Intro to my neighborhood

I thought I would start this blog by giving an introduction to my wonderful neighborhood - Bandra. Known as the "fancy" and "upscale" home of Bollywood stars, Bandra is a place of incredible contrasts. All the chaos and dirt of Bombay with little gems of superb restaurants and high-end shops popping out of every crevice.

This is my apartment building. Everything here is identified by landmark and not by street name. Our formal mailing address is "52 Opposite Almeida Park."

Here is Almeida Park across from my apartment. Many families gather here each evening to enjoy a bit of greenery.

Another shot of Almeida Park. At every beautiful spot you can also find loads of trash. Here trees have been knocked down by the monsoons.

Each day I get around by auto rickshaw. These fantastic 3-wheeled creatures fearlessly race through the streets and cost an average of 25¢ per trip.


Near my house I love this up-market boutique next to the traditional chicken broiler.

And thousands of street shops selling colorful clothing, jewelry, shoes and food.


This is Linking Road - the main street through Bandra at a very brief moment of slow traffic. You can see the first puddles from the monsoons.

Here's a final shot of the long promenade along Carter Road that borders the Arabian Sea - one of my favorite spaces in Bandra. It is glorious to feel the sense of space of the ocean after the crowds and chaos of the city. This promenade leads from an exclusive club to the edge of the slums - another example of the contrasts of the city.