Let sleeping dogs lie...please

The gorgeous "Prive" Club in Colaba, Mumbai

On friday night I decided that I would really get glammed up for the first time in Mumbai. I wore a dress from "Maje" (french store I love) and some sky high black python Jimmy's. Desired effect was pleasing. We went into the Taj Mahal Hotel in Colaba to meet our Australian and new Indian friends for some dinner and drinks. Had a good laugh. At about midnight we all headed on our (very) merry way to Prive nightclub. It was my first time and I was definetly impressed with the place. It is honestly quite gorgeous. We had a private table with our own bar and butler and the only access was over water with floating rose petals. You had to walk over stone circular pods to get to the private table which had the rest of the club surrounding it on one side. The whole place smelled like a spa instead of a sweaty club which was pretty insane. Good music, packed out and great drinks. Definetly have to go back...the sooner the better. Don't remember too much after that about the evening except when one of our friends evidently ended up in the water- at least it wasn't "HRH" or I- but it was pretty funny!

Stunning Khandala Hill Station

The next day apart from having lost my voice from screaming, singing and fagging it up (yes bizarrely you could smoke IN the club!!!!???) I received a phone call from some dear friends we had just met in Mumbai. They invited us up to their villa in the Khandala/Lona vala Hill station area. The kids were thrilled as was I... I had always wanted to go up into one of the hill stations. I mean we've all read a million and one books set in Mumbai? Don't they always head into the hills in summer? Well I can now see bloody why!

Our gorgeous friends sent a car to pick us up and we headed off out of Mumbai. Along the way we stopped off to take photos of the stunning view. Imagine the grand canyon (okay not as grand but with the same rock formation) but covered in lush tropical rainforests with waterfalls cascading down the hills. It was pretty breathtaking and at times you felt like you were stepping into the pages of "The jungle book"  the only difference being the odd convenience store dotted along the way!

Of course with the two princes on board the first time we saw monkeys on the roadside we HAD to stop. We saw the cutest baby monkeys and all gushed. Then we noticed people stopping and feeding them bananas so of course we also had to stop and feed them bananas. Luckily we scrounged a few bananas off the car ahead so the kids got their turn to feed them too. Thank God. The little monkeys were so adorable and came right up to you and jumped up to catch the bananas in the air. The day just seemed to get better and better for the boys when we managed to hand feed a really tiny little monkey. You had to be there I spose...but I really dig monkeys. They're pretty damn cute.

We had a fab day with our friends who taught us how to play a popular Indian card game called 21 that you gamble on...(says Queenie rubbing her hands together in glee) after a few drinkies I was pretty confident. "HRH" was mortified when he saw me lose over 3 games and quite a few thousand rupees!!! Lunch was of course divine with our hosts going all out with amazing home made dips and appetisers -to entrees and mains. Dessert was nearly impossible to contemplate but as I've learn't you never say no here- and you just keep on going. Crikey, all I could think of was the number of miles I'd have to run to begin to work it all off. Then I just lost count and gave up. Stuff it. So I went the whole hog...indulging in choc walnut fudge at the end!!!We even tried paan for the first time... it was surprisingly good. Although I could have sworn "HRH" was faking that smile. LOL.
While the kids were having a swim in the indoor pool I spotted a flock of Indian ring neck parrots that came and landed in the garden. Our hosts told me they all come in around sunset to roost. They came so close up and were very noisey. Like a pack of desperate housewives they gossiped between themselves- on the odd occasion pecking at each other and pushing others off the top branch. Could have sworn I was back in the suburbs!!!"QM" is quite obsessed with exotic birds and I knew that she would have been in "Queen Mother" heaven had she seen them all. They are quite gorgeous parrots.

The beautiful Indian ring neck parrots

On the way out that evening we walked past our friend's two german shepherd dogs. I proffered my hand for them to sniff and so did "HRH" just as he did one of their dogs snapped it's jaws down on his hand. Just nipping the edge of his palm. He actually let out a wee scream- it wasn't the most manly of sounds I must admit. But he must have been shi*tting himself. Both the dogs then started snarling and began to let rip with the barking. Oh frick. How embarrassing. Poor old "HRH" looked so sheepish and I could tell our friends didn't mind- but not the best look when your friend's much loved and prized possessions want to rip your husbands head off. They kept going until he was actually forced to get in the car and sit there with the door shut. I felt so sorry for him as he pretended to smile and wave at us out the window like everything was hunky dory. I knew he was mortified...Hmmmm. So we strike again. We're impossible aren't we?!

Our friends cute lil' pooch...hmmmm

On another note the apartment owner has called us back and would like to see us again tomorrow. I don't want to get too excited but I have a good feeling about this. This could be it...we might finally have a home in Mumbai. Just have to wait and see...roll on 10:30 am tuesday 30th august. And bloody hurry up.
A big hello to you from Nigeria, Singapore, Poland and Finland thanks for the support!!!