First Night Out

Friday night was our first night to explore Mumbai nightlife. It took us two hours to get to South Mumbai because there was a huge storm and the rain was so intense, making the roads the biggest traffic mess I've ever seen. The rain poured down so hard I thought the windshield wipers were going to break off! The three girls and I met up with some friends from Brown who took us to dinner. We went to the India Jones Restaurant (Asian fusion cuisine) in the Trident, Nariman, in South Mumbai for dinner. The Hilton Trident was a luxurious five star hotel known for the best views of Mumbai and is located in the heart of the financial/business district. Here are pictures of the hotel (the taller building) and us the restaurant.

After dinner the guys took us to Hipe, a nightclub in South Mumbai owned by Aqeel Ali, one of India's best DJs (who I got to meet!). The music was great and we had such a fun time! We had a private table because one of our friends, Ananya, is friends with the DJ. I felt under dressed compared to everyone there (no one follows the "cover shoulder and leg rule"- even at work) but have been trying to dress conservative to be safe. 

Regarding safety, we have been extremely cautious. I did not imagine we would be going out at all (didn't pack any dressy clothes either!) because we were told women were not allowed out after 6pm. It seems to be that there are very different ways of life here, varying by class. I had imagined going out at night here meant walking through dark streets with people begging along the sidewalk, sketchy alleys and corners to the restaurant and club. I sure it may be that way in other places, but not where we have been in Mumbai. Our driver dropped us off and picked us up at the entrance of the hotel for dinner, and dropped us off and picked us up at the entrance of the club, just like the guy's driver. We do not walk anywhere except inside, and there is security at every place. We have had to walk through metal detectors, exactly like we would do in an airport. I asked why there is such extreme security and the guys expained that it was because of the terrorist attach on 11/26/08 in India. The Trident hotel was a main target during the attack.

Here are some pictures of the club and Rianne and I dancing!