Day 2: Boxing Day shopping...on India time

It's Boxing Day! Traditionally, I would round up a couple of friends and we would hit the stores complaining there aren't enough "good deals" in the Boxing Day sales in Toronto. This year, I decided that since I was going to spend the day by myself, I should go shopping for some gifts to bring home. So, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 7 a.m., I headed down for another marathon breakfast. Needless to say, I am impressed again by the selection of foods and by the courtesy and service of the staff at Vista.

It was 9 a.m. and I was eager to hit the streets. The news channels were broadcasting all sorts of theories about India's strategy for the greatly anticipated cricket match. India was facing Australia in game 1 of a 4-game test match series. I grew up watching football and basketball and I must admit I know absolutely nothing about cricket. Completely uninterested in all the cricket experts on TV, I decided to go out and do some window shopping...

And window shopping was pretty much all I could do... I decided to start in an area close to my hotel, Linking Road, in Bandra, where one can find a good mixture of stores and street stalls. I was told I could find very reasonably priced (what an euphemism!) shoes, purses, and t-shirts there.

The rickshaw ride was a bit eventful. My car was involved in a slight fender-bender with another rickshaw, and I was impressed at how calm everyone involved was... I got to Linking Road at about 9:30... just to find everything closed. I figured it wouldn't be long before they would open, so I decided to have a cup of tea at one of the nearby neighbourhood cafés. At 10, I ventured out again ... still closed. All I could hear was the echo of the radio broadcast of the cricket match. I decided to ask one of the security guards outside one store, who told me stores usually open at 10:30 am. (Still half an hour!) I hailed a cab to go downtown. That would surely kill time. Boxing Day is a regular work day for many people in Mumbai, so the morning traffic would require at least a 1 1/2 - 2 hour ride downtown to Colaba from Bandra.

In the cab ride, the driver explained to me the importance of the cricket match and tried to give me a quick summary of the rules of cricket, as well as his personal opinion of what India should do to win against the Aussies... Every comment from the radio announcer was followed by an "ooh" or a "yeah!" from my cab driver... On our way to Colaba, my driver stopped once to buy some roadside snacks and once more to buy tea from a roadside stall. He walked back to the taxi with two cups of tea and offered me one. We had some morning tea while listening to the development of the match and talking about my shopping plans.

Colaba is an area with a lot of foreign tourists. Prices are usually higher there than in other areas of Mumbai, and the stores resemble the shops one could find anywhere back home. I was interested in shopping for fabrics in a store where local Mumbaikers would shop, so my cab driver suggested a chain store in Dadar (w) called Paaneri.

Shopping "Mumbai-style" is a fantastic experience. The stores are designed with large counter tops and long lines of chairs or stools for customers to sit in. One can sit at the counter and sip a cup of tea, coffee, water or a soft drink while shop assistants bring loads of merchandise that they unfold, measure and display for the customers. The store has a fixed-price policy, but prices can be slightly negotiated.

If you are in a rush, that's not the type of store for you. However, remember that you are in India... You are "on India time", like the locals call it. So sit back, relax, enjoy your drink, and admire the amazing fabrics the shop assistants bring your way...

Of course, I left the store with a few bags. The security guard asked me to wait inside in the A/C while he went to get my cab driver. When I explained I still wanted to do a bit more shopping, they took my bags and asked one shop assistant to take me to a shop across the street where I could find the bangles and costume jewelry I was looking for. Another cup of chai later, I left the store with two gorgeous sets of bangles, all for about $15-20 dollars. Again, my cab driver was kindly waiting for me, loaded my bags in the car, asked me if I needed anything else, offered me another drink and at my request, drove me back to my hotel.

Most cab drivers will offer to wait for tourists while they go shopping, visit museums, etc. If you are going to be a while, it may be worth to settle the bill and ask them not to wait. Cabs have a "tariff card" that will show the price. Negotiating a flat fee for a long distance ride is not allowed in Mumbai, but you will find that many drivers will offer a flat fee. Usually, that fee is quite a bit higher than the actual price you would pay if you opted for the "meter fee". (During my stay, I never had to pay more than 170 Rs. for a ride from Bandra to Colaba, so 150 Rs. may be a good reference point to negotiate a flat fee ride for that distance. If you think in US or Canadian dollars, a 1 1/2 hour ride in peak traffic from the Northern suburb of Bandra to the Southern tip of the city, Colaba, can set you off a "whooping" $4 or 5 Canadian dollars...I think I won't be able to take a cab in Toronto for quite a while. The same distance on a weekend night can easily set me off $80 - 100 dollars! Ouch!)

Many tourists will rent drivers for the day. Major hotels can help you make arrangements for that and some of the main travel agencies in Mumbai will also be able to find you a driver. Drivers usually have a/c cars and speak a bit more English. They act as "tour guides" and will drive you around in one day to the main tourist attractions of the city, at your request. Since I had a fantastic tour guide, I opted for hailing a cab or a rickshaw when needed.

The "damage" for my Boxing Day shopping spree, approximately $300 dollars including cab rides... The results, two sets of bangles, some custom jewelry, three sarees, 6 silk tops, and a pile of scarves and pashmina shawls... Now, how about that for Boxing Day prices? :)