The best deal in India

Last week, I went on a touring/shopping excursion with friends Alison and Simone. It was fun! Alison acted as tour guide, following a path she'd been shown upon her arrival several years ago.
We dropped the kids off at school, loaded Ryan into Simone's car and took off.
First stop: the Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghat, where "if you've had washing done in Mumbai, chances are your clothes have already paid a visit to this 136-year old dhobi ghat (place where clothes are washed). The whole hamlet is Mumbai's oldest and biggest human-powered washing machine: every day hundreds of people beat the dirt out of thousands of kilograms of soiled Mumbai clothes in 1026 open-air troughs." (Descriptions courtesy of Lonely Planet, India.)




Onto breakfast at Indigo Deli, where I had a yummy cappucchino and eggs benedict...holy cow, what a treat! I felt like I was in London, the place was so swank! www.indigodeli.com
We ducked into a funky silver jewelry shop called Popli, where I was seriously tempted by a super-cool ring, but managed to resist..
Walked to the end of the block where we stopped for photo ops in front of the Taj Mahal Palace: "This sumptuous hotel is a fairytale blend of Islamic and Renaissance styles jostling for prime position among Mumbai's famous landmarks. Facing the harbour, it was built in 1903 by the Parsi industrialist JN Tata, supposedly after he was refused entry to one of the European hotels on account of being 'a native'.


And just across the street, the Gateway of India: "This bold basalt arch of colonial triumph faces out to Mumbai Harbour at the tip of Apollo Bunder. Derived from teh Islamic styles of 16th-century Gujarat, it was built to commemorate the 1911 royal visit of King George V. It was completed in 1924: ironically, the gateway's British architects used it just 24 years later to parade off their last British regiment, as India marched towards independence. These days, the gateway is a favorite gathering spot for locals and a top spot for people-watching."

We decided to loop around the block, where Alison mananged to trick a man into Rs. 100 (about 2 dollars) to take his picture. I was tickled pink- she was so slick! She ended up with both the photo AND the money- he'd been dupped and didn't even know it!
Onto Good Earth- the Pottery Barn of India. Droooooooool. Again, I resisted buying anything.
A quick trip in the car landed us at THE BEST DEAL IN INDIA. By far. No question. Ready for it? Ready? Chimanlals. A Stationery Store. Just thinking about it makes my pulse quicken. I was pinging the instant I looked through the front window, before I'd stepped in the door. The paper (of any sort) horder in me kicked in and all my senses were at optimum capacity. Handmade, gorgeous, unique Indian stationery. Then I saw the prices: 10 notecards + envelopes for Rs. 23?? Are they insane? That's $.50!!! I bought an entire basketful of notecards, envelopes, giftboxes, etc. for, get this: $14. Yep. That is IT. $14.
If you are wondering whether they have a website, you betcha: www.chimanlals.com
I am MORE than happy to do some shopping for any of you out there- just let me know, and I'll head downtown tomorrow.
And THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is the best deal in India. According to Tara. :)