Saturday, March 6, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
This is not a review. This is a Rant.
Kurbaan, BLUE, Love Aaj Kal, Dil Bole Hadippa and now My Name is Khan.
All insults to our intelligence. Sure you’ll find some daily tabloid cum entertainment cum party mouthpiece giving MNIK 5 stars, for whatever god awful reasons. But the bottom line is this. It was a horrid movie that should not have been made. But these kinds and worse will be in production till the time folks like us, especially like my wife, who is a diehard SRK fan, exists. As for me, I have to tow the husband line. I had sworn of SRK movies after Veer Zaara, but found myself paying through my nose for another SRK sucker. Such is life.
Anyway, back to the rant. What I want to say is a combination of a lot of things. I am pissed, and numbed and frustrated. Pissed because I wasted more than 3 hours of my life on a stupid movie, numbed because there seemed to be no light at the end of the tunnel, and frustrated for repeating a mistake.
I mean, come on Karan (Johar), and the other meat heads out there…do you think the public is really so stupid ? Do you have an ounce of respect for the audience you serve, or is this something you do while you are on holiday, and want to test our patience? I thought KANK would be a turning point for Karan, the nadir of his professional fall, but lo and behold, you give us MNIK!! Full of surprise you are my boy!
Please let me make some things very clear, about the audience of course:
1. Of course there are some diehard fans, who will see any shit you make, but most are not. So please stop, repeat STOP making pea brained movies with no story to tell. Our patience is limited, and so are our pockets, so PLEASE STOP TESTING BOTH.
2. A foreign locale does not make each movie a hit. If you want take a chance with us, shoot locally. That ways atleast you’ll save a couple of crores.
3. Go back to the story board. Don’t hit us with weaker plots, stupid sub plots, and in your face plastic dolls. They don’t work. Well most of the time they don’t.
4. Talent is not necessarily hereditary. If you think you are not good at making movies, then don’t, and go home.
5. Don’t blindly pick up stories from books. You’ll end up only hurting yourselves.
6. Watch good movies, to learn the fine art of direction. I know, it can be tough, but hey, what do you have to loose? Come on, give it a good shot!
Phew!!! I feel better already.
It’s amazing what a good ranting session can do for the soul.
P:S Can Anyone tell me, why a certain Khan got a Padmashree, and not a Can?
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Idlicious
Ever since I returned from my stint in Chennai, I have come to know that what they serve in the name of 'sambhar' here, in most restaurants in Pune, is just a fraud. Like one of those Amitabh Bachhan lookalikes- they have the haristyle, and the adopted manner-rism, but no substance at all.
Vaishali, has ruled the South Indian food scene for ages in Pune. Inspite of the long waiting lines, any time of the day, any day of the week and any week of the year, the food is to die for. Plain and simple.
Today, I finally went to a new South Indian joint in Baner, called Idlicious. Sparsely furnitured, but very clean.
The menu is simple, and to the point, with the prices that are very friendly. On top of the usual South Indian fare, they also serve lunch thali, and daily specials. They, however do not serve parathas, understandably so.
We ordered a plate of Idli - Wada, a plain masala dosa (soft), tomato utthappam, a tumbler of piping hot rasam and buttermilk.
The food was served quickly, was piping hot and very very appetizing at sight! The accompaniments included cocunut chutney, sambhar and if asked for, podi (powder chutney). Frankly speaking i was disappointed with the coconut chutney, and to some extent the sambhar as well. The chutney was not thick, as it is meant to be, but rather a slightly liquidy affair. The sambhar also did not meet the bar, but was more like daal, with stuff bolied and added. I am not saying that the sambhar was totally bad, but it could have been better.
The rasam was simply too good. It was hot, spicy and you could feel it going down your throat and settling in that very special place, where only mother's food can reach. I'm still relishing the thought of the rasam 'cruising' my insides.
Our total bill came to Rs 125, which I must say, is a pleasant surprise in these times.
I would recommend this place to all. It's ideal for a brunch sort of thing on a lazy Sunday.
