Tea for Two: Bombay Travels

Last week I went to Bombay. I usually head there at least once a year, either to pick up something you don't get in Goa (like my new Nikon D700!) or for a bit of retail therapy... this time was a bit of both.

Bombay is such a sensory overload, I can never decide whether I love it or hate it.. Actually love might be a bit of a strong word... I don't think I could ever love it. What I like about Bombay is the old Gothic and Victorian architecture in town, the shopping, the food and the fact that you can find just about anything here. What I hate is the pollution, the noise, the crowds, the slums and the beggars. I guess I will never love Bombay, a week is the longest I could spend here.

Our rickshaw driver should've been the bus driver in the movie 'Speed'

Muslims preparing for the afternoon prayer outside Bandra station

Bandra Station

But the one week I do spend in Bombay, is always fun! This time I bought myself a new camera. I upgraded from my Nikon D50 (which is so outdated that most camera stores don't even recognize the model) to the amazing Nikon D700! So I'm now shooting full frame.

Churchgate train station

I was nervous to take the new camera out, what if it got stolen? or worse... I might get mistaken for a tourist and get quoted the 'tourist rate' at all the roadside stalls! well, thankfully it was just the latter... and that was remedied by me pretending to be hugely insulted by the price and storming away.

Sugarcane juice

One strange thing about Bombay is the time work starts, 11am! It's close to impossible to find anything open before this time. i can't tell you how many times I have headed out at 10am only to be standing outside the store till 11am, cursing my forgetfullness. However, it is great if you love to sleep in. Bombay wakes up late and goes to sleep late too.

So a normal Bombay trip goes like this, Day one: Street shopping in Colaba, lunch at Churchill's, buying pirated DVDs and other electronics in Fort and dinner at Basilico's in Colaba. Day two: Crawford Market for anything and everything you could possibly need and then take a train from Churchgate station (I always stay town side) to Bandra and spend the day street shopping on linking road and hill road, have lunch at global fusion (all you can eat buffet with great sushi!). Day three: Hit the Malls for whatever you can't find on the streets.