinkle, not too much. You ski towards the forest. No cars or other people are in sight. You hear no traffic and no loud noises. You can only hear the sound of your skis on the snow, of your own breath, and maybe of your mother promising you a cup of hot chocolate when you get back home inside?

And then the next day you find yourself on an airplane. You travel for many hours and even some more, and finally you arrive somewhere where the air is hot and the smells are just so different than back home. And there is no snow, even though it is February. How strange. People are wearing t-shirts and summer clothes. You hear lots of noises, and there are cars and people all over the place. Yes. You have for the first time arrived in India, and one very happy aunt is waiting for you!

Because, yes, dear reader, we have visitors. And it has been a while.. , but if you have followed my blog for a bit, you might remember that last Spring broke every possible-visitor-amount-record. Ever. First my Greek in-laws came and stayed for a month, and the same night they left, two of our best friends from Noway came and stayed for two weeks.Then, my parents came for two weeks and we had a wonderful trip to Goa, and a few days later my cousin and her hubby came.

So, I am right here with you. Still in Mumbai, but these days, a bit occupied re-discovering the city in company with our visitors  - who are in India for the first time! So, stay tuned to follow the tales of One Excited Aunt:-) Yey! Ta ta! And all the best to you dear reader:-)

Some Mumbai moments: 

And then the backpackers left Mumbai

Dear reader,
I can not believe it, but it has been two whole weeks since the backpackers came to Mumbai! They came to India for the first time and I have had wonderful, busy and exiting days following and sharing their welcome-to-incredible-India-impressions. I must say that I have enjoyed big time their genuine interest, curiosity, enthusiasm and positivism. It's so contagious...:-)

Despite the steeeeaming heat of Mumbai theese days, they have courageously been touring and sightseeing all over! They have been to slum areas and fishing villages. They have seen temples and tombs, shopping malls, first class cinema, luxury hotels and clubs. They have met the kids in the slumhut where I work, dined at Leopolds and been at the Gateway of India. Despite dripping of sweat, they have been strolling around in 40 degrees - eager to explore, to see and learn as much as possible. Very impressive and quite inspiring!

Where they are now? Well, you might remember? -  They were planning, at least a bit, where to go next, and they are on their way to other parts of India. You can follow their adventures on my cousin's blog.

Back to everyday life in Mumbai - the backpackers have left the city:-) 

So, our guestroom is empty again. It is back to everyday life here in Mumbai. The weekend is coming up, and what are we up to? Actually, we have an exiting weekend ahead - going to a wedding!
So, stay tuned!   

Sending out two guinea pigs to travel India

So, - Jaipur, Udaipur, Rajasthan,Varanasi, Fatehpur Sikri, Khajuraho or Gangtok? Is Darjeeling worth a visit? Shall we go to Pondicherry or is Kerala it ? It is hot- so maybe Himalaya-area is best? And what about Spiti Valley, Amritsar, Orchha or Jodhpur? Am I going to explore India now? Well, not exactly...

They are! My wonderful visiting cousin and her hubby are! They are looking at each other and looking at us- where to go? So many exiting places! I share their enthusiasm and hang on to them the best I can - as they sit and plan their next move... Where does the road take us from Mumbai? Do we want temples, beaches or hill-stations? Where will we be next week? And the week after? Their future backpacker-days are white and bright - like blank white sheets of paper- ready to be filled with the colors of India.

Actually, they have been so busy exploring Mumbai the last few days, so the planning of The Days Ahead are not too detailed yet. Which is a good thing for us, because we enjoy having them here! They came with me to my NGO, and made a guest appearance (very popular one:-)) in the English class..

Highlight of the class: Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes...

Actually, my cousin, who is such a great writer, blogged about her afternoon going with me to the slum-area.  It is a very moving and so well-written story - I really enjoyed reading it, and I hope you will too! How can I not love having them here with us?!

So, now they are planning the next step of their India- experience. They have had a lot of travel-tips from our friends here in Mumbai, and it is fun to follow their planning from the sideline. In the meantime we are doing Mumbai together! Yesterday, we hanged around in Bandra: shopping, lunching, sightseeing..

A stroll along the sea - Bandra

And what a fantastic timing! Because today the Mangoes arrived! Those 60 delicious juicy mangoes with a lovely scent - that we had ordered - straight from the village! (60 mangoes- 18 Euros, guys!) And as you all know- peeling and cutting mangoes.... well, it's a slimy affair- but, - and here is my point - we have these wonderful visitors who happens to be Masters of the Art of Mangopeelingandcutting. And then they served us Mango with Sticky Rice. Got to love these visitors, right?!

Wonderful cousin preparing dessert for us:-) Mango yoummie! 

And what else? Well, we went to the Kolis in Worli - I have been there before, remember? And I was happy to see that my visitors enjoyed it just as much as I did! Now, I am sitting here with my ears full of Jaipur, Udaipur and Varanasi. Oh, well - let my guinea pigs go off and test it! I am looking forward to hear their impressions and their continuation of the India experience! But for now we are all in Mumbai, and will be for many more days! Great! Now, I am off to enjoy my carefully prepared mangoes:-)

Good evening from Mumbai!

