Holiday and explore, we must!

I have been on a hiatus from my blog, courtesy a new addition to our family, *drum-roll* our 3 1/2 years old Cocker Spaniel - Her Highness, Princess Audi. I have wanted a dog since the time I could spell D-O-G and the husband has grown up with several (spoilt to the core) dogs. My demands for a dog while I was still under the care of my parents, was always met with, "we have you and your sister to take care of, we think that's enough for now". And once I got married, our work, travel and personal schedules plus the determination not to 'buy' a pet, made us put away brining one home for the longest time. But, Audi just happened and we got her home 4 months ago. Life has been fun and maddening ever since.

A lot of our shenanigans have been curbed since, as much of our time and energy go into catering to Her Highness. Though we have given up on a few things, one thing we never will is our quest to holiday.

Last month, when Holi presented us with a long weekend, we got down to business and started researching pet-friendly resorts around 3-4 hours drive from Mumbai. Though there were some resorts available, we were astounded that it was so difficult to find decent, livable ones, which were ready to give out only one room. Several calls, mails and discussions later, a friend suggested Bordi/Dahanu as an option.


We got very mixed reviews when we discussed the destination with friends, but decided to take a chance as 1. It was Her Highness's first holiday, 2. We wanted her to experience a beach, 3. It was close enough to drive her without stressing her out and 4. The place we choose - Tapovan - seemed quite pet friendly and was very, very affordable.

Armed with 3 bags (1 for us and 2 for her), we set off for 3 days. Even though it was an extra-long weekend, the roads were surprisingly empty. We happily drove along and reached Bordi in 3 hours flat. The drive was nothing great. Straight, broad roads. No scenery or eateries worth mentioning. Our home stay pleasantly surprised too - - it is an old, very spacious and clean Parsi bungalow. After a thorough inspection and OK from Her, we un-packed and settled in for our 3 days stay.

This was our first holiday with the owner for a melting pair of eyes and the cutest black nose. It meant that we couldn't just wake up whenever and head off wherever. The gypsy in me was apprehensive about this new way of holidaying. But, at the end, it didn't turn out too bad.



What we liked about Bordi:
*The place we choose. Big, spacious, clean, kind to pets. Sparse and rustic - which they have frankly mentioned on their website - but with lots of light and air. Charming in its own way
*The warmth and ease of a small town. The only traffic jams were caused by herds of cows
*The awesome sea food
*The many Chikoo farms/Wadis, which you can visit, walk around, buy really fresh, cheap Chikooos and even dine under the tress - -some of the wadis house resorts as well as Turkeys (who Miss. Audi was terrified of)
*The old, huge Parsi bungalows. You can see that many of them are getting old and crumbly now, but are still quite pretty and quaint
*The simplicity and warmth of the people, who are ever-ready to chat and give you information
*Opportunity to buy Warli paintings directly from the artisans
*The cute, man-made Asvali dam. Nothing spectacular, but a nice picnic spot, under the trees
*The fact that there isn't much to do, except relax, read, tank up on food and sprits and catch up on your sleep
*Her Highness's successful debut in a beach, which she took to quite well, despite our anxiety

The Warli artist whose house I visited

Asvali dam

One of the Chikoo wadis

Set set from the Bordi beach

Local, fish thali

What we weren't impressed about:
*The beach. It was super crowded (of course the long weekend added to it), fairly un-clean and not very pet-friendly. A lot of territorial strays guarding their turfs, some poor camels and horses (who her highness kept a safe distance from) giving rides and a ton of vendors and hawkers. If we had gone there on a weekday or when there wasn't a public holiday, it may have been better
*The poor service and lack of flexibility in most resorts - - which I guess goes with most small towns
*No chance to relax or read by the beach
*Lack of too many options to stay. There are quite a few resorts, but very few which meet any quality standards. It need not be posh, but basic cleanliness and a bit of aesthetics (red curtains with green bedsheets and orange cupboards are a bi no-no) are important to us

Overall, we give it a 6/10.

The season did not allow us to visit the famous Bahrot caves - - a holy place of the Parsis, which apparently is also a tough trek and  best undertaken in the winter. On our way back, we drove via Dahanu, which was a decently scenic route of about 10 kms, along the coast. Dahanu is a much bigger town and seemed more geared up to take tourists, though the beach looked a bit murky.

I can imagine Bordi being an idyllic, charming little town, with old Parsi buildings, fresh food, a clean beach and a lot more greenery, about 10 years ago. But today, it is on the brink of becoming just another busy, dirty, crowded, costal town.

