A Visit from Old Friends

When I last left off, I was finally en route to Mumbai after a harrowing trip through India’s transportation network. Well, despite my trouble, after a 16 hour journey on nothing but a hard bench seat and a night’s sleep doubled over on my laptop bag, feet entwined with my backpack straps for security, I arrived in Mumbai. Yet as they say, no rest for the weary—immediately upon arrival I had to race out to Navi Mumbai, the new suburb across the bay, for a meeting for my project. However I will talk more about that later. Instead I want to start with the trip after that to see some old friends and my subsequent days with them.

My trip to meet my friends could not have been more incongruous. Leaving my meeting, I hopped aboard the suburban train back to Mumbai. At rush hour when I was there, this was a crowded proposition. In fact, it was worse in some ways than the Delhi Metro ever had been. When I boarded it was not so bad, but after a few stops, it was packed to overflowing. I mean literally overflowing. People hung on to the sides, dangling out of the cars just to get where they needed to be. There was no space to move, and I with my heavy backpack was locked in place. Good thing for me that I did not need to get off until the end. When I did, it was a short taxi ride to my final destination—the Taj Mahal Palace hotel, often considered one of the nicest hotels in Mumbai, if not the country. Here, in the lobby, I met two familiar faces—Andrew and Alan—one of my best friends and his father. They were on a world tour as well having hit Japan, China, and Thailand already, and had graciously offered to give me a few days of respite while they were in India.

A nice long five-star shower perked me up nicely after my long journey, and soon I was ready for the evening. Having not seen one another in about 6 months, Andrew and I quickly fell into conversation that only broke when we both realized the time and our hunger. With an early sightseeing schedule for the next day, we prepared to find some dinner in our area of the city—the southern tip of Mumbai known as Colaba. As Alan wasn’t feeling up to exploring after his own long journey from Thailand, Andrew and I ventured out alone. After a short walk, we sought sustenance in Leopold Café, a tourist haven in the center of Colaba. Despite only hearing English within the confines of the restaurant, the Indian food was good, the Kingfisher beer just as wonderful, and overall (perhaps mostly for the company), it was one of the best meals I had in India.

After dinner, it was back to the hotel where I sunk deeply into the plush bed generously provided for me by Alan—a huge, and welcome, change from the hard bench of the previous night’s train. The next morning, we all rose early and refreshed for a whirlwind tour of Mumbai. Accompanied by Shilpa, our guide, we began our day with a cruise across the bay to the Elephanta Caves, located on an island off the coast. Here, hundreds of years previously, followers of Hinduism carved a series of reliefs describing the story of Vishnu, one of the principle gods of the Hindu trinity. The reliefs showed the several forms of Vishnu, his marriage to Parvati, and followed them as they taught of the lessons to be attained in each of man’s four stages of life: birth, young adulthood, middle age, and old age. The reliefs were incredibly detailed even with large chunks missing or defaced as a result of the monument being used as target practice by the Portuguese when they settled the area. It was a fascinating walk through the Hindu religion and an awesome experience. The inherent lesson of the monument made it all the more meaningful and helped me appreciate even more the role that Hinduism still plays in modern Indian societies. Stories like that portrayed on the walls of the cave show how the religion and the gods guide everyday life and provide lessons, expectations, and patterns that give order to the people and lead to understanding of the different phases of life and even daily activities. Aside from this meaning, it also provides very beautiful monuments and temples.

Leaving the caves, we headed back down the hill on the island and past a row of souvenir stalls and several observant monkeys. Our favorite by far was the one who had gotten hold of an ear of corn and was devouring his meal.

We headed then back to the mainland for a tour of the rest of Mumbai. We began our tour on the boat with a beautiful approach to the Gateway to India and sights of the Taj Mahal hotel. The former was built as a monument to commemorate a royal visit to British India only a decade or so before independence. From there, we hopped in our tour van and headed through the financial district marveling at the imperial buildings looming over the main streets. We stopped at the Victoria Terminus railway station—where I had arrived the previous night—to find that it was a magnificent Victorian building (no surprise there) flanked on the left by government buildings that retained the same splendor. I had not noticed in the previous night’s dark, so this was a pleasant sight and a bit of a surprise.

From there it was a quick lunch before heading off to the main museum in Mumbai for a quick tour of Indian art and artifacts before visiting Mahatma Gandhi's former residence and heading to another religious site—a Jain temple across town. I had not yet been in a Jain temple, so for me this was a new experience. Shilpa explained to us the religion of Jainism, its non-violent and vegetarian beliefs, and some of the basic tenets of the religion as we entered this marvelous shrine. Inside was a beautiful mix of religious art showing the various Tirthankars (teachers) of the religion and some of the principal deities and of art that also held scientific meaning. For example, the gorgeous ceiling was adorned with charts of the stars which likely would have been used for astrology but which also have astronomic significance and could be useful for navigating the stars or predicting the calendar.