Next time, i am going to try the curd rice. Friendly voices have told me, it is out of this world.
Vaishali, has ruled the South Indian food scene for ages in Pune. Inspite of the long waiting lines, any time of the day, any day of the week and any week of the year, the food is to die for. Plain and simple.
Today, I finally went to a new South Indian joint in Baner, called Idlicious. Sparsely furnitured, but very clean.
The menu is simple, and to the point, with the prices that are very friendly. On top of the usual South Indian fare, they also serve lunch thali, and daily specials. They, however do not serve parathas, understandably so.
We ordered a plate of Idli - Wada, a plain masala dosa (soft), tomato utthappam, a tumbler of piping hot rasam and buttermilk.
The food was served quickly, was piping hot and very very appetizing at sight! The accompaniments included cocunut chutney, sambhar and if asked for, podi (powder chutney). Frankly speaking i was disappointed with the coconut chutney, and to some extent the sambhar as well. The chutney was not thick, as it is meant to be, but rather a slightly liquidy affair. The sambhar also did not meet the bar, but was more like daal, with stuff bolied and added. I am not saying that the sambhar was totally bad, but it could have been better.
The rasam was simply too good. It was hot, spicy and you could feel it going down your throat and settling in that very special place, where only mother's food can reach. I'm still relishing the thought of the rasam 'cruising' my insides.
Our total bill came to Rs 125, which I must say, is a pleasant surprise in these times.
I would recommend this place to all. It's ideal for a brunch sort of thing on a lazy Sunday.
Next time, i am going to try the curd rice. Friendly voices have told me, it is out of this world.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Paranormal Activity
Just the other day, Sonal and I were discussing, how we haven't been treated to a really scary horror movie like Bhoot or Omen. Most of the so called horror movies coming out of Hollywood (Dawn of the Dead, 28 days/weeks/months/light years later etc) has been pure and unadulterated trash. Even Bollywood, with offerings like Vastu Shashtra, hasdn't come up with any thing worth remembering.
'Paranormal Activity' was what it took to break the monotony of the typical horror movie definition. Devoid of any blood, gore or loud absurd music, the movie targets our primal fear.
At the heart of the movie is a young couple, Katie and Micah, who feel that there is something 'not human' in their house. The man of the house decides to take care of 'things' on his own, by filming the unexplainable activities in their house. The camera is 'on' even while they sleep. What follows is best described as eerie and heart stopping. Moving doors, lights switching on and off by itself, heavy footsteps, sleepwalking Katie, and other stuff which will surely have a chill running up and down your spine.
What made the entire movie so believable was the minimalistic use of technology and the way that it was shot. The entire movie is shot using a hand held camera, which gives it an air of authenticity. There were many scenes in the movie where I gasped in sheer horror, and had to tell myself that this was just a movie. Before, i went in the theater, a lot of folks had told me that the movie was over hyped, and my expectations were set accordingly. The movie is anything but over hyped. The girl sitting in the row in front of us was sobbing the loudest that i have ever seen anyone cry.
Oren Peli, the director, has done a marvelous job with the camera works, and i can safely say that he may have just started a new trend of movie making.
Even the college crowd, who can typically take the fun out of any late night horror flick, were shut up for once.
I guess no one slept with the lights off yesterday. I know, i didn't.
Paranormal Activity is a must watch for the horror fans out there.
'Paranormal Activity' was what it took to break the monotony of the typical horror movie definition. Devoid of any blood, gore or loud absurd music, the movie targets our primal fear.
At the heart of the movie is a young couple, Katie and Micah, who feel that there is something 'not human' in their house. The man of the house decides to take care of 'things' on his own, by filming the unexplainable activities in their house. The camera is 'on' even while they sleep. What follows is best described as eerie and heart stopping. Moving doors, lights switching on and off by itself, heavy footsteps, sleepwalking Katie, and other stuff which will surely have a chill running up and down your spine.
