Elephanta Island.

Today at 7am David and I temporarily left Mumbai behind and headed towards Elephanta Island. We went there to see a temple carved out of stone (basalt) dedicated to Shiva . Below is a shot of David as we made our way to the island, as well as an image of the Taj and the Gateway of India seen from the water. David mentioned that this used to be the first glimpse of India for all travelers who reached the country by boat in the past (minus the tourist boats and the tower). Almost at the same time as David said this, I was thinking that this was the way by which the November 08 attackers reached the Taj… By the way, we have heard different thoughts about the attacks, but those we have spoken with agree that life goes on pretty much as usual.


On Elephanta there are 3 villages, and a total of about 1200 inhabitants. I imagine most of them make their living off of the tourists who visit the island. To get to the temple you have to climb about 120 steps. If you are unable to make it up by yourself, there are porters that will do it using one of these colorful chairs.


Because we arranged to get to the island privately and early (boat loads of people usually begin to arrive at 10am), we had a special experience of the temple. The only ones there so early in the morning were the women of the nearby village, busy filling up aluminum containers with water from the tank next to the temple (the tank, a huge cave, collects water during the monsoons which lasts throughout the dry season. Our guide called it “drinking water”, but the plastic bottles and trash floating in the water made me a little doubtful about its drinkability…) Apart from a few hungry monkeys and our amusingly misinformed guide, we were alone with the beautiful carvings. Below are a couple of images of the main sculpture of Shiva as creator (right), preserver (center), and destroyer (left, with beard). The picture with David gives you a sense of how large these sculptures are.


We got back to the city around 11am and went for a great dosa nearby the harbor. Now we are at the hotel. David’s jet lag has overcome him (he was on Chicago time) and he’s fast asleep. When we get back from walking around the city we are usually pretty exhausted. The heat, the continuous honking, the pollution and different sellers constantly approaching us will do it. Hopefully we will get more and more adjusted and be able to last longer without a nap.

An update from Thursday, Jan 8.

I would have liked to upload all this two days ago...

Thursday we went to the Chhatrapathi Shivaji Mahraja Vastu Sangrahalaya, formerly known by it’s more easily remembered name: Prince of Wales Museum. These are images of the garden around the museum and of the statue of the Prince of Wales getting a cleaning. This is the only statue of a British persona left in all of Mumbai.

At the museum, these were two of my favorite pieces. The figure of a dancer done by a kashmiri artist:

And this intricately carved elephant tusk. Really beautiful work. Unfortunately the resolution is not great, but you should be able to distinguish an ox pulling a cart.


On our way to the museum we crossed a large park, right next to Bombay University, that's basically grass-less flatland perfect for cricket.



After a long walk through the galleries of this funny building—a mix of Hindu, Muslim and Christian architecture (!?!) – we returned “home” for a quick nap (Hotel Marine Plaza - I am including the link for those who need a recommendation for where to stay in Mumbai. The hotel is on the expensive end, but it's in an incredible location and has very good rooms and food.)

Next came a lovely shopping experience at FabIndia. We were escorted there by Namita, the wife of a friend of David's, who introduced us to this colorful and high quality store of local Indian cottons and silks. I tried on several salwar kameezes, before deciding on two cotton outfits (for a Bici catwalk see below.)

Photo courtesy of David Pritzker

Tonight we had a great dinner of vegetarian kebab and I learned that in Bengal a meal is always served in separate courses, meat never coming on the same plate as vegetables. In Western India instead, such as here in Mumbai, a plate of food will be composed of a legume (such as a dahl), a yoghurt based dish, a green vegetable, a non-green vegetable, and roti or papadum. Rice will only be served midway through the course, once the wheat (i.e. roti/papadum) has been consumed. Basically, a thali.

The food is delicious and all is well...

Travel India 1/8/09

Dear All,
I have arrived in London and am waiting for my Bici so that we may leave for Mumbai. Packing was not so enjoyable though it is an interesting test of materiality- what do I really NEED? No matter Bici and I will soon find out.

I can't help but begin to get tickles of excitement now that I have landed in the first among many stepping off points. London seems particularly appropriate as the first point of our trip.

1/6/09



Dear All,

May you all have happiness and the causes of happiness. Be free from suffering and its causes. Abide in happiness free from suffering, and remain peaceful free from attachment and aversion.

London was cold. But now Bici and I are reunited and are in Mumbai and the weather is good. We had our first tahli meal and I had a dosa for dinner ( a personal favourite). We walked all over last night beginning by going to the Gateway to India. The Taj looks magnificent at night all lit up with people hangin about in the public space between it and the Gate. Many windows there are boarded up and it looks like they are working through the night and fix. There is security at our hotel but it is not at all harsh or intrusive.

Today Bici and I will be going to the Prince of Wales Museum for the morning and then I hope to eat another dosa (mmm mmm mmm, yummm yummm yummm!) and then we need to go do a little shopping for B who has intelligently brought next to no cloths so that she may buy all appropriate gear for the the climate and culture here (as usual men get off easy wearing a buttoned down and slacks).

The both of us are very much still settling in at the very beginning of a five month trip and excitements, anticipations, unknowns, and general confusion / jet lag / and awe, all mixed together work themselves out.

While that happens I am very very very excited to go to the Museum this morning!


With love and happiness,

David

leaving london

on our way to heathrow airport!

this is a sunset above the london sky when i came in yesterday.

we'll be in mumbai in less than 12 hours!

bici

Before we leave...

I just finished setting up this blog for all those interested in following David and myself through the next 5/6 months. We will be posting pictures and thoughts about our travels in South India as often as we get a chance to.

Right now David is on his way to London: his plane left Chicago just a few minutes ago. I am leaving tomorrow to meet him in London, and we will leave for Mumbai at 9pm on the 6th.

Please feel free to leave us comments with thoughts/ideas/advice as we move along in our travels.

Bici