32 Spotlight 10/2019 TRAVEL
Fotos: iStockphoto/iStock.comchefs experiment with Indian ingredi-
ents and present them in a fresh, inter-
national style. Have a light breakfast of
couscous upma at the Birdsong Cafe, or
walk around the attractive lanes and bou-
tiques before stepping into The Bombay
Canteen for bombil vadas, fritters made
of Bombay duck fish, and pav bhaji porter-
house rolls, inspired by the thick and spicy
mixed vegetable stew and one of the city’s
beloved, any-time meals.
If you have time, climb the hillock near
Bandra Bandstand to light a candle at the
Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount, known
locally as Mount Mary. The climb is re-
warded with a great view of the Arabian
Sea and the church’s gorgeous neo- Goth-
ic facade and azure interiors. Like oth-
er temples and mosques in Mumbai,
Mount Mary is a longstanding symbol of
the city’s secular fabric and is visited by
Mumbaikars of all faiths. If you happen
to be in town on 8 September, you’ll be in
time for the Feast of Mount Mary, which
is followed by the week-long Bandra Fair.12.30 p.m.
Most tourists are curious about Mum-
bai’s slums and poverty, which coexist
with soaring skyscrapers and all manner
of prosperity. Forget anything anyone has
told you about slums (remember instead
the advice about keeping an open mind),
put on your walking shoes and some sun-
block, and get ready to be surprised by
Dharavi, one of Asia’s largest slums. (Try
khakitours.com and realitytoursandtravel.com
for excellent guided tours that last forover two hours.) Dharavi bustles with life
and Mumbai’s indomitable enterprising
spirit. You’ll pass charity-funded schools,
plastic and waste recycling plants, and an
ocean of tiny workshops housing small
industries that, together, have a yearly
turnover estimated at around $1 billion.
With more than 5,000 businesses and
15,000 single-room factories, Dharavi
employs workers from across the country,
and will certainly change any notions you
may have of a desolate “slum”.3.30 p.m.
Take a taxi to the central suburb of
Matunga for a late lunch. Although not
stately like South Mumbai or contempo-
rary like Bandra, this busy, middle-class
suburb is famous as the city’s South In-
dian hub and home to the most authen-
tic Udupi (or Udipi) restaurants. Udupi
is a district in the neighbouring state of
Karnataka, from where great numbers of
enterprising families migrated to Mum-
bai in the 1930s, bringing their efficient
brand of warm and relaxed hospitality to
the city. Served with coconut chutneys,
the classic South Indian tiffin snacks of
dosa (fermented rice and lentil batter pan-
cake) and idli (steamed rice cakes) quickly
became popular in Mumbai.
Go directly to the oldest Udupi restau-
rant in the city, A. Rama Nayak’s Udipi
Shree Krishna, to try their vegetarian tha-
li. Sit at a table — the restaurant is air-con-
ditioned, but you’re expected to share
tables with other guests — and wait for
a washed banana leaf to be placed beforeazure [(ÄZE]
, himmelblau
batter [(bÄtE]
, Teig-
billion [(bIljEn]
, Milliarde(n)
Bombay duck
[)bQmbeI (dVk]
, Harpadon nehereus,
Bomelofisch
bustle: ~ with life [(bVs&l]
, mit Leben erfüllt sein
desolate [(desElEt]
, trostlos, hoffnungslos
enterprising spirit
[(entEpraIzIN )spIrIt]
, Unternehmergeist,
Einfallsreichtum
fabric [(fÄbrIk]
, Struktur, Bau
fritter [(frItE]
, Frittiertes
hillock [(hIlEk]
, kleiner Hügel
hospitality
[)hQspI(tÄlEti]
, Gastfreundschafthub [hVb]
, Knotenpunkt, Mittel-
punkt
indomitable
[In(dQmItEb&l]
, unbezwingbar,
un bezähmbar
lentil [(lent&l]
, Linsen-
notion [(nEUS&n]
, Vorstellung
porterhouse
[(pO:tEhaUs]
, Speisehaus
prosperity [prQ(sperEti]
, Wohlstand, Reichtum
soaring [(sO:rIN]
, hoch aufragend
stately [(steItli]
, vornehm, imposant
stew [stju:]
, Eintopf, Schmorgericht
tiffin [(tIfIn] Ind.
, Snack, leichtes
Mittagessen
turnover [(t§:n)EUvE]
, UmsatzPlaying the
immensely popular
sport of cricket
on the streets of
Mumbai