I Could Live Here

Mirrors aligned to reflect light 

Star Wars like Characters

Inside the David Sassoon Synagogue

Armed Guards at Synagogue

Flowing Textile

Painted and embroidered picture 

Distorted Textile

Drinks at the Taj Pool

Kashmera

Lobster with Pomegranates 

This was our last full day in Mumbai. It turned out to be a great one. At the end of the day Cathy kept saying: “I could live here”. Morning started with setting up Cathy’s iPhone with an Indian SIM card. We both are connected now!

The area around the Taj as it is being gentrified and has turned into an arts district. One side is totally Muslim, the streets everywhere are filled with smells of exotic foods being cooked. I kept mentioning to Cathy - I wish the camera could capture smells. We would never try the street foods for fear of Delhi Belly but boy the temptations are there!

Maps are sort of useless here, they give you general directions but because the streets aren’t well marked, directions are usually something like: past the fountain opposite the statue of Gandhi. I was going to try Google maps on my iPhone but never got around to it. People who saw us looking at a map were uniformly nice in trying to assist us.

We visited many art galleries. Most of them are in large very old buildings. You walk up old decrepit stairs and then enter large white spaces. Some of the art was especially interesting. One exhibit was made up of dozens of small mirrors arranged to reflect a horizon effect on a wall.

Our favorite was an artist who created flowing textile like pieces some that actually flowed from a wall the floor below. Another technique was to take pictures then paint the pictures and finally embroider them with black thread wherever the painting was black. It was amazing to see.

One of the directions to an art gallery was past Rhythm Planet (the record store that is closing) and opposite the Synagogue. We didn’t know there was a Synagogue in the neighborhood. The Synagogue was obvious to spot, for it was painted blue and surrounded on two sides by Mumbai Police protecting it. They are always there. When the terrorists attached the Taj Hotel, they also attacked and killed at Chabad House. The Mumbai police now protect Jewish institutions. David Sassoon built the David Sassoon Synagogue over 150 years ago. It shows its age but is still used daily. David Sassoon led the Iraqi Jewish community and the Synagogue is considered a home for the descendents of the Iraqi Jews who still live in Mumbai. We bought a history of the Synagogue and happily made a donation.

We broke up our art walk by returning to the Taj, I had a very good massage (first of the trip) and Cathy getting her hair done.

Later we had drinks by the pool, no fear of ice, thank god, at the Taj, so I had a Gin and Tonic. Perfect after a hot day. Later Kashmera our Bollywood actress friend, dropped by the hotel. It was great to see her. It is amazing to be with her as people recognize her and do double takes.

We later ate once again at the hotel’s excellent Indian Restaurant: Masala Kraft. We had a delicious Lobster.

We followed dinner with Cognac and chocolates in the Club Room where we talked again with our new found Swedish Friends. We exchanged contact info with them and then retired. Happy to report we slept through the night (with the aid of a sleeping pill). Jet Lag has been defeated. In the morning we check out and head to Jaipur.