Bombay Marathon

It had been three years since I last went to Bombay. The first time, I was backpacking. We spent two days hanging out on Colaba Causeway, the historical and social heart of Bombay where hippies rub shoulders with the uber-chic Taj-junkies. We kept going back and forth between the kolhapuris sellers and Leopold’s cafe (for their yummy chocolate brownies). Since they are a hundred meters apart, you can say we got a pretty limited idea of Bombay.

Well, you’ll be happy to know that I haven’t extended my perimeter much on that trip. I went straight to Colaba to stock up on kolhapuris. I then headed to Indigo Deli to meet my friend H., English brunette and lovely Voguette. Indigo Deli is a canteen for the cool and lucky crowd of Bombay so I did feel like a misfit, dishevelled and straight out of Rajasthan, no longer used to waiters and maitre d’attitude, but the roast beef sandwich quickly made up for it.

I have never really shopped in Bombay, so I was eager to check out the many haunts I had been told to go to. I first went to Bombay Electric, the city’s equivalent of Colette. The shop is wonderfully located, opposite the Taj, just off the Causeway, in a nice old red building.

I walked down the Oberoi arcades and couldn’t help but scan the jewelry stores. Oh, I haven’t told you? I’m a jeweller.

H. had asked me to check out the jewelry scene for her (she is writing the Luxe Guide on Bombay). And I am glad I did, because I found two fabulous shops. It is actually one shop in two different places: one is for gold and precious stones, the other for silver. To tell you the truth, these shops are not a real find: they are the Bombay branches of a famous Jaipur shop, Amrapali. What to do? Jaipur is the capital of jewellery.

Will tell you about it tomorrow, now I am going to crash in my lovely soft plush bed overlooking the crazy technicolor harbour of Hong Kong! But hey, I’ll trade the sushis and sky-scrapers anytime for the shabby sexy look of Bombay at sunset…do you think I’m mad?

Bombay or the Wicked City

 

If there is one word that describes Bombay for me it is: wicked.

I can’t help it, whenever I am there I feel like I am sourrounded by mischief.

Maybe it’s got to do with my reading on Bombay: “Shantaram” (Gregory David Roberts), “Maximum City” (Suketu Mehta) and “Sacred Games” (Vikram Chandra) don’t exactly depict Bombay as a tranquil city. It is all about dons and deals and dancing girls.

I am now in Hong Kong for a few days.

Excuse me now, I am literally collapsing with exhaustion, better stop now before I start sleep-writing.