If you want a quick get away from Mumbai, which is a bit different from the jaded Khandala, Lonavala, Alibaug, Panchgani routine, is pet-friendly, won't lighten your wallet, gives you access to great sea and Parsi food and doesn't compel you to get out and explore much, give Bordi a chance. You may just end up going on a day when the town may decide to show you a bit of its old charm.

For us, this is hopefully a beginning of many more adventures with the new gypsy of the gang.

Tourist in my city

I haven't been able to write for a while as I have been busy doing what I like writing about - - yes, traveling! The past few months have seen us travel to Sweden, Denmark, Delhi and Amritsar. While all of them were special in their own way and I will write about a few of them subsequently, this post is about a little outing in aamchi Mumbai. This post is about exploring a small part of the city, The Husband and I have called home for 4 years now.

One Sunday morning in late October, we shocked ourselves by waking up fairly early (by our benchmark). We were quite bright eyed and bushy tailed at 9:30 am (don't roll your eyes, we usually don't emerge from our slumber much before noon). The people who we can't live with our without - the maids - had also very kindly come and gone early, leaving us to ourselves for the rest of the day. And, this of course meant that we were itching to go somewhere. Alas, our lovely, but pricey Scandinavian holiday had made sure we couldn't afford a jaunt outside Maximum City.

We had been meaning to visit the 150-year old Chor Bazaar, or the erstwhile Shor Bazaar (nicknamed because of its noisy nature), but never got around to doing it. This seemed like the perfect day to tick it off our list.

I was quite excited to go for two reasons 1. The bazaar is known to be the largest flea market in India, which meant shopping galore and 2. It is located on Mutton Street, which gave me mental pictures of succulent kebabs, biryani and stew.

Since Mutton Street is located in a very crowded part of South Mumbai (where finding a parking slot is like finding a house with balconies in Mumbai) we decided to take a taxi. Equipped with walking shoes, loose, long clothing (advisable) and a bottle of water, we set out on our adventure.

When we told the taxi driver about our destination, the dramatic man acted like we had asked him to take us to some place 'off the grid'. He dropped us off somewhere which he claimed was the beginning or Chor Bazaar and sped off. Not finding any shops or people selling the kind of stuff I had read about, we asked around only to find out that we had to walk 10-15 minutes further to reach our destination.

We started walking towards the bazaar sweating and puffing (we later found out that we had chosen one of the most hot and humid days Mumbai had experienced in 70 years, to embark on this little adventure) and enroute discovered a really interesting Attar store. One has to stop when the beautifully cut bottles holding liquid of various colours call out to you.


So,stop we did.

The enterprising shop keeper sold us some really nice fragrances and I also found some surma (which I applied wrongly the next day and resembled Manjulika from Bhul Bhuliya) and went on our way.



Finally arriving at the bazaar, I was quite happy to see rows and rows of shops filled with all kinds of stuff: antiques, old posters, tin boxes, electrical fittings, wires, headphones, statues and knick knacks. But, to my disappointment, I didn't spot any shops selling mutton specialties, bah! Getting over the disappointment quickly, I concentrated on discovering the many lanes, selling various interesting things.

Shor Bazaar - phonetically corrupted to Chor Bazaar by the Brits - came to be known, in the olden days, for stolen goods. But, today, it sells second hand stuff and replicas of antiques, mostly. You may find some originals if you dig around. The shops and shop keepers are organised in an unorganized sort of way and don't entertain too much bargaining.

We did see some foreigners there, but not the kind of numbers which would justify the obstinance of shopkeepers, unwilling to bargain more than a couple of hundred rupees lower than their original quote. I guess they are more interested in exporting their goods these days.

I managed to hunt around and find a few things to buy: a little bronze fan, (which I am someday going to dismantle, paint in bright colours and assemble again), an ornamental clock (which replaced an old railway clock we had at home), a garden kettle, (which now poses as a flower vase at home) and an old, rusty horse shoe (which I am yet to think about how I want to salvage).

I bargained until the shopkeepers lost interest and were about to ask me to leave. And even then, I wouldn't say that I got stuff at throwaway prices. They were reasonable at best. But, more than the shopping itself, the trip was an interesting experience in itself and gave me a lot of raw material for my weekend DIY projects.

So, if you are someone who loves quirky stuff, enjoy crowded markets and the experience of digging around and haggling and are enthusiastic about DIY projects, this place is a MUST visit.

*Best time to go: December to February when the weather is bearable
*The market is open from 11 am to 7 pm and shut on Fridays
*Carry water as there aren't many shops around selling food. Carry something to munch if you plan to spend more that 3-4 hours
*You will need at least 1 1/2 - 2 hours to see the place
*Bargain as much as you can
*It is safe, but best if you can go in a group of 2 at least
*Wear loose, long clothing as the market is located in a conservative neighborhood

Happy exploring!

