1 & half day in Mumbai - Part 5

When we arrived at the Churchgate Railway Station, the after office hour crowd was there too. There was easily thousands of them!

It was a very grand, very dirty, very overused, but also very well maintain.

Because it was so crowded, and we are quite tired, Dheepa and I left almost immediately. Practically like fish swimming against the current, just to get out.

So, we continued with our mission to look for Fab-India, however, according to our source, Fab-India is in Juhu Street, which was not near where we were, and then according to another source, we should be able to find a Fab-India in central Mumbai.

It is getting late, so Dheepa suggest let's just go around Juhu street since the Punjabi couple lives not far from there.

So we told the driver to send us to the couple's home, for a visit.

It took us half an hour to get there.

The couple lives in the most expensive area in Mumbai, and they were very very nice.

Uncle was not feeling so well, but he was still jolly and chat with us. And auntie was one nice lady.

According to Dheepa, they met when she and her husband was living in Vietnam. The old man (sorry I forgot his name) was a banker (That explains the wealth) and his sons are now banker too.

We showed the old lady my sari and she complimented it and said it was very nice colour and it was perfect for the temple wedding.

And then we joke about not getting a blouse since we are running out of time.

They also advised me on do and don't in Goa, "Don't be too adventures," Uncle said, when I told them I will be staying near Anjuna beach, "Those peoples can be notorious."

They invited me to join them for dinner when I come back from Kolhapur.

Anyhow... I think I was almost half dead now and we are still have not found me a saree blouse.

We told the driver we are looking for Fab India in Juhu street and he took us marry go round so place else and finally we are in Juhu which is not quite Juhu street and then Dheepa's friend's called said need to pass her something so we are going to meet him in Infinity Mall.

45minutes later, we can't find Fab-India and we were already in Infinity Mall and found Dheepa's friend who was a film editor and he is getting married in Varanasi in a week time.

He invited me to his wedding.

We were home an hour later... which was around 10pm.

Tired and hungry, we went to the chat shop down the street to have some snack.

We bought coupons for vada-pav (vadai sandwhich) and belpuri (rice salad). The must try in guide book. And then I saw Panni puri on the menu. I asked Dheepa what panni puri was, and Dheepa had no idea so she asked the boss behind the cash register.

The boss looked at us like 'how can you not know what it is?' and then explain in (more like mumble) in Hindi it's something small and crispy, with some puffy thing inside, and then dung in spicy liquid, "and you should eat it as a whole." He gesture putting the entire bite size thing into his mouth with a satisfying look on his face.

"Try first." He said.

Ok... we went ahead to get our vada-pav and belpuri, and the boss showed us the Panni puri stand and told the boy what we want.

Everyone was lining up to get their Panni puri. The guy behind the stand took out a puri (crispy ball about the size of a ping pong ball) from of a big round container that look like a giant size cookie jar, punch a hole with his thumb, fill it up with bits and pieces that looks like corn, and then dung it in a metal jar, and the thing came out filled with spicy liquid.

This is why you have to put the entire thing in your mouth and take your time to savour the juice and the crunchy deep fried puri.

It was fantastic! Spicy, sweet, and salty at the same time.

Dheepa and I liked it very much. And because of that, we didn't enjoy the vada-pav and Belpuri as much.

Vada-pav was vada sandwhich - very straight forward - vada + bun = vada-pav. No vege, no sauce. Just that!

Belpuri was puff rice salad with some deep fried cruncy stuff all over it. It was nice... but not as nice as Panni puri ;)

So, my favorite snack in India is = Panni Puri!!!!!!!

Panni = water

Puri - deep fried ping pong ball!

Tomorrow, I will be going to Kolhapur and I have not found my blouse. This is a big huge disaster.

And then we saw this accessories shop next to the chat shop, so we stopped by and 'look at' what they are selling.

Suddenly, Dheepa asked the girl, "Do you know any tailor that can stich a blouse in 2 hours?"

"Oh yes!" The girl said, and then a guy who can't speak English came along and said he can take us there tomorrow morning.

Apparently if we go there (because we are not local) the tailor might cheat us. So, it is better for him to bring us.

So, we are going to get a blouse stitch before I leave to Kolhapur :)