Leopold, hard rock- and tourist stuff

Dear reader,
Are you ever a tourist in your own city? It strange isn't it - sometimes we do not see the things that are there - just under your nose- because you live there, you are not just a random tourist with a tight time schedule. I remember when I lived in Athens, Greece, and I met this lady - who had lived in Athens all her life- but she had never been up to Acropolis! I couldn't believe it!? And then I met this Norwegian lady, who had never been out of Norway- until the year she turned 60 - then she went abroad for the first time - to Athens - to visit the Acropolis! A dream came true for her! To watch the sunset at Acropolis!

I think I have kept myself quite busy in Mumbai, and seen a lot of the city, but there are some -  more tourist- like- stuff that I hadn't done - up until now. And no, no, I am not talking about the Gateway of India - I have been there - up to several times. And by the way- the last time was just a couple of weeks ago - on a Sunday - so the area was packed with people, and we went the whole family. And funny enough: for the Indian tourists - the Foreigners (us) was almost just as big an attraction as the Gateway- at least judged by the number of pictures they took of us! Some asked politely if they could take our picture, and some just snapped away! Hmmm - my teens are not quite enthusiastic about that... So be prepared - visitors from abroad: In India you might be The tourist attraction- they haven't seen a Foreigner like you before! When I discuss this with my expat friends- some find it hilarious and some get deeply annoyed...

Tourist spot number 1: The Gateway of India. 

Well, after the snapshot-rain, we strolled up to Leopold Cafe. Famous from the Shantaram book (remember?) and a from lot of travel guides about Mumbai. It was also one of the first places to be hit under the terrorist attacks in 2008, and the bullet holes are still there. Being a cafe with a history, it has atmosphere. You will meet tourists - for sure - here, - but it is also visited by locals - and you can get food and/or drinks pretty cheap! And for beer lovers: a quite unique draft beer serving...

And what is it about Hard Rock Cafe? Is there such a thing as a Hard Rock Cafe- tourism? Some people just has to visit the local Hard Rock Cafe when they are on holiday ....I will not say more since we are guilty of rushing off to find the Miami version when we went there and the Kuala Lumpur version the day after we arrived KL... Well, we can tick off another Mumbai spot on our list!  After months in Mumbai we finally acted on the tourist urge, and visited the Mumbai version.

Hard Rock Mumbai

So, we did some tourist stuff and we pleased some tourists ourselves. .. What else is up in Mumbai?
Well, there is a dance festival starting next week: Stark Raven Mad - NCPA Mudra Festival of Dance and Bhakti Poetry - I might check that out.

And - you may have noticed that we have had a lot of visitors this spring? Well, the guestroom has been empty for almost 2 weeks now, but tonight it will be filled again! Oh, yes! Stay tuned, and I might tell you about our upcoming visitors:-) It is also their first time in India - so this should be interesting...:-)
  

A treasure hunt at Chor's Bazaar?

Dear reader,
I love bazaars and markets! All the people, the piles of strange things for sale, the game of bargain and the bustling atmosphere. Take all that and add some dust, heat, cows and all the colors you can find- and spice it up with even more traffic, people, sounds and smells -and there you go: the markets in Mumbai! I went to the Crawford market and to the markets close to Gol Deval temple - and now it was time for the market I had heard the most about: The Chor Bazaar- the thieves' bazaar. 

Chor Bazaar is a quite organized flea market. The market was originally called Shor Bazaar, ( noisy market), but the British started to pronounce it chor. And maybe it is both?! It is said anyway that stolen goods in Mumbai has a tendency to end up for sale at Chor Bazaar. So if you loose any of your items, maybe you will find it again here? A popular story is that a violin and some other items belonging to Queen Victoria went missing when she was visiting Bombay. They were later found for sale in the Chor Bazaar...

In the bazaar you can get anything: old Bollywood posters, authentic Victorian furniture, toys, boxes, replacement parts for cars... well actually,in stead of making a long boring list here, let me show you some of the things I saw: 

Fancy a (new) cookie box with Charles and Diana? 

Or what about a cassette- player- remember these from the -80'?  

Old Bollywood film posters for sale.

Or one of these for playing some real music??

Lots and lots of little stuff here!

And this is for showing my teens what a real phone looked like - back when mum was young! Miss them? 

More film-posters! 

I liked the expression on this ones face:-) 

Ahhh- Bruce Lee!

Wanna buy some money? 

Or do you want to go home with this under your arm?

When shopping at Chor's it is an absolute must to bargain! And it can be a biiit more advanced than bargain when you go shoe-shopping! A friend of mine got a bench from here, and she told me that she went back numerous times over a period of 2 months! Every time she showed up, the shop-keeper remembered both her and the price they had discussed the last time she was there. Well, the bench is at her house and it looks beautiful - so keep the spirit up! Maybe also you will find exactly the thing you have been searching for - for years - in Chor's Bazaar? 

Happy weekend dear reader!