Christmas Eve in Bombay

If you read the last post, you will note I said never give out your phone number.  Well, by the time I got to the airport in Delhi after leaving Sunil, I had not learned my lesson.  The domestic airport was small where you take busses to the airplane and everyone flying out waits in one of 3 terminals..So, not very big.  In the airport I broke down with my first opportunity to have Real western/american food. I used to be this STAUNCH person who insisted on NOT eating in an American food establishment because I wanted to try something else.  Well, even McDonalds is different.  Remember this is a country where no beef is eaten.  So, what do they serve at McDonalds???  Chicken!  There is like 8 different chicken meals, as well as Lamb and fish.  And that's it.  So, in the airport my choices were a coffee stand with strange looking sandwhiches or McDonalds....I went for the McChicken meal....which again was different.  The chicken was flavored Masala.  Not just your plane breaded chicken...While waiting for my fries I again struck up a conversation with a guy who was waiting for his as well.  This guy (Ram) was an NRI from Australia (NRI = Non resident Indian).  He was from Canburra.  Again, seemed like a nice guy, just out of university in marketing and here for a month break traveling around.  He was also going to Bombay and was alone.  He was willing to meet up and chill with me and Bec - so I said SURE - here's my number!  E-Gads!  If I had only known!

Actually Ram wasn't bad, he was just increadiably lonely or very desperate for friendship because he litterally called/texted me at least 4 times a day for the 3 days he was in Bombay at the same time I was.  We did eventually meet up on Chrismas day and you will see a photo of him when you read that blog... 

Chrismas day we went to the Ocean!

and then to the Gateway of India.  This was the archway that the last british soldiers marched though when they finally vaccated and relinquished rule over India.

This just so happens to be right next to the Taj Hotel.  This is where the 11/26 (as Americans would say) or 26/11 (As everyone else says) attacks happened.  This was the shootings happened the day after thanksgiving in 2008.  This is where we decided to have Christmas Eve dinner.  YUM, but WOHA was it expensive.  This is a posh hotel to stay at and it is SWARMING with tourists. 

This is me looking posh as I sit in the fancy hotel

This is what I had for dinner.  What is it you ask??  Good question.  It was Steak Rissoto.  Steak you raise your eyebrow as you should and as I did...and asked, "What kind of steak is it?"  The reply given was "You know, Indian Steak"....MMMMBoy was it good....really, it was good.  I think it was Buffalo.  You can see the dish beyond mine is Salmon over Rissoto and thats what Andrew and Bec ate.

Buffalo:

This was the place where I also got to see an Indian Santa and Albino Elf...