What made the entire movie so believable was the minimalistic use of technology and the way that it was shot. The entire movie is shot using a hand held camera, which gives it an air of authenticity. There were many scenes in the movie where I gasped in sheer horror, and had to tell myself that this was just a movie. Before, i went in the theater, a lot of folks had told me that the movie was over hyped, and my expectations were set accordingly. The movie is anything but over hyped. The girl sitting in the row in front of us was sobbing the loudest that i have ever seen anyone cry.
Oren Peli, the director, has done a marvelous job with the camera works, and i can safely say that he may have just started a new trend of movie making.
Even the college crowd, who can typically take the fun out of any late night horror flick, were shut up for once.
I guess no one slept with the lights off yesterday. I know, i didn't.
Paranormal Activity is a must watch for the horror fans out there.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Ponchiz - Sizzling Pune
Every once in a while there comes a movie that leaves you awestruck, say like the Titanic, Black and now Avatar. What is even rarer is a good sizzler joint.
Nestled in a cozy corner of Pune’s upcoming locality, Viman Nagar, is the latest Sizzler Joint – Ponchiz. Yes, the name is a derivative of the quintessential Paunch of the well fed. A visit to Ponchiz left me wanting more.
The Food
Ponchiz, is essentially your own sizzler shop. With an enviable variety of Sizzler bases, sauces, and accompaniments, it literally leaves you bedazzled with the sheer variety on offer. So what this basically means is that you could pick up a Chicken, a fish, a beef or a lamb base; add a sauce of your choice from Chilly Garlic, Mushroom, Red Wine, Barbeque, or a combination thereof; choose your potatoes –mashed, fries, sautéed; add accompaniments – Sautéed veggies or boiled, and your choice of noodles or herb rice. And voila! You have your own very Sizzler!
Apart from Sizzlers, they do also have soups, salads, vegetarian and non vegetarian starters, and Dessert that takes you straight to heaven!
The price? We’ll come to that later.
My Order
I went with my wife and some friends on a Sunday evening. As things typically are on a Sunday evening, I had a case of the next day work blues already settling in. So I needed good food!
We started with the Chicken noodles soup. The first taste filled me with happy warmth all over. The soup was very well balanced with just the right consistency – not too thick and not too watery either. Just the way it is supposed to be. At Rs 50a pop, I think it was worth every paisa!
Next, we went with the Chicken wings for starters. The last time had chicken wings was from a popular pizza joint, and boy did I hate them. I’d thought I had lost my taste for them, and boy was I wrong or what! These wings were different. Each piece was succulent, very well cooked and marinated in just the best chicken wing sauce I have ever had! For 75 bucks a plate for 6 pieces, this has a lot of promise!
Now came the most important part – The Main Course. I order like a King, and eat like one too! I ordered for a Chicken Shashlik base, with Red Wine and Mushroom sauce, mashed potatoes, sautéed green pepper and onions, grilled pineapple and herb rice. Honestly speaking, I was expecting a lot of cabbage cushioning like most sizzler joints do and tad too hot sizzler plate which inevitably burns my veggies! But this was different. The plate was sizzling for sure, but the way it should. The aromas from the sauce, chicken, potatoes, rice and pineapple were intermingling in perfect harmony and the wafting smell pushed my hunger to newer levels. So far so good.
My first bite was enough to tell me that I would be coming back. The chicken was well cooked, the sauce well thought of, and the veggies not burnt, the pineapple grilled to perfection. The highlight of my sizzler was the mashed potatoes. Mashed with cheese, and served hot, they beat any French fries hands down.
My friends had ordered Grilled Chicken with Chilly Garlic sauce, Roast chicken with barbeque sauce, and a grilled chicken with barbeque sauce. Of all, I loved the barbeque sauce the most. That is going to be my next order.