To live here, I would die.

If today I was asked to choose one city I would love to live in, it would definitely be Barcelona (until of course, I fall in love with some other city). And, that’s because that city offers all that a great metropolitan should. History, culture, architecture, great food, shopping, excellent infrastructure, the buzz and the relaxation. And, did I mention Flamenco, Sangria and Paella?

Last November, when the husband and I visited Barcelona, I was at my buzziest best, mainly because I had just completed an ‘alone’ holiday in Valencia and was full of self-pride and confidence. Usually the one to follow the husband around when it comes to figuring out local transport and routes, I was actually leading him this time, to take the MTR, the bus and the tram. Not only was he surprised at how independent that one trip had made me, but I think he was also relieved that he could now kick back and not worry about logistics. Seeing his laid-back mood, I made a quick move to push through the ‘agenda’ I had created for our 4 day trip (a detailed, day by day program on a word doc, that was also emailed a week in advance, which he promptly ignored), only to be given that ‘ok, now that’s where I stop following’ look. I mean I did allocate one ‘agenda less’ day, to relax completely and go for a drive in the country side…..

So, as usual, we ended up doing a bit of ‘on the agenda’ and a bit of ‘off the/and no agenda’ stuff.

For someone visiting Barcelona for the first time, there is a bushel of things to see, an abundance of pretty cafes to lounge in and enormous assortment of food and wine to taste. While we did a bit of all of these, the three things that have stayed with us the most are 1. Visit to the Royal Basilica of Montserrat, 2. A Flamenco performance we attended on the Ramblas and 3. The quaint little DIY store we chanced upon in one of the lanes of the Barri Gotic.

The Royal Basilica of Montserrat is a breathtakingly beautiful monastery, carved onto the mountain side, of an elevation of over 4000 feet. The history of this religious and cultural center dates back to 880, when the statue of the Black Virgin Madonna was found. Apart from very interesting things to see including the monastery, the museum and the cave, this place offers magnificent views of 

Catalonia and some hiking trials too.

Panoramic view from Sant Joan

A day trip from Barcelona, Montserrat and can be reached via the MTR. It took us an hour from the Placa d'Espanya station, the area where we were staying. From where the train stops, you can either take the cable car or the rack/cog railway. We took the cable car on the way up, which presented us spectacular views of the jagged, muscular looking mountains. If you are scared of heights, expect to get a bit squeamish. It is totally worth it, though. Once you get to the plaza at the Montserrat, you can either take a funicular up to Sant Joan, the mountains above the monastery or the one down to Sant Cova, the cave where the statue of the Black Virgin was originally found. You can of course do both, one after the other. Be warned, the funicular ride is one of the most thrilling we have taken. It is so steep that your heat is in your mouth till you reach your destination.

Cable car ride to the Monastery

Views around the Montserrat

Around the monastery and the funicular track on the top right corner

Stained glass painting in the main chamber of the monastery

The black virgin Madonna

Prayer candles at Sant Cova

A small abandoned structure we saw during our trek at Sant Joan

The intricate and colourful work and construction here can keep you mesmerized for hours! Another must see here is the celebrated boy choir, which sings here almost every day at 1pm and 7pm. It is one of the oldest known choirs of Eurpoe and meant to be a treat to the ears and eyes. We unfortunately missed it.

One of the many intricate marble statues and carvings in the monastery

The magnet from Montserrat

We spent about ½ a day here, since we go there only late afternoon. But what we saw there and the two little things we brought back – one bottle of heavenly salsa sauce, inhaled with great speed and the jar upcycled; and a magnet with some Spanish writing picked up by the husband, which co-incidentally read ‘if you want to make your wife happy, bring her to Montserrat’ still remind us of the awesome trip. The later also earned the husband a lot of brownie points!

The Flamenco performance we watched at the Teatre Poliorama on the Ramblas was magical and powerful. The singing and dancing were so riveting that the two hours spent there were one of my best. No photos or videos were allowed during the performance, which is great, because the concentration was on the act and nothing else. Inspired by the performance, I bought myself those clappers the dancers use and tried a few steps, once I was back in the room, only to see the husband quickly excusing himself on the pretext of using the washroom. That evening has added one more thing to my ever-growing bucket list. Someday, I want to go back to Spain to do a short course in Flamenco, professionally.

