Service with a smile

I am down to only one week left in India, and I am rather sad to see the time flying by. Work has been much harder from here than it is back in the states - working 2 time zones and trying to keep people on both sides of the world happy can be quite stressful. But overall the experience has been so amazing. And, of course, I'm getting quite spoiled here...

Mumbai:
I spent this past weekend in Mumbai. I think it was Masha who said 'New York on the subcontinent' or something to that effect, and she was right. It is a big city with lots to see and do, but at the end of the day it is a big city.

I stayed at the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower in Mumbai - hey, when you find a good thing you stick with it. Truthfully, I had done so little research on this trip and had nothing booked shortly before I left the states...so I asked Sreeni where I should stay and he said the Taj - I'm quite glad I listened to him. Really it is the only place to stay if you are there to explore and especially if you are there for the first time. It is an amazing landmark right next to the India Gate. Here is the view from my balcony:















And here a view of the hotel from down at the India Gate:
















And this picture shows the proximity of the two:

















Yes, the hotel is as ostentatious as you would think, housing stores like Louis Vuitton, Zegna, and Bvlgari, to name a few. And the place is huge, with a lot of restaurants and bars to choose from. In fact on Friday night I stopped in one of those bars to have a snack and drink...ended up chatting to a guy from the states who everyone there seemed to know. Should I take it as a warning that the singers dedicated 'Smooth operator' to him shortly after we started chatting? LOL. Anyway, I apparently didn't as we closed down the bar (not hard to do at 12:30) and then went to a club that he knew of. It ended up being a PolyEsthers, which I found to be hysterical. But it was a great time and a really fun night.


My head hurt a bit the next day when I got up. ;)


Spent Saturday exploring Mumbai and doing some shopping and Sunday was a lot of the same. I declined an invitation for more clubbing on Saturday night and was curled up in bed by midnight.


I returned to Hyderabad Sunday night. This weekend I am staying in Hyderabad as I have not really explored the bizaare, charminar, etc.