Destination dessert next. You’d think that after eating what we did, we’d be insane to go for dessert, and you’d probably be right. Ponchiz doesn’t outsource its desserts. Everything is baked in house by the dessert chef. We decided to go with Ponchiz Choco surprise and Frozen Delight. Ponchiz Choco Surprise is a three layered dessert, with one layer oodles of chocolate, walnut and choco chips! The frozen delight is a layered ice cream cake the like of which you shall not find anywhere in Pune, except at Ponchiz. If they served such desserts at Copenhagen, there would be no problem of global warming anywhere in the world!
The Bill
I will let you hazard a guess before I spill the best part. Go on, take a shot!
Okay, the grand total for all the food, repeat all- Soups, starters, four heavy duty sizzlers and desserts was Rs 865/- only. I did not know prices like that were still in fashion. That’s less money than what you’d spend on a pathetic Bollywood movie including the popcorn and excluding the parking. And not to forget the quality time with friends.
Go figure.
Verdict
Highly recommended for anyone, any occasion.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Movie Review - "Paa"ss
I had a great many expectations from this one. Especially considering the core concept being another one of nature's mysteries. But the final product was a pot pourry of multiple plots.
Having said that, I bow before the mighty Mr. Bachchan for having delivered one his finest performances, ever. This came close to Black, almost. What i would have liked to see was more of Big B on screen, rather than the reel dedicated to the sub plots, which as a matter of fact, did not add much to the movie.
The movie opens with Jaya Bachchan reading out the cast and crew's names. Literally. Frankly speaking, just because it is a home production doesn't mean that each and every family member needs to be a part of the show!
The foundational stone of the movie is (was marketed) as progeria, a genetic degenerative disorder, was lost somewhere in the melee of a failed romance, a challenging political career, and an effort to re-patch the failed romance after a gap of 13 years. Frankly speaking i would have loved if the movie dealt with the challenges of raising a child with progeria in a manner similar to how dyslexia was dealt with in TZP. Now that was a well woven plot.
the comparison however doesn't go to say, that Paa was a a complete waste of my time on Sunday. the highlight of the movie was the very intelligent, crisp and really really fresh dialogues. Cheeky, and with a strong delivery, the dialogues left me clutching my sides with laughter. And i wasn't the only one.
Abhi baby has been himself, with a highly 'phoren' educated accent to all his dialogues. Vidya Balan needs more acting lessons, but was a better choice than having family bahu Aish play that role. Thank god, or rather A B Corp., for that.
What I would have also liked to have was if the movie was not shot entirely in a mono chrome mode. A bit of color would have highlighted the child's happy moments. The music is nothing great, and you wont miss much if you don't carry it on your iPod.
I will recommend this movie to one and all, only for Big B's performance. He has achieved a new high with Paa.
Having said that, I bow before the mighty Mr. Bachchan for having delivered one his finest performances, ever. This came close to Black, almost. What i would have liked to see was more of Big B on screen, rather than the reel dedicated to the sub plots, which as a matter of fact, did not add much to the movie.
The movie opens with Jaya Bachchan reading out the cast and crew's names. Literally. Frankly speaking, just because it is a home production doesn't mean that each and every family member needs to be a part of the show!
The foundational stone of the movie is (was marketed) as progeria, a genetic degenerative disorder, was lost somewhere in the melee of a failed romance, a challenging political career, and an effort to re-patch the failed romance after a gap of 13 years. Frankly speaking i would have loved if the movie dealt with the challenges of raising a child with progeria in a manner similar to how dyslexia was dealt with in TZP. Now that was a well woven plot.
the comparison however doesn't go to say, that Paa was a a complete waste of my time on Sunday. the highlight of the movie was the very intelligent, crisp and really really fresh dialogues. Cheeky, and with a strong delivery, the dialogues left me clutching my sides with laughter. And i wasn't the only one.
Abhi baby has been himself, with a highly 'phoren' educated accent to all his dialogues. Vidya Balan needs more acting lessons, but was a better choice than having family bahu Aish play that role. Thank god, or rather A B Corp., for that.
What I would have also liked to have was if the movie was not shot entirely in a mono chrome mode. A bit of color would have highlighted the child's happy moments. The music is nothing great, and you wont miss much if you don't carry it on your iPod.
