Mum and Dad hit Mumbai

Mum and Dad made it to Mumbai last Friday morning. Been staying at the Hotel Marine Plaza, very nice little Art Deco hotel on Marine Drive, and only two mins walk from me at the Hilton.

We have managed to pack in the Dhobi Ghats (big open air laundry), Pheonix High Street (Shopping), the Hanging Gardens (Flowers and butterflies), the Jain Temple (umm, a temple), Kemps Corner (more shopping), the Gateway (big monument), Elephanta Island (big island full of elephants - no kidding, Hindu carved caves), Sanjif Gandhi National Park (a big park, more caves - Buddhist this time), Gandhi's House (self explanatory), a trip on the train (to Boriwali) and a few nice walks up Marine Drive and around the Maidens.

We have tried to eat somewhere different each night - from Mangalorian Seafood at Trishna to the Famous Kulfi (Indian Ice cream) Centre at Chowpatty Beach.

I think Mum has struggled a little with the poverty, I think I am immune to it now, but it isn't easy at times. Also the hawkers seem to spot there ultra white skins and zoom right in - I think I have the hard look of a local now and they more or less leave me alone. Either that or I just look skint, lol.

Its been nice having a little of the UK here. Tough being away from your home turf for so long. Luckily Mum and Dad are only gone a week and Keith arrives, so that is more UK style entertainment - and more white people to look even browner next too, yay!

At death's door

Well, its finally hit me. The dreaded Bombay Belly. What it was I ate I don't know but let me tell you revisiting Indian food is not a good situation. Chili is only supposed to go in one direction...yesterday I spent most of the day sleeping but today I have been much better - although still kept in sprinting distance of a loo. Thankfully there has been some good old films on today - The three musketeers and Dangerous minds, that and doing some on-line shopping from Boots has kept me busy.
The hotel staff have been lovely. They made me special oil free, spice free chicken broth, I got a visit from the dining manager and the floor manager and my maids gave me orchids and a get well card. I really can't complain about the treatment.
Must be feeling better as I am getting bored now. Will be back at work tomorrow.

Not a lot else going on at the moment, Mum and Dad are out at the end of next week and Keith soon after, saving hard for both sets of visitors - especially my trip to Agra - want to use the spa that over looks the Taj Mahal and I don't think that will be cheap!

Anyway, my strength wains.......

In sickness and in Health

Well, the rest of my trip home was a bit of a wash out. Keith passed on his lurgy and I spent a few days either in bed or within ten feet of the sofa, gulping down aspirin, lemsip and Benylin. Bit gutted cos when you only have ten days you really want to do stuff - sorry to all the people I didn't manage to catch up with, I promise I'll see you when I am back in June.

We did manage to get out on Friday and went to Urban Angel for brunch, wow, amazing as usual, the smoked haddock Benedict was to die for. We picked Helen and Owen up from the train after brunch and took them home (Helen had been seeing her dad, he had a heart attack). Spent a mad half hour shooting each other with Owen's sticky arrow guns - its cool fun. But then I ran out of steam and we had to head home.

Flight back to Mumbai was ok. BA never seem to match up to Jet, the seats, service and food are nowhere near as good. I mean they they have regular china, not gold edged, would you believe it...If you have the choice, fly Jet - you'll thank me for it.

Afternoon tea

God, I am such a star grand child. Took Nana for afternoon tea at Hoptoun House, near Uphall. That's definitely one to chalk up on the "whose got the best grandchild competition". It was lovely but there was waaay to much stuff. It was mostly cakes left and I knew Keith would kill me if I left them behind so I asked for the leftovers to be boxed to go. Ages later, I thought he had forgotten, he came back with an ice cream tub which had been washed out and handed it too me. I don't think they had been asked to box anything up before! Needless to say Keith's eyes lit up when he saw his goody box. It kept him going for a good, oh, 20 minutes at least...

Definitely a good place to go for a nice quiet afternoon tea, it even has a huge real fire to keep you toasty, in fact if you could have made your own toast on toasting forks that would have been perfect. Might suggest it next time....