A Birthday in Bombay

I love Mumbai. I think it is a city everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime. This may sound a bit rich considering the only major city I have otherwise visited thus far outside of Australia is Manila, but Chris agrees with me and he has encountered many major cities. It is dirty, smelly, overcrowded and in an advanced state of decay, like most parts of India. However it retains a grandeur and romanticism of a glorious bygone era when some of its population indulged in lavish pastimes. I suspect cities like Atlanta and Savannah cling to the remnants of a similar glow where a privileged few also enjoyed a fairytale existence at the expense of an exploited underclass. While societies such as those of wealthy Southern plantation owners and the elite of the British Raj were inherently flawed, exploitative and often inhumane, their beautiful facades of gentle living remain very attractive especially to romantics like me who enjoy the odd escape into fantasy. In any event from what I can gather, the local population of Bombay, as it was previously known, was rather fond of Governor Mountbatten and waved him farewell in 1947 on civil if not friendly terms. Consequently, it may be the city retains a sentimental attachment to the Raj era with many locals who were born and bred here preferring to refer to the city by the name the British bestowed upon it. Another explanation for the unique ambience of this place is that Mumbaikers are by and large friendly, versatile people who tend to embrace and absorb most elements of life, both past and present. They seem happy in their own skin. The welcoming, helpful nature of this city is somewhat of a contrast to the grumpy, xenophobic parochialism that can manifest in a ‘small’ town like Pune. The climate of the City by the Sea is also more congenial and perhaps this makes it an easier place to inhabit for all its occupants, both permanent and itinerant. Whatever the case, there is certainly a positive buzz to this city of Bollywood dreams and the upbeat vibe of the inhabitants is palpable.

Chris and I spent twenty-four hours in Mumbai for his birthday. Thanks in equal part to Chris’ parents and the Australian staff at school, we spent this precious time without children at the Taj Mahal Palace. Mumbai has some gorgeous buildings and the Palace is arguably the loveliest, or at least the most well preserved. It is unashamedly grand and embraces every grace and charm that existed in the first decades of the twentieth century. Absolutely everyone who has ever been anyone has stayed there from British and Indian Royalty to the royalty of stage and screen, to the Beatles, to the Australian cricket team. Its walls have witnessed every scenario you would expect of such an icon, including romances, weddings, lavish banquets, suicides, and murders. Agatha Christie could have set every one of her novels in the Palace and still not have exhausted it exoticism. It is such an opulent setting, I felt like I was on board the Titanic and the staff who are meticulously trained to ensure every guest feels like an aristocrat did nothing to dissuade my fancy.

Our trip to Mumbai was fairly pedestrian but concluded with a suburban train trip to CST (Victoria Terminus). As we disembarked from the first class, all male carriage that neither of us had a right to be in on our second class tickets, I half expected to bump into Harry Potter looking for platform 9¾, such was the resemblance to my image of a British train station. We were greeted warmly at the Taj Palace and once we were settled in our beautifully appointed room we ‘took luncheon’ in the Sea Lounge – a Tea Room opposite the Ball Room overlooking the gateway to India. Delightful. The Tea menu went on for pages and ultimately I was so befuddled I ordered a pot of English breakfast tea – somewhat antic-climatic but delicious all the same.

We then took a stroll through Colaba and for the first time I was able to truly absorb the beauty of some of the architecture because I had no appendages frequently engaging in perilous road games to distract me. A place that boasts landmarks such as the Bombay Gymkhana, the Oval Maidan and the Queen’s Necklace is obviously permeated with a regal old worldliness and this is further reinforced here by the structural splendour of the University, the High Court and other Government Buildings which speak in hushed tones of the spectacles played out a century ago. Strangely, we also spent a fascinating half hour in the showroom of a European Kitchen Manufacturer marveling at all the new-age wizardry to be found in modern kitchens – it is quite pathetic what enthralls the parents of 4 young children. Upon our return, we took a dip in the splendid Taj pool and then adjourned to the Terrace for a drink just as the Heavens opened. From my cane lounge I looked back over my shoulder at the downpour into the gardens. This gesture brought waiters scurrying and they quickly adjusted my chair so I could enjoy the pre-monsoon spectacle without unnecessarily craning my neck. How considerate.

We dined at Indigo and finished off the evening with a drink at the Dome on Marine Parade. The following morning we were each pampered with a spa treatment and massage at the Taj Spa and of course the quality and service were outstanding. After a leisurely brunch of bacon and eggs at the Indigo Deli, we set off home.

The academic year is nearly over and things remain as unpredictably absurd as ever at the school but to an extent, we are beyond caring. We are now fully focused on our South East Asia Adventure that commences on 23 June 2007. Nearly seven weeks of exploring new places lie ahead of us and we are very excited. How we are placed upon our return will depend entirely upon whether Chris has a sufficient staff and I still have a job. We shall see.

In the meantime, here is our S.E. Asia Itinerary at a glance:
24 June to 28 June: Bangkok, Thailand
28 June to 30 June: Kanchanaburi (River Kwai), Thailand
2 July to 9 July: Phuket, Thailand (with the Heenans)
9 July to 14 July: Chiang Mai, Thailand
14 July to 18 July: Hanoi, Vietnam
19 July to 20 July: Sapa, Vietnam (only if we have enough energy for 2 all night train rides)
21 July to 24 July: Halong Bay, Vietnam
25 July to 27 July: Hoi An, Vietnam
28 July to 31 July: Saigon (HCMC), Vietnam
1 August to 4 August: Phnom Penh, Cambodia
4 August to 6 August: Siem Reap, Cambodia
7 August to 9 August: Bangkok, Thailand