I will recommend this movie to one and all, only for Big B's performance. He has achieved a new high with Paa.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Tripping on the Konkan
Aah. Am I refreshed or what. You would be too, if you went where I did this time, and ate what I ate, and saw what I saw. All in our very own backyard. Well not backyard exactly, but very much in Maharashtra.
Taking advantage of the long weekend, my wife and I decided to go on a road trip. No fixed plans of arriving, and certainly no plans of where we wanted to stay. Only the direction and a solid intent.
So off, we pushed towards Ganpatipule. The original plan included Goa, but thank fully we decided against it. The drive to Ganpatipule has to be seen to be believed. I tried capturing whatever I could, but the pictures do not do justice to the original setting. It was so green everywhere, and beautiful, that for those three days or so, we did not have to make any effort to relax. We were in nature’s lap, and she was taking care of us. We left from Bombay at around 10 in the morning. We took the Bombay-Panvel-Pen-Mahad-Khed-Chiplin-Ganpatipule route. And it took us about 10 hours of fun driving. With the usual stops for chai and pictures and other things important, and sometimes, not so important.
Fresh Green!
Incredible India. On the way to GPule
Perfect Setting
We reached Gpule at 8 in the evening, and we needed some place to stay. We checked out a couple of hotel ‘resorts’ and finally settled in the Abhishek Beach Resort. We got a room with an excellent view, and service which was really nice. For 2200 bucks a night, we wouldn’t call it a steal exactly, but it was definitely worth it. The first night was uneventful, with us being tired, so we decided to have food in the hotel. We had some really well made Malwani food. Spicy, but very very good!
Next morning, we left for the Gpule Temple. This Ganpati temple is atleast 500 years old, but looks as if it was built yesterday. I was surprised to see the complete absence of greed, and Pandits with real knowledge. No one to hassle you into buying stuff the Lord doesn’t need, and we don’t want. We were lucky enough to reach just in time for the Aarti, and had the fortune of seeing the Lord in all his glory. It is said, that this is the Temple of Wishes, and whatever is asked for, the Lord giveth. It has immense following, and I now know why. The beauty of the temple architecture is such that it captivates one to be there for hours on end. Heedless of time or space. It transcends one into supreme bliss. The temple is on the shore, and the first rays of the sun caress the Lord, and then bless the world. After the darshan, we had some amazing ‘cant be made at home’ tuur daal khichdi as Prasad. And served with so much love and good wishes.
Ganpatipule Temple
Ganpati Bappa!
GPule Seashore
After darshan, we loitered on the beach for some time, and headed back to the hotel to freshen up, and look for some good local places to eat. We could not find many Khanavals (Home made food eateries) so decided to go to a hotel, whose chef is very well known in that area for his cooking prowess. And boy were we impressed!! We had Chicken Malwani and Prawn Masala. My dear readers, I have never cried so much over a meal (because of the spices), and have never recollected such authentic and delightful Malwani food with so much affection as I do now. The memories still tingle my taste bud, and my eyes water! J
The Konkan Coast
After lunch, we fought a terrible urge to nap (who sleeps on a vacation!!), and headed for the beach, and some sightseeing. After much fun and frolic we came back to the hotel and crashed.
Next day we left for Ratnagiri, about 20kms from Gpule. The road that connects the two towns, is one of the most beautiful roads in the world. It runs along the coast, with a sheer 100 feet cliff drop on one side, and lush greenery on the other. Nature resides in all its glory here. Green like you have never seen before, birds that we don’t get to hear in the cities and appreciate in our busy lives. Untouched, unexploited and unspoilt.
