MUMBAI - I read this in the Times of India the other day... Leopold's is a cafe that was shot up - with customers and staff killed - last November in a terrorist attack that also targeted hotels, the main rail station, and a Jewish cultural center:
"Leopold's has not shied away from taking advantage of this sentimentality (among tourists who want to see the site) and has monetarized its moment in history by creating memorabilia that customers can buy and take away with them. The cafe has been selling coffee mugs with an image of a bullet shot at 300 rupees ($6.60 U.S.) a pop. To date, the cafe has sold close to 4,000 mugs.''
Never-say-die example of the unquenchable human spirit or stunningly crass example of terror tourism? Your call.
FYI: I go more deeply into terrorism and travel in a section on my Web site, www.wishyouwereheretravel.net, called Soapbox. The piece in question is headlined "The Elephant in the Room,'' if you're interested.
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