The temple was located on the other side of town in one of the richest parts of Mumbai, and as we left, Shilpa told us a bit about the Ambani Tower, the 27 storey building that houses just one family—one of the heirs of the Reliance fortune. The scorn and disgust was clear in her voice for this family which used its extreme wealth to build a skyscraper for a home with a floor just for cars, another for servants, and the rest for the 4 members of their own family. The location was especially distasteful, it seemed, considering that it overlooks Dharavi—the largest slum in India and the basis of the Oscar-winner “Slumdog Millionaire.” As we drove by, we discussed matters of education and wealth in India until finally we reached our final stop for the day, the famous Dhobi Ghat. This laundry industry consists of hundreds of cement, open-air basins where launderers wash, beat, and dry clothing for the whole of Mumbai. Many hotels use their services as do private residences. Citizens drop off their clothes with a particular merchant in the morning and pick them up later or the next day. In the meantime, they are brought here where the industry works around the clock to wash and dry it all. From a bridge above you get a sense of the scope of the operation and cannot help but be impressed with the system. It appears to be an efficient and good system for local employment that also has become a tourist attraction in itself and a high point for this metropolis.

At this point, Shilpa left us and Alan, Andrew, and I returned to our hotel for a nice dinner at the restaurant atop the Taj and yet another relaxing night in the heavenly beds. The next morning we were off again, but this time out of Mumbai. Again, courtesy of Alan’s generosity, I boarded a plane alongside my friends to the lakeside city of Udaipur. If we were missing the Taj Mahal hotel at all on arrival, its luxuries were quickly out of mind at the sight of our new hotel in Udaipur—the Oberoi Udaivilas. This luxury property is on the opposite side of the lake from the main city, giving it a beautiful view from the spa pool. On the other side of the hotel, our rooms opened only a beautiful grass court for croquet, relaxing, or other activities. I have to say, after these two hotel stays, I wasn’t sure how easy it would be to go back to living the life of a student traveler, staying in hostels and living on a budget.

But back to Udaipur. The city itself is a gorgeous, old Rajasthani kingdom situated on the shores of a beautiful lake. Nestled among hills, it is an oasis within the surrounding desert and beautifully picturesque. This became apparent to Andrew and me as we toured the lake with our new guide, Siddhartha, before dinner but after a relaxing afternoon at the hotel spa pool. From the water, we saw the huge city palace, several other former royal residences and living quarters, some of which are even on islands in the lake, and numerous 5 star hotels, one of which is only accessible by boat. The houses of the nobility and bridges across the rivers entering the lake provided the perfect backdrop to the regal residences and provided a continuous, elegant yet varied landscape on the border of the water.

After our boat ride around the lake, our guide took us back to the hotel and then whisked me away on his motorbike to change train tickets (Alan and I had some scheduling confusion and I had to change a couple of tickets). Gripping Siddhartha’s shoulders, I whizzed through many different parts of the town including the tourist area and the old quarter. Because we were only on a motorbike, we were able to weave through cows, traffic, spice carts, and pedestrians with the air flying by the whole time. To me, it was a quintessential Indian experience as this is how much of the population gets around on a daily basis.

After this, it was back to the hotel in a rickshaw for dinner with Andrew and Alan. Because Alan’s stomach was a little tender from the Indian food, we stayed in the hotel and ate the five-star fare. The setting overlooking the water was quite romantic with the palace and noble houses across the way beautifully lit at night. The mood was further accentuated by the traditional Indian melodies softly emanating from the flute and drums on the side of the patio. From time to time, a dancer would join the players, adding her sensual yet elegant movements to the beat ad the soft tingling of the shakers on her feet and wrists to the rhythm. In fact, this atmosphere proved so captivating (and Andrew’s and Alan’s stomachs so sensitive to Indian food) that we ate here every night in Udaipur. I can’t say I had any complaints with this either.

With Alan feeling better the next day, we were up and off to explore Udaipur. The day began with a tour of the city palace, the former residence of kings and queens of Udaipur that now houses a hotel. The palace was abuzz with activity during our visit because a member of the royal family was to be wed the following week. Preparations abounded and included a band practicing in the courtyard, painters frantically touching up the murals on the walls, and women stringing together flowers and carefully making bouquets. Even without this added decoration and activity, the palace was beautiful. Built with the same style and tricks as many of the other Rajasthani palaces but with, of course, its own flair, it commanded sweeping views of the lake and the surrounding hills. Perhaps my favorite part, however, was the planted courtyard within the center of the top level with shade trees and fountains that then dropped down a staircase to a beautifully tiled mosaic plaza with several peacock fountains. The detail and colors were amazing and were beautifully accented by the stark white of the plaster throughout the building.

