Havelock-ed ....

Yes, I am totally Havelock-ed. The beauty of Havelock Island has captivated me into its never ending abyss. I don't think there is a more beautiful place in India with turquoise blue and clear water beaches. The havelock Island in The Andaman group of Island is just one of them. The day we reached Havelock from Port Blair, was cloudy to some extent, rather cloudy enough to prevent us from exploring the rich marine life it has. The disappointment didn't lasted long, and the entire mood was set for the ultimate fun after I first saw the super cool looking turquoise blue water.

The day we reached, we just throwed ourselves to the still water of Vijayanagar Beach and to accompany us was the one of the coolest mate I have ever met, the one and only Sammy. He is a Labrador, and belongs to the Island Vinnie resort, our stay at the Havelock. The tented cabanas of the resort were comfortable enough to let us sleep, but not more than what is required, so that you don't miss out on exploring the Island. After the rains in the Island one thing which can actually trouble you in the night are the Mosquitoes (be prepared). It is a great feeling in the all alone island in the night and strolling by the beaches is fun.

The other day was planned for snorkelling, and I prayed for it to be sunny. The rich marine life has a lot to offer. We went to the Elephant Beach for it, as the water there is shallow and is best for snorkelling. All the fantasies which I had, which were due to being a fan of Discovery channel and cartoon network, seemed to fulfill when I actually touched the corals and saw numerous different kinds of fishes, even spotted a blue starfish. We snorkelled for about an hour first and then went back for snacks, relaxed and then again were busy doing the same thing for the next two and a half hours. It never seemed to end. Every time we went ahead, it seemed we had a totally different world. We stopped it before we could not swim anymore of fatigue, and returned back to the resort for lunch. The food again is awesome here, the major category of the tourists here are the foreigners, so almost all sorts of food is available. The sea food tastes much different from wat they cook in the other parts of India. Some of the restaurants also serve the 'Catch of the day'. Just look if yours has some.

After lunch, we explored the entire Island on bike, went to the elephant training camp and Radhanagar beach (declared No 1 beach in Asia by TIME in 2004 and was amongst the top 10 beaches in thhe world). What I feel is the best thing to do in Havelock is to go unplanned and go break free. But only in the off seasons my friend !!!

Bon Vi-vant III - Papa Pancho da Dhaba

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Guys guys guys, are you in Mumbai, have you tried Papa pancho da dhaba??? Not yet, then please do go and treat yourself there. I did that today and god promise, literally god promise, the taste is irresistible. Located at Pali Naka Bandra, just opposite to HDFC Bank, quite convinient to reach there.

Now let me tell you about the ambience. They have tried to give it a Punjabi road side dhaba look, with "charpais" as well for seating. The lights are dim and the attire of the waiters are of orthodox Punjabis which even they don't wear. The utensils used are all brass, and they even serve you in Brass plates and the glass for serving water had the typical "chai ka glass" look. The most interesting part is the "Today's Special" menu which they bring written on a slate. Huh ! this was really good.

Talking about the food. You don't have much options here on the menu, only Punjabi, and that too truly dil se. Whatever dish you order comes with a combo of Dal Makhni, Dahi, Laccha paratha or Rice. Apart from these you can order anything extra which you want, and also the starters and coolers as well. What I ordered was Chicken makhni with Lachha paratha combo. And a Lassi alongwith it. You have to believe me in this, that I have never had Lachha Paratha better than this anywhere. It was truly delicious, so was the chicken makhni. Oomph, I can still feel the taste in my mouth. The glass of lassi was actually a patiala one, so took me quite some time to finish it. A too good experience, a must go place if you are treating your friends. The dishes are priced judiciously, with Veg thali starting from 140 bucks and Nonveg from 220 Bucks.

Location: Opposite to HDFC Bank, Pali Naka, Bandra West, Mumbai
Damage: Rs. 424

Cuisine Map of India

Folks !!!
I know we Indians are real foodie. The best part of India which never finds a mention in any National integrity, sovereignty speeches is the ultimate cuisine of India. Remember the song "Hind desh ke nivasi , Sabhi jan ek hai, Rang roop vesh bhasha chahe anek hai." I beleive the writer didn't had the flair for tasty food, else the cuisine part in it wouldn't have been omitted. So many varieties, so many options. Our country is heaven for foodies isn't it. And those who keep on traveling to places in India should keep on trying these things an here is the food map to help you out. Click on the image to enlarge.

I have my self covered these states "Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Sikkim, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Maharashtra". Have been to some other states as well, but didn't try the ones in the food map. So next time you go to some state, use the food map, and tell me here. By the way its time for my 'Pet Pooja' now.