The cycle shop opposite the craft store

Wandering down the streets of Barri Gotic and getting lost with great resolve, we came across this charming crafts store. I was so awe-struck by it right from the time I saw the window display that I forgot to notice the name! Having taken to crafts and DIY just a while before I visited Barcelona and lusting for all those supplies I would see on Pinterest and not knowing where to find them, this was a dream come true. It took all my weak will and the husband’s strong to stop me from maxing out my card here. Such pretty things are still to be seen! I ended up buying a few items though and have been using them since. They have definitely made the home prettier. I still don’t recall the name, nor do the price labels on the stuff I bought carry it. But, I am sure that if one gets lost in the Gotic area intentionally or otherwise, you will perhaps chance upon it. There is a cycle rental shop opposite the store, if that helps.

Now, go find your top 3 callings in Barcelona or feel free to follow mine.

Single in a city.

A recent work trip took me to the vibrant city of Hong Kong. After attending to business for the first 3 days of the week, I took the opportunity to take a quick break and make a holiday of the rest (thanks to generous bosses). I also wanted to honour the promise I made to myself last year: One single holiday a year. I am glad I did.

No doubt HK is a very safe and convenient city for all travellers and more so for a single woman. But, what is really striking about the city is the contrast it presents of the old and new. The modern and the traditional. The west and the east. The busy and the relaxed.

One can enjoy the serenity of the many Buddhist, Chinese temples, nunneries, and gardens in the morning, get a semi-ariel view of the city and Kowloon island from the peak or the IFC mall late afternoon/evening and then retire to one of the many restaurants and bars in Lan Kwai Fong, in the night, to take in the buzz and energy.

A perfect place for the gypsy in you.

So, map in hand, I headed off to the various places I had shortlisted: Many on the map and a few off it. Being my first time in the city, I wanted to see the usual recommendations and the not so usual ones. This post, I hope, will help the first or second time visitors to HK. After that, you are on your own.

Usual recommendations

Kowloon: A walk down the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade, the clock tower and the avenue of stars is enjoyable especially if the weather is nice and breezy. Unless you are a Chinese movie buff, you will probably not recognise half the stars, though. The symphony of sounds in my opinion is a let-down. It doesn’t live up to its hype at all. For a city which is so glitzy and forever lit up (so much so you can never see a dark sky), the light show was below average. I have seen better light shows in India (Mysore, Brindavan gardens) and Singapore, Sentosa. When in Kowloon, don’t miss the various local, authentic restaurants, like Tim Ho Wan, the Dim-Sum Specialists, Mong kok. They have a huge variety of dimsums and are teeming with patrons all the time. And get yourself a tailor-made suit from Raja tailors (again, something I have reserved for the next time), who is really popular and apparently does a great job with the cuts and fitting.

View from Kowloon, Victoria Harobour

The peak: Offers great views of the busy, restless city, with its impressive port and lofty skyscrapers. Best to go 30 minutes before sunset and watch the city lights blink to life. Don’t miss the funicular (120 year old tram), one of the ways to go up to the top. I got there only late at night, which was quite a pretty sight as well - - with the clouds floating low and the many lights sparkling all around. I would have liked to go earlier and spend more time, but, one has to leave some things for the next time too, right?

View from the Peak

Enroute Kowloon

Ladies and Temple Street market in Kowloon: Which you can read a lot about online. If you are a shopaholic like me, this is a very, very dangerous place. The consequences for me were a sore back and hands, having had to carry all the shopping on my own (I really missed the husband here, for helping me carry the stuff and reigning me in) and excess baggage, which I had to pay for, even after I tried to be my charming best with the airline staff, who very generously waived off 2 kgs of the 8! I mean, come on, who gives a woman traveling from HK a baggage limit of 25 kgs - - delusional people!

Grab a drink at the IFC terrace: The IFC mall has this really nice, big terrace, which is free for people to use and lounge in. There is a lot of space and comfortable seating. You can either buy a drink at one of the many bars or carry your own food and drink, sit here and enjoy the view of Kowloon, uninterrupted.

Repulse Bay and Stanley Market: Pick a sunny day and a weekend if you really want to see this posh neighbourhood come alive (It can get a bit too crowded though. If crowds are not your thing, choose a weekday). The ride up here is in itself very pretty, with green hills, water bodies, pretty lanes and houses. Take a local bus and sit on the top deck, to get a good view and for a ‘thrilling ride’ as the locals call it (because the bus drivers take the curves a little fast). If you are from India you will not feel a thing. Our bus drivers make the bus drivers of HK seem like calm 60 year olds. The bay is nice to swim or sun bathe in and has a lot of cafes around. There is a quaint little temple at the end of the bay, which houses some really big deities. The market is pretty nice too and you can pick up some clothes, knickknacks, shoes, etc. It is a short bus ride away from the bay.

