It should be like the FDR Drive on July 4th or Times Square on New Years Eve. Each Diwali, millions coalesce at the Gateway of India to watch the fireworks, with the usual dozens or hundreds of fishing boats and larger ships in the harbor.
Last night: eerily empty, except for the pigeons and dogs who suddenly had the place to themselves.
The two block radius around the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel has been on lock-down since yesterday morning in preparation for President Obama's visit here today. Tyler and I found ourselves in the weirdest of situations -- basically reverse-prisoners... we could leave freely, but without the requisite police clearance badges, could not come back to our hotel.
As it turns out, there are worse things than being prisoners inside the Taj.
A bit shocked we could go inside at all, the entire evening we marveled at how eerily the hotel felt like we were transported to America, or specifically -- Washington, D.C., given all the men in khakis and polos, blackberries galore, thick American accents, and questions like, "Did you need to learn English to be a bartender here?"
We spent most of the night at Harbour Bar, which I've since learned opened its doors in 1933 and was Mumbai's first licensed bar. Freshly muddled green apple martinis and wasabe peas... definitely felt like we were someplace else, except the amazing view of the Gateway of India and (deserted) bay were beautiful reminders.
For dinner, we had the most incredible sushi that literally melted in our mouths, accompanied by sweet potato spicy wedges with a lemon-suffle side... easily the most delicious meal in a long, long time.
Walking back felt a bit like post-apocalypse, with all the streets strangely devoid of all people in what should be one of the busiest places in Mumbai. Some pictures inside the lock-down:
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