Mumbai- My first planned Solo! :)

I used to read so much about this city and always used to think how it would be in real...

It’s truly amazing in every sense! :-)

One fine evening, out of the blue while sitting... As usual, I was checking tickets and 2 days prior to Friday I booked my dates for Mumbai... And woohoo I was going to Mumbai... :)

It was a Friday morning flight, I didn’t sleep Thursday night in excitement and reached airport much before time..

Day 1

Quest for Vada Pav

One purpose of booking a morning flight was to eat vada pav in my Friday morning breakfast. \m/

All charged up, keeping in my mind my Chennai “flight missing” incident, I was at airport 3 hours prior to my departure time..

Flight landed, I was dying of excitement... Not even for a second I felt it was my first trip to Mumbai, and had an instant connect with the place..

I booked a cab for my guest house and asked him to stop in-between for vada pav...  but, there was no vada pav shop on the way, I reached guest house around 10.15 am... I asked the caretaker from where I can have the best of vada pav.. he suggested chowpathy.. I went downstairs and asked people where chowpathy is... it was not very far, so, I took a taxi and starting talking to the driver about the city and asked him to suggest a good place for vada pav..

On his recommendation we went to CST to eat Vada Pav.. It was not very near but worth the travel..  I had the first & the best vada pav of my journey..

I came back to the guest house & took a nap... I got up in an hour and left my guest house to explore Mumbai...

Beautiful South Mumbai

I called up my friend in Mumbai and decided to roam around in South Mumbai..

We started with Social Colaba, this was decided when he visited Delhi & we went to Social Hauz Khas.

After that we covered up nearby paces including Colaba street, Leopold Cafe, Gateway of India, Marine Drive and randomly tried bakeries on the streets of south Mumbai... We walked almost 9-10 kms or even more... It was 10-10.30 pm... We were full though but we had to try sizzler in one of the famous places there... So, we headed towards ‘Relish’....  After over eating... I left for my guest house...

Day 2

The Day of Minions & Phoenix!

I had plans to visit the other side of Mumbai.

I started my day with a morning show of Minions with a friend at IMAX 3D, Wadala, as we don’t have Imax here in Delhi... I loved the movie and above all I loved the caramel popcorn... :D

After the movie, I had plans to meet my old friend and her daughter at Phoenix Mall, so, I took a monorail as suggested by a friend, and boarded in local train from Chembur for Reay road... In between, I quickly grabbed a pastry :P

Rushing from Reay road I took a taxi and reached phoenix,  I started searching for her in the mall, we coordinated on fone multiple times, we both waited in front of Zara but were not able to see each other... After almost 2 hours of search in mall, we figured out they have 2 phoenix malls in Mumbai and we were in different malls. She was also new in Mumbai so we both had no clue... :P

I was in Pheonix Parel and she was in Pheonix Kurla. The best thing about these two malls is they both are similar in terms of their showrooms and placement :P but are very far from each other...

Since, it was already 3.30pm and I was dead hungry, we decided to continue in our respective malls and planned to meet in evening at marine drive...

I was back in my ‘kung fu panda’ mode and started looking for food to eat... I ate a burger in appetiser... I was hungry and craving for pasta... I saw a very nice looking place around the mall by the name of ‘The California kitchen’, I went inside and ate the worst pasta of my life...

Though I was full, I took an ice-cream to change my taste...

I went back to the guest house, quickly washed face, took my camera and left for Marine drive to meet my friend...

She stays far from Marine drive, so while waiting I decided to click some pics, I clicked, enjoyed naturals ice cream on marine drive, had a great conversation with the loud waves and finally met my friend at around 9.30pm... we roamed there for a while and went for dinner...

After dinner I came back & slept.

Day 3

Divinity day

It was my last day in Mumbai and I had only half day..

I got up at 5 am as I decided to visit Sidhivinayak, Mahalaxmi & Haji Ali...

Finished all 3 by 9.30am...

I had time till 2pm, I boarded a local bus for Bandra, I visited Bandra fort & Bandstand, captured it in my camera... I rushed to the linking road for the most talked about market... I roamed there for a while but didn’t like anything... It started raining... I waited for rains for 2 complete days... I enjoyed vada pav there and left for CST to buy the yummiest vada pav for my family.

I boarded local from Bandra to CST, walked till the market just to realize it’s closed on Sundays... :P I waited for bus to go back to my guest house but some shopkeeper suggested to take a taxi as it’s hard to find a bus on a Sunday.

I reached back to the guest house, packed my stuff and left for airport...

Delhi

It was drizzling in Delhi when I reached... I never loved my Delhi more...

People always compare Mumbai & Delhi... I can’t because the feel of both the cities is totally different... I loved the sea, vada pav, simplified transportation, hassle-free taxis, safe environment and helpful people...!

But, my core belongs to Delhi.... 

And will travel more often to Mumbai *<3>

God, you are the best! Thank you for everything  :)