At the Tin Hau temple, Repulse Bay

Lantau island: A must visit. The 111 feet Tian Tan Buddha sits beautifully perched, overlooking mainland China. This is the world’s largest, outdoor, sitting, bronze Buddha (Hong Kong has quite a few of these, biggest, longest, largest things, with a lot of conditions before and after). The Po Lin monastery is very beautiful and peaceful and is within a few minutes’ walk from the Buddha. You can spend a whole day here at the Ngong Ping village, where the Buddha, the monastery and many other attractions are housed. Take the crystal cable car one way at least. The views are breath-taking and you can see the Buddha while you are climbing up. It is better to book the ticket in advance, so you don’t have to wait in the long queue, especially during peak season.

View from the crystal cable car, on the way up to Lantau

The 111 feet Tian Tan Buddha

Way up to the Buddha

Other usual recommendations are to take a ride on the star ferry at Victoria harbour and watch the light show from there, Causeway bay and Jardine’s Crescent for shopping, a walk around Chungking mansions, an old, cramped building housing around 4000 immigrant Asians, Africans, cheap restaurants and shops (again, nothing noteworthy for people from Asia, who can see such buildings in their home countries), and Hong Kong park, a lush, well made urban park, right in the middle of the city.

Once done with this list, I moved on to the lesser visited/not so visited places. I had 4 days and a huge list, but I will write about the ones I like liked the most.

Flag staff museum in HK Park: If you are a tea lover like me, this is a must visit. Housed in a pretty, 1840s colonial building, this museum has a delightful collection of teapots and cups from across the ages and dynasties. They have a lot of information on teas, tea making, origins of tea, and the significance of tea making and drinking across Chinese culture and Asian culture. Once can easily spend a couple of hours here. One of the best parts of this place is that you are walking around a metropolitan park, with all these chic skyscrapers bordering it and then, you walk into this museum and get sucked right into history. The contrast is fantastic. And, it is free!

Display at the museum

Display at the museum

Tai O village: This quaint little fishing village with its stilt houses and miniature markets, can take you back in time. It seems like the modernisation of HK city, which is a few miles away has not touched this village as yet. An erstwhile fishing and trading port, the village today is left with its old inhabitants, while the youth have moved out in search of opportunities.  A 20-25 minutes bus ride away from the Tian Tan Buddha, this picturesque village, surrounded by green mountains is a great place to experience the rural life in HK and also to eat some great, absolutely fresh sea food. The markets are very lively and sell all kinds of sea food, Shrimp past (the smell if very strong and free) and souvenirs, if you look carefully. Go here only if you enjoy seeing/eating sea food or can take the smell.

The village houses two tiny but interesting temples. They are worth visiting because they are so old and steeped in history. Don’t miss the Kwan Tai temple, built during the Ming Dynasty in 1488-1505, honouring the God of war and righteousness. The island also houses a former jail for pirates, turned into a heritage hotel, overlooking the pier. The view and food here is worth the long walk.   

At Tai O village, with the stilted housed in the background

The stilted houses in Tai O

The tiny, busy markets of Tai O

Gold fish market: Of the many markets around Mong Kok, this has to be one of the most colourful and charming ones. The Chinese believe a lot in good luck charms and gold fish is meant to bring a lot of luck. This street has rows of shops selling different types of gold fish and the paraphernalia that go with it. Walking around here, watching people choose and buy packets of gold fish, is very fascinating.

A shopkeeper tending to the gold fish in her shop

Lin Heung (Fragrant Lotus) Tea House: If you can’t speak Chinese, better practice sign language or muster the courage to point to something randomly on the menu and eat it. The old waiters here can’t speak a word of English and nor can the menu. Most people enjoying their Yum Cha here seemed as old as the place itself (more than half a decade). It was filled mostly with locals and the food looked as authentic as the place. Old ceiling fans, a wall clock, rickety tables and dated, slightly chipped crockery added to the charisma of the place. I could muster up the courage only to have some Chinese tea here as most items on the menu looked like beef, which I don’t eat (I could be terrible wrong). I missed the husband here again, as he would have pushed me to try something for sure. I hear that the dim sums here are the most genuine. One more thing to go back to, the next time.

Chinese tea at Lin Heung

Chi Lin nunnery and Nan Lian Garden: If you have had your fill of the noise and business of HK, then spend atleast half a day, if not more, at these two places, which are next to each other. Calming Buddhist chanting, greenery, the smell of incense and the peace at the Chi Lin nunnery will immediately make you loosen you shoulder, drop you bag and sit down for a bit.  You know that the busy city exits just outside the gates and you can see it all around you in the background, but you feel safe and guarded inside. From here, walk over to the other calming place – the Nan Lian Garden. The lack of many people, some water bodies and the many flora around will make you want to spend the day here. Both these places offer free entry too.