Lady in White
We took our time to reach Ratnagiri and explored the city a bit before we checked into a hotel. We went to the Kohinoor hotel, which has an awesome location, overlooking the sea and coconut farms. What surprised us was that here too, we were treated to a plethora of all things natural. Beautiful multi colored butterflies criss crossed our paths here and there, tiny birds chirping everywhere. After hours of clicking away, we moved on.
butterfly-effect
We stayed in the Hotel Vivek, in the heart of city. We had breakfast in a local shop – Kanda poha, onion bhajji, Thalipeeth, and Idli sambar followed with piping hot ginger tea! We went Kokam shopping in the markets of Ratnagiri and came back with hand full and empty pockets. All the stuff was so so good. We picked up Kokum Juice, Thechha (local Pickle), Mango Concentrate, Kajus, and so much other stuff!
Post shopping we visited the Ratnadurg fort, which was again, overlooking the ocean, and cleansed our lungs with all the fresh air we could gather. The location of the fort makes one wonder of the ingenuity of our kings and warriors! Sea on one side, Deep, long valleys on the other that gives a good view of who is approaching and a clean complete 360 vantage point!
Our primary motivation during any holiday is food. Authentic, clean desi food. So after breakfast we were asking around for places that would serve the local delicacies. After much asking around we zeroed in on Amantran, apparently THE place for sea food. We reached at around 9 in the evening, and thankfully got seating immediately. The menu was delightfully simple, and the prices were astoundingly low! Even for a quaint town like Ratnagiri, the prices were low! A Crab Thali for Rs. 80/- only! Beat that! And fully loaded mind you! With Solcurry, Chapatis, rice and the Crab Masala. I am not a sea food fan, but from the look on my face, I gathered it was damn good!!
We had to leave the nex day, and it was raining heavily as it was. We left Ratnagiri at around 10:30 still undecided if we wanted to go to Pune (because apparently the Mumbai Goa route was closed due to heavy rains) or Mumbai. We made our decision at Chiplun. We decided to take our chances and headed towards Mumbai. On the way, we came across a dhaba. And had yummy omelets and bhurji pav! From the dhaba, we could see below into fast paddy fields and the Konkan railway track! Just when we were finishing our meal, a train crossed the fields. It was a sight we only see in movies. Not in real life!
It took us about 9 hours to reach back to Mumbai.
A very strongly recommended road trip.
Cost of Fuel – 5k
Cost of Stay and Food – 6.5k
Discovering India on your own – Priceless!
Taking advantage of the long weekend, my wife and I decided to go on a road trip. No fixed plans of arriving, and certainly no plans of where we wanted to stay. Only the direction and a solid intent.
So off, we pushed towards Ganpatipule. The original plan included Goa, but thank fully we decided against it. The drive to Ganpatipule has to be seen to be believed. I tried capturing whatever I could, but the pictures do not do justice to the original setting. It was so green everywhere, and beautiful, that for those three days or so, we did not have to make any effort to relax. We were in nature’s lap, and she was taking care of us. We left from Bombay at around 10 in the morning. We took the Bombay-Panvel-Pen-Mahad-Khed-Chiplin-Ganpatipule route. And it took us about 10 hours of fun driving. With the usual stops for chai and pictures and other things important, and sometimes, not so important.
Fresh Green!
Incredible India. On the way to GPule
Perfect Setting
We reached Gpule at 8 in the evening, and we needed some place to stay. We checked out a couple of hotel ‘resorts’ and finally settled in the Abhishek Beach Resort. We got a room with an excellent view, and service which was really nice. For 2200 bucks a night, we wouldn’t call it a steal exactly, but it was definitely worth it. The first night was uneventful, with us being tired, so we decided to have food in the hotel. We had some really well made Malwani food. Spicy, but very very good!
Next morning, we left for the Gpule Temple. This Ganpati temple is atleast 500 years old, but looks as if it was built yesterday. I was surprised to see the complete absence of greed, and Pandits with real knowledge. No one to hassle you into buying stuff the Lord doesn’t need, and we don’t want. We were lucky enough to reach just in time for the Aarti, and had the fortune of seeing the Lord in all his glory. It is said, that this is the Temple of Wishes, and whatever is asked for, the Lord giveth. It has immense following, and I now know why. The beauty of the temple architecture is such that it captivates one to be there for hours on end. Heedless of time or space. It transcends one into supreme bliss. The temple is on the shore, and the first rays of the sun caress the Lord, and then bless the world. After the darshan, we had some amazing ‘cant be made at home’ tuur daal khichdi as Prasad. And served with so much love and good wishes.
