The blue travelling diaries

Bandra used to be a little fishing village on the west coast of India. Part of the many islands that made up Mumbai city. Amidst tall buildings and fancy cars, you'll still find many small houses roofed with mangalore tiles with tiny by-lanes winding between them. There's a lot to see during the day, but after midnight once the air starts to cool down a bit that's when I like to head out.

Kulfi

On the corner of Manuel Gonsalves Road and Turner Road, right outside Axis bank, is a Kulfi walla. This guy has been around for a very long time. Longer than the bank even (HSBC used to be at that corner before Axis bank took over). He comes in fairly late in the evening, and stays until a little after midnight. He travels all the way from Meera Road on the Western Railway to spend a few hours selling Kulfi in a suburb where he can sell it for a little more. Since it would be really hard (and a little more expensive) for him to carry his cart and stand with him, he made a deal with the security guards at the bank to leave his cart there during the day so he only needs to travel with his icebox.

The Kulfi is awesome. He has a variety of flavours including Pistachio, Mango, Chickoo, Malai and Chocolate. If you want to try all of them, he can make you a mixed plate. Each plate is 125gms of Kulfi for 25 Rupees (200 Rs/kilo). It used to be 10 when he just moved here, but I suppose people are willing to pay 25 for it.

Chai

After kulfi, head down Turner road to the sea-side promenade at Carter road. There you'll find guys on bicycles with a flask behind them. The flask contains hot sweet watery milk which they'll either add tea-bags to or instant coffee. Each cup is about 50ml and costs Rs 5. Rather expensive, but then there are people willing to pay that prce, and I'm guessing that a lot of it goes to the cops anyway in exchange for letting him sell his stuff without a license. The tea is really sweet and gets over before you know it, but it's a nice way to just hang out with friends and chat by the sea.

Dosa

Now there also used to be a dosawalla around here, but I haven't seen him for a while. If you do, give him a try. He actually does have a license to sell dosas.

Wednesday (25th) night, we drove around town. Left home around 11:30pm, down to Pali hill to pick up Sudarshan. Then, headed towards town. Past Worli, Haji Ali, then Bhulabai Desai road, turn off to Napean Sea road, up to Malabar hill, around Walkeshwar, the Governor's mansion, Girgaum Chowpatti, and stopped at Charni Road for Bachelor's ice cream.

Earlier in the day I'd had my car radio fixed, and figured out how to set the channels (by searching for manuals on the net), so we had music all the way through. Sudarshan had his MP3 player with radio broadcast, so he could play music on my radio through that.

Sarah and I shared a green chilly ice cream, ginger orange and coffee walnut. Jacquie stuck to her usual of chocolate, while Sudarshan went for a pomegranate milk shake. We asked the guy who served us to take a few pictures, but he was positively overwhelmed with Sarah's digicam.

Second round of ice creams and Jacquie had a black currant. Sudarshan, Sarah and I shared two falooda's.

After that had to find a U-turn to head back home, but kept skipping them till I got to the end of the land at NCPA. Turned around and went back down the length of Marine Drive. Wanted to go back via Malabar hill and hanging gardens, but the cops had set up a naka bandi at the road turning off chowpatti, so ended up doing the regular Peddar road route.

Turned off at Worli to go via the sea face, and then headed home.

Stopped on Cadell road, near Shivaji Park to fill up the tank. The HP guy also cleaned my wind screen with soap and water, so it was really clear the rest of the way home.

Had to drop Sudarshan back first, so we drove down to linking road, and then to pali, and up through zig-zag road to reach pali hill. Decided to skip Carter road, and took Perry road instead to get home.

Went to see RotK on Saturday, along with the other guys from NCST. Yeah, the movie was good - I loved the action, and the sets were great. Effects were good too. I'll forgive the violations of the laws of physics, since this is primarily a time of elves and dwarves, orcs and hobbits, magics and faeries (also, I don't remember what those violations were).

Earlier in the day, I drove around town - just for kicks. I haven't done this since I was in college (only then I used a cycle), and it was mostly fun.

Started at Sion, which is where the only bad part of the journey happened. Just before Sion circle, a garbage van and a maruti 800 had collided. There may have been a motorcycle involved too. I couldn't make out.

Later, I drove past Parel, and turned off under a flyover. Reached Chinchpokli station and then went on ahead. The straight road would have gotten me to Jacob's Circle, so I took a left instead. Went for quite a while, and then turned left, only to get back to Jacob's circle. There's seven roads leading to Jacob's circle, hence the place is also known as saat rasta.

Then took the turn towards Mumbai Central, past Maratha Mandir. Went past, down towards Lamington Road, and then turned west. Got to Grant Road west, and went down to Peddar Road via Cumballa hill. Down to Bhulabai Desai road, and then to Napean Sea road and Priyadarshini park.

Up the hill, down to the Governor's mansion, Walkeshwar, Girgaum and then Marine Drive, took a U turn, and came back. Went up past the Chief Minister's place, and then to Hanging Gardens. Took a U turn under the flyover, and then back to Marine Drive and Regal for the movie.

Drove back via Napean Sea road again.

Yeah, fun day.

Lord of the Roads, Return of the Kid