Nan Lian garden with the skyscrappers in the background

Some of the other things you can try: Ride the mid-level escalators (the world’s longest outdoor escalator) right to the top and walk around the botanical garden or visit the Jamai Mosque, enroute.  Visit the Victoria Park on the weekend when all the Filipinos and locals are out with families and there is a lot of singing, dancing and laughter.  Have a meal at cha chan teng, one of the few surviving old style restaurants, which have now become a cult thing. Walk around Nathan Road if you like high street brands. Visit the Marine Police HQ, which has now been turned into a hip commercial plaza, thankfully with the appeal intact. Pay a visit to the Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple. And lastly, stop over at the Man Mo temple, after walking up the street and looking at some of the oldest surviving housing structures - - blue house, green house and orange house.

In the pictures from L to R: Yuen Wong temple, Man Mo temple

A few things I still have to do the next time in HK: Visit the West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade for some great view of the sunset. Get a suit tailored for myself. Visit the peak in the evening, before sunset. Visit the temple of the 1000 Buddhas. And attend free Tai Chi classes on the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade in the mornings.  

Hong Kong does not have a lot of history left as they were all broken down to make fancy buildings and infrastructure. But, the efforts are on from the past few years, to save the few that are standing. While the modern, glitzy parts are great and is a model for a lot of countries to learn from, history is what makes a city attractive. While you can see the love for fashion, glamour and many things Korean and Western, the old traditional places, markets and people is what make the city striking. For me atleast.

If you want to see the old and the new interspersed beautifully, get ready to sweat (in the humidity) and walk around a lot, to explore this fascinating city. The fact that I could do the walking, exploring, carrying, eating and drinking on my own, without being harassed or leered at or disturbed in any way, added to the excitement.

And remember ladies, no heels or chappals. Yes, it is a glamorous city, but if you love your feet and back, wear those traditional sports shoes!

A date with the stars

One doesn't have to always travel outside one's city or country or spend too much money for a break or a little adventure. A couple of weeks ago, the husband and I were (again) itching to get out and do something. But couldn't afford to take time off for a break, small or big. This is when we got a little creative and started looking for things to do 'in' the city, which would not dent our pockets or our work schedule.

We came upon many things. But most included taking a day off or spending liberally, both of which we didn’t have on our minds. A little more research led me to something that I have always been fascinated about: Star gazing. Since I was a kid, I have been fascinated about stars and constellations. I have been to a few planetariums and observatories as part of educational tours. But, never actually gone for an organised gazing session. This discovery, organised by a professional organisation, within a few hours from Mumbai city and definitely well within our budget, got me very excited. Thankfully, the husband didn’t mind trying it out too. So, we quickly registered for our exciting night out.

Khagol Mandal, one of the largest organisations of amateur astronomers in Mumbai organises sky shows from October/November to May/June, depending on the season and the sky pattern. The session happen at Neral at most times and is open to anyone who is interested, on a registration basis only. The charges are very minimal at Rs.250 per person and an extra Rs.150 for dinner. If not, you are free to carry your own dinner. Once you register, they send you a detailed set of instructions on where to meet, what to carry and what to expect out of the program. It is an all-night event, beginning around 7:00 pm and ending at 4:00 am the next morning.

Back to our experience. The organisers suggested that you either take the train or drive to the venue. The train is definitely faster as you avoid a lot of the evening traffic. We decided to take the local train, since a. We didn’t know the route too well (yes, there are maps to help, but, we weren’t in the mood for it) and b. the husband wanted to get me to experience the local train, since I have been on it only twice before, in all the four years in Mumbai and that too for very short distances over the weekend, when the train was nearly empty.

Saturday came (the show usually takes place only on Saturday nights) and we got ourselves all geared up for the night with packed dinner, the list of things we had to carry and our energy. We left home at 5pm, to catch the 5:50 pm ‘fast’ train to Neral. We live about 10 mins from the station, but knowing how tentatively I move in crowded stations, the husband insisted that we give it enough time. I went outside our gate and was standing around to hail an auto, when the husband dragged me to the auto stand a few meters away and hurried me into one. I was wondering why he was in such a hurry, when suddenly a boisterous aunty came and plonked herself in the same auto. I was about to tell her that we had occupied it, when the husband smiling told me that it was a ‘share auto’ and that he wanted to me get the ‘full local travel experience’ (thank you very much!).  