Ganpatipule Temple
Ganpati Bappa!
GPule Seashore
After darshan, we loitered on the beach for some time, and headed back to the hotel to freshen up, and look for some good local places to eat. We could not find many Khanavals (Home made food eateries) so decided to go to a hotel, whose chef is very well known in that area for his cooking prowess. And boy were we impressed!! We had Chicken Malwani and Prawn Masala. My dear readers, I have never cried so much over a meal (because of the spices), and have never recollected such authentic and delightful Malwani food with so much affection as I do now. The memories still tingle my taste bud, and my eyes water! J
The Konkan Coast
After lunch, we fought a terrible urge to nap (who sleeps on a vacation!!), and headed for the beach, and some sightseeing. After much fun and frolic we came back to the hotel and crashed.
Next day we left for Ratnagiri, about 20kms from Gpule. The road that connects the two towns, is one of the most beautiful roads in the world. It runs along the coast, with a sheer 100 feet cliff drop on one side, and lush greenery on the other. Nature resides in all its glory here. Green like you have never seen before, birds that we don’t get to hear in the cities and appreciate in our busy lives. Untouched, unexploited and unspoilt.
Lady in White
We took our time to reach Ratnagiri and explored the city a bit before we checked into a hotel. We went to the Kohinoor hotel, which has an awesome location, overlooking the sea and coconut farms. What surprised us was that here too, we were treated to a plethora of all things natural. Beautiful multi colored butterflies criss crossed our paths here and there, tiny birds chirping everywhere. After hours of clicking away, we moved on.
butterfly-effect
We stayed in the Hotel Vivek, in the heart of city. We had breakfast in a local shop – Kanda poha, onion bhajji, Thalipeeth, and Idli sambar followed with piping hot ginger tea! We went Kokam shopping in the markets of Ratnagiri and came back with hand full and empty pockets. All the stuff was so so good. We picked up Kokum Juice, Thechha (local Pickle), Mango Concentrate, Kajus, and so much other stuff!
Post shopping we visited the Ratnadurg fort, which was again, overlooking the ocean, and cleansed our lungs with all the fresh air we could gather. The location of the fort makes one wonder of the ingenuity of our kings and warriors! Sea on one side, Deep, long valleys on the other that gives a good view of who is approaching and a clean complete 360 vantage point!
Our primary motivation during any holiday is food. Authentic, clean desi food. So after breakfast we were asking around for places that would serve the local delicacies. After much asking around we zeroed in on Amantran, apparently THE place for sea food. We reached at around 9 in the evening, and thankfully got seating immediately. The menu was delightfully simple, and the prices were astoundingly low! Even for a quaint town like Ratnagiri, the prices were low! A Crab Thali for Rs. 80/- only! Beat that! And fully loaded mind you! With Solcurry, Chapatis, rice and the Crab Masala. I am not a sea food fan, but from the look on my face, I gathered it was damn good!!
We had to leave the nex day, and it was raining heavily as it was. We left Ratnagiri at around 10:30 still undecided if we wanted to go to Pune (because apparently the Mumbai Goa route was closed due to heavy rains) or Mumbai. We made our decision at Chiplun. We decided to take our chances and headed towards Mumbai. On the way, we came across a dhaba. And had yummy omelets and bhurji pav! From the dhaba, we could see below into fast paddy fields and the Konkan railway track! Just when we were finishing our meal, a train crossed the fields. It was a sight we only see in movies. Not in real life!
It took us about 9 hours to reach back to Mumbai.
A very strongly recommended road trip.
Cost of Fuel – 5k
Cost of Stay and Food – 6.5k
Discovering India on your own – Priceless!
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