With a few last glances toward the lake, we were off again, this time to another Vishnu temple. This one, in the heart of the city, is still a place of pilgrimage for Hindu worshippers and one of the main attractions of the city. Just steps from the palace gates, its white edifice towers over passersby and its imposing elephant guards command respect from the first step across the threshold. The altarpiece is a beautiful representation of the god himself that when revealed from behind its black curtain is like a glowing heart at the center of the alabaster pyramid.

After respectfully touring the site, we left the worshippers to their devotion and proceeded off to the city park, another main attraction. Here, in the former garden of kings and queens is a lovely, well-kept (especially by Indian standards) park with many beautiful varieties of flowers and a gorgeous elephant fountain as its piece de resistance. However for me, the highlight was actually a section called the rain garden where the trickling fountains and wind through the broad palm leaves created an auditory wonderland that, when one closes his eyes, will fool even the most astute listener into believing himself in the midst of the tropical rainforest. Judging by the goofy grin on Alan’s face here, I don’t think I was the only one who liked it.

Though the garden was gorgeous and inspiring, we had no idea that the best was yet to come. After a quick stop to refuel, we were off once more to the city market. Siddhartha, our guide, had arranged this excursion so we could see what life really was like in Udaipur. We wandered through the old part of the town among the fruit and spice sellers watching as locals came to peruse the goods, haggle over prices, and finally walk away with their treasures. Overhead, tangles of electrical wires revealed only glimpses of the watchful eyes on balconies protruding from the ever-changing, multi-colored facades lining the market street. All of us just stood and marveled at the market—the variety of fruits and spices provided a symphony of color and an olfactory overload that lingers in my memory to this day. And the sellers themselves added to the charm of this place. Their faces, tanned and hardened in the sun from sitting many days to sell their wares, surveyed each potential customer, perhaps weighing in their minds the prices to offer for the produce to each.

After a long walk here and seeing some interesting foods and specialties of the region as well as some cows and cute children, we headed back to the hotel for a bit more R&R and to see the local boars and deer come out for dinner.

It turns out that our hotel abuts a wildlife refuge and so as part of their permission for building on the site, the hotel puts out food for the local deer and boars each night. The spectacle is advertised by staff for visitors to watch and catch a glimpse of the animals in action. Being nature lovers, Andrew and I decided this night to take in this sight and so headed out to the back of the property to watch. It was cool to see the boars and deer, but more interesting to see a peacock fan its tail in an unsuccessful mating attempt (poor guy).

After capping the night once more with dinner at the hotel, the next morning we were up and off again, this time on a day trip to nearby temple ruins. These dated from several centuries in the past (I can’t recall the exact era) but were abandoned after being defaced by invaders who considered them idolatry since they were not dedicated to the one true god. Though the altarpieces are all gone and many of the reliefs are defaced, these temples retain an impressive appearance if only for the high level of detail on every surface—exterior and interior walls, ceilings, and roofs. Siddhartha walked us around and showed some of the more famous stories depicted on the reliefs as well as pointing out many of the gods and demons that adorn the outsides of the buildings. It was a fascinating introduction to the Hindu faith in a way that I did not get from just exploring temples on my own and formed the basis for my own analysis of temples later on in my trip. Even though these temples are no longer in use, the interiors also retain a holy feeling simply through their architecture. The massive vaulted ceilings buttressed by intricate columns and beams give an air of reverence that is accentuated by the gently slanting shafts of light that reflect softly on the light stone within to suffuse the interior with a dim light. The mounts for the altars are almost dark in this light, but I can only imagine that when the gilded effigies of the gods sat within these spaces, they probably caught the light, illuminating the space and appearing to emerge from the darkness. The effect would have been astounding.

When we felt satisfied with our romp through Hindu mythology, we headed up to lunch at a nice, eco-friendly hotel overlooking Udaipur before our final event in the city—a camel ride for Andrew and me. Saying he had already ridden camels in his life, Alan bowed out of the ride and instead served as the photographer as Andrew and I mounted the temperamental beasts and were led down a short walk on the lakeside and back to Alan, waiting eagerly once more with his camera.

After the ride, the three of us headed back to our hotel for one last evening of relaxation and enjoyment with my friends before taking my leave of them the following morning. After a relaxing dip in the pool, we sat out once more on the patio taking in the music and the lights across the way while chatting and swapping stories over wine. Having been a while since I’d seen a familiar face on my trip, it was nice to share this time with Alan and Andrew and a bit hard to leave them when it was time. However it was not to be the last I would see of them which made parting easier. I suppose it is true that you get more homesick after having a taste of something familiar—certainly it was for me. Or perhaps it was the sudden change from being driven around and staying in 5 star hotels to walking, taking buses, and living cheaply that made me miss the days that went by too quickly. Either way, I tried to make the most of that last night and enjoy as much as I could the chance to see my friends because I had learned just how valuable that time was during my previous travels alone. It’s not even that we shared anything profound—in fact the whole time we talked and joked as if we had seen each other the previous week—but the comfort of friends was nice and for a short time at least made me entirely forget any difficulties from my previous travels or upcoming adventures.