Once at the station, I was a little overwhelmed with the crowded trains and how I was going to get myself into one. For the people who don’t use the train often, this can be quite an experience. But I had the veteran train user with me and he guided me into one. The journey was not too bad and offered me a great opportunity to people watch, something that I enjoy doing. After about an hour, we arrived at the Neral station, followed the instructions and met the van driver who was to drive us to the gazing site, which is about a 15-20 mins drive away and is part of a resort. We were pleasantly surprised with the number of people who were there. Especially children. Probably because of the summer break. The site was decently set up, with 5 telescopes, a space for the theory sessions and a dining area. The theory area could have probably been a little better, since one has to sit or lay (preferably) down on dharis/sheets and gaze up. It had a quite a few stones and red ants in some places. But, if you choose your spot well and carry a thick mat/dhari, you will be. And at the end, you get what you pay for!

We choose a spot and settled down for the theory session on telescopes and constellations. The theory session is also pretty interesting as they explain using the sky and not slides or charts. Once the comprehensive theory session was over, we proceeded for the first telescope viewing session of the night. We saw Jupiter, the beehive constellation, the Arundathi star and a binary star. It was really quite fascinating. We could clearly see 3 moons of Jupiter and the fourth one feebly. The other bodies were all very clear. For armatures like it was a fascinating experience.  Once this was done, we proceeded for a dinner break followed by another theory session. This was then to be followed by another viewing session, where we would see the ‘champion’ of the night: Saturn and also a red star close to Saturn, which is very similar to Mars in its colour and structure.

By now, everyone was quite enthralled and involved. While comfortable settled for the second theory session and gearing up for the Saturn viewing, we started noticing some lightning in the sky. Everybody, including the organisers hoped that this was just temporary as all predictions indicated that it was a clear night. But, as always, nature had its own plans and within a few minutes, it started to POUR. Thankfully, we had some forewarning and were all able to rush into a shed like structure for shelter. It rained for a good hour and there was no way that the session could resume after that. The last train had left by then and no taxi company was offering services in Neral. So we had to wait there till the next train at 2:50 am. Sipping on tea and chatting, we waited till we were dropped back to the Neral station. We finally reached the station at 2:52 and were running up the stairs, when we saw train pull away in front of our eyes! The resort van driver who dropped us to the station had decided to take a nice nap, resulting in this delay and our missing the train. We had two options now 1. We could wait another hour for the next train or 2. Take a taxi to the next big station (Ambernath) which was a 45 minutes’ drive away and take the train from there. We were ready for option 2, but it was not very safe for just the two of us to travel in a taxi at that time. While waiting, we met two guys from the program also trying to find a way to get to Ambernath. One was a local and one was a Spaniard. They looked like nice guys and much to the husband’s apprehension, I suggested that we share a cab with them. So we ended up doing that and safely reached Ambernath, JUST in time for the next train and finally reached home at 5:00 am.

We were a bit disappointed that we couldn’t see all that we wanted to, especially Jupiter, but were happy to have explored this option and also that it turned out to be a little adventure of its own, although not the kind we had hoped for. But, well, that’s the whole point of adventures, right? You can plan all you want, but then what finally unfolds is not in your hands and that’s the fun of it.

We will definitely go back for a show once it starts again (it is currently closed due to monsoon and will commence in November) and have a date with Saturn. Until then, Khagol Mandal offers sessions and discussion on basic astronomy, which we plan to participate in and also be happy that ‘by Jupiter, we saw stars’!


You can check the schedule and register on: http://khagolmandal.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=35&Itemid=39

Tip  for first timers:

1. Take mosquito patches/Odomos
2. Take a thick dhari and a blanket/razai or 2-3 bedsheets since the ground is hard and most of the theory sessions are spent on your back or backside
3. Take along pillows/cushions
4. Take ample water and snacks to satisfy hunger pangs through the night
5. If you can, drive! It will help you get back home faster and safer in case of unforeseen weather conditions
6. Wear loose, comfortable clothes, preferable tracks/cotton trousers and full arms to protect yourself from mosquito bites
7. Get some sleep on Saturday morning/noon since you will have to be up the whole night

The poetry behind shoes.

People who know me even a little, know that my love for footwear is almost comparable with my love for travel. Ballerinas, stilettos, chappals, boots, I don’t discriminate. Each one of these babies are precious and deserve a home (in my cupboard). And that’s another reason why I love to travel. What better way to add to your collection, than picking up local beauties from the places you visit?

