Sylvia's Journal

After the long walk over uneven terrain yesterday, I returned to the hotel tired and sore. It was a good time to check out the spa and see if there was such a thing as a foot massage. There was no such thing but a ‘leg fatique remover’ seemed even better. It was as if the masseuse knew about all my joint problems and muscle tightness in my lower body, pressing in the right places, and finishing up with a bonus shoulders and neck massage. I came out feeling ‘relieved of my leg fatique’ and ready for a treat in the Saptami restaurant which served me a great breakfast in the morning. For the evening meal, I read in the elevator, loyal IHG customers would get a 25% discount. This amounted, essentially, to a free local beer and the remainder vanished after tips.

Back to my room I packed and set my alarm for (too) early so that I would be ready in case the motor cycle guide showed up at 7:30AM. It turned out I could have slept in as I learned he wouldn’t show up until 2PM. So much for an ‘full-day’ motor tour of the city.

I now had time to go for a swim in a large infinity pool on the roof. If it wasn’t for the enormous metropole surrounding us, as far as the eye could see, one would have thought to be on an exotic beach, complete with palm trees. I shared the pool with a flock of pigeons who must have adapted to sipping chlorine water as they flew to and from the pool with great vigor. They have taken up residency in a corner of the pool (not in the water) and didn’t budge when I swam towards them. This is clearly their pool but it didn’t look messy as one would expect. I assume someone must be cleaning their habitat frequently.

In the end the motor guide showed up at 3PM (still for a full-day city tour), so I canceled and had a bit of a shouting match with two rude company officials who blamed the miscommunication on me and the Holiday Inn and thus refused a refund. In return I crafted a rather unflattering review on Trip Advisor, serves them right! I was disappointed though, not only did I not have the city tour, I also wasted most of the day waiting for my guide.

I got an Uber driver who regaled me with stories about being in a call center (for Delta no less) and who may well be a more dependable tour guide when I get back, albeit it not on a motor cycle (my Indian friends did not like that idea anyways). I am now in my not so fancy but comfortable hotel in New Mumbai, close to the Reliance HQ where we will have a lunch meeting tomorrow. How well that meeting goes will determine whether I will be back here next month.