A Day Well Spent

First of all let me start by congratulating Aki for getting hitched. Here's wishing the happy couple a very long, successful & prosperous life ahead.

It was Aki's wedding reception yesterday. I got an invite for the same & was ready to attend. What I had not contended was the weather in Mumbai well that and my general laziness.

The summer has hit Mumbai with a vengence and I was reminded of this when I was about to start my journey to Borivili. Since leaving the routine life in Mumbai the 1 thing I never missed about this place was it's local trains. Called the life-line of the city very aptly; it's also 1 of the most dangerous forms of journey which sends chills down my back everytime I just think about it. So with my mind in quandry about my attendance to the event considering the weather, the dreaded train travel & my laziness; I was in half a mind to do a no show.

But good sense prevailed in the end. So I put on my best & geared myself to tackle the challenge ahead.

I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by my experience. I caught a train to Thane & VIOLA...  I was there

The venue was amazing, called the "Village" it kindof reminded of Choki Dhani in Pune, the traditional rustic setting provided a great ambience for lot of conversation & mingling. The look of absolute delight on Aki's face as I made my way to wish the couple was well worth the 1:45 hrs of journey.

I caught up with my collegues who had made the trip from Pune, we had a fun time exploring the venue sampling the food and making a general nuisance of ourselves. The food was awesome with all that a person can ask for and more being present. The people attending were spoilt for choices. Even thought the fare was purely Vegetarian, even my usually non-veggie friends had a good time.

There was South Indian food (Dosas with a variety of chutneys), North Indian food (Usual Punjabi fare, Dal Bhati Churma, Chaas, a variety of chaats), special Jain food, the desserts were an assortment of Jalebi, Shahi Tukda & Gulabjamuns. I must say the food hit just the right spot with us, with people going for multiple helpings of Chaas to wash down the tasty fare.

The return journey was 1 of the best that I have ever experience in Mumbai and I have experienced quite a few in the formative years of my life. When one generally speaks of travelling, we alway criticize the authorities for not having proper systems in place, but as I have observed progress takes time & slowly but surely the situation is improving for transport in Mumbai.

A couple of years back journey from Central Suburbs to Western suburbs would have involved travelling in train, clinging on for your very life during the peak hours, but now a days you have the option of travelling to major towns like Thane, Mulund, Ghatkopar in trains and then catch a bus to the western suburbs. The road connectivity has improved by leaps and bounds and the travel time is also reduced. The most impressive part of this is that authorities have introducec A.C. buses which operate between the these towns and one can travel with the least amount of hassle.

These buses are clean, efficient and allow for travel without putting a dent in the purse strings. Why the ticket from Borivli to Thane in an A.C bus costed me 40/- while from Thane to Borivili costed me 29/- bucks in an non-AC one? I definately feel the 40 bucks were well spent as it did not involve me dealing with the dirt & grime in the streets, sweating in the hot sultry sun and above all it allowed me to travel in comfortable luxury.

I must say I am looking forward to travelling more within Mumbai and experiencing more creature comforts in my journey.

All in all it was day well spent.