So, when the husband and I decided to go to Greece in 2013, I was super excited, of course about the trip itself, but secretly about the prospect of buying Greek sandals. I did not of course tell the husband that, as he may just have changed the destination out of mere fright of having to 1. Visit a 100 shoe stores with me, 2. Chivalrously offer to carry my heavy shopping bags (while I run around looking for more and he tries to hold me back, unsuccessfully), 3. Pay for extra baggage and 4. Make space in our Mumbai apartment, where my shoes have already occupied 95% space in the two shoe racks we own.

But, what I did do was, silently research about the best places I could buy authentic Greek footwear. After a bit of digging around I came across this gem of a place called the STAVROS MELISSINOS "THE POET SANDAL-MAKER OF ATHENS". Just reading about it got me so excited that I immediately dug out more information and put this at the top of our agenda for Athens.

The store, inherited by Stavros Melissinos (now 86 years old), who belongs to a noble Greek family and is the author of Rubiyat, was opened by his father, way back in 1927. For many years, this was the only shoe store in the area, dressing the feet of many clients from the theatre and cinema community (only they wore sandals, then) and the Queen of Greece herself. History has it that a friend of Socrates had a shoe store in this exact place 2500 years ago.

The store is now managed by Pantelis Melissinos, Stavros’ son, who is an artist, educated in New York. He returned to Athens some years ago, to prevent the legacy from ending with his father. Today, there are many stores around, selling Geek footwear, but none as authentic, high quality and enjoyable as this one.

After dreaming for days of entering this shop and raiding it, the day finally came when we landed in Athens and were walking around Monastiraki Square, after an enticing morning at the Acropoli, followed by a scrumptious meal of home-made pies in a quaint little cafe. This is the time I sprung the surprise on the unsuspecting husband and started looking for this store. Considering my zeal to find the place and recognising the determined twinkle in my eyes, the husband ceded defeat and followed me, while I made my way past the flea markets in the shadow of the Acropoli. This hidden gem, located at 89 Pandrossou, is actually not that difficult to find and after asking a few people around, we found the place.

One of the many flea markets near Monastiraki square

The tiny, Pandrossou street where the store is located

The store itself

And, then I entered (a part of) heaven. The décor, the smell of fresh shoes (don’t you just love that), the handsome and polite salesmen, the posters of the famous patrons and the many shoes all stuffed in shelves in the little shop, were a sensorial feast. I had to use all constraint, not to start running around, picking shoes off the shelf.

Inside the store

Stavros' work seat

Pantelis in his work space

After a little gaping, we settled down to look at the shoes (yes, WE. After seeing the shop, the husband couldn't resist buying for himself too). One of the first things the store people do, is hand you a catalogue which lists all the styles available. They have about 30 styles available for both men and women (most of them unisex) with names like Jackie O, Cleopatra, John Lenin, Aristotle and Ceasar. Once you select the style(s) you like, they bring out some pairs which are just the base and the straps, make you slip it onto your feet, adjust it so that it fits you snug and just right, note down the measurements and then take it to their little work-space to customize your shoes for you. You can sit around and actually watch your shoes being crafted to perfection, in front of you! The finishing takes about 30 minutes once they start working on it, but you may have to wait longer in case there is a queue of people.

After choosing our footwear – John Lenon for me and Simon for the husband – and while waiting for it to get made, we spent our time gawking at the many shoes hanging around like bunches of berries, admiring the headshots of the autographed posters of patrons and chatting with Pantelis about the shop, its history and clientele. The list is indeed impressive, from Prince Charles, Sarah- Jessica Parker, Maria Callas, John Lennon, Jeremy Irons, the Beatles and us (yay, we are part of the list now)!

The husband's chappal being worked on by one of the salesmen

My chappals being finished by Pantelis

This is undoubtedly the one memento one must get back from Greece. The leather is good, the fit perfect, the staff friendly, the place charming and the price totally affordable. Depending on the pair you choose, you will end up paying 30-40 Euros. They can make coloured leather too, but that takes a little longer to make (about 45 minutes, again depending on the number of customers) and costs about 50-60 Euros.

One of the many posters of the patrons

After about 30-45 minutes of entering the store, our shoes were ready (there weren't too many customers at that time) and we left the place grinning and waiting eagerly to start using them.

Our only regrets: 1. Not being able to meet Stavros, as he was resting at home that day and 2. Buying only 1 pair each (and the husband readily agrees this time). But, that gives us a reason to go back…

someday.

Expert tips:1. Let the sandals set overnight before you start using them. This will ensure that the pasting holds well2. Rub olive oil on your chappals once a week for a few weeks, so it gets a nice dark colour (if you like that)Air the shoes once in a while, if you live in a humid city, else they will catch fungus3. Visit the store around 11 am, an hour after opening to 5 pm, so you can see the colour and finish of the leather in daylight and choose well