!~ShOlay~!

Don’t you sometimes have the urge to just eat that ONE specific thing? That sudden craving of just an item you remember from a place? When you know what you’re going to order without looking at the menu?

Well, it happens to us for sure. And fortunately many times, because that’s what pushes us to try same or similar things at new places.

Just like that one afternoon we decided to have butter naan and daal makhni. Yes, a typical north Indian order, most commonly repeated a million times in thousands of restaurants, dhabas and eateries all over India.

Then we stumbed upon the idea of visiting Sholay! As they say, every day is a story. And that day indeed was one.

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We ordered 3 side dishes – none which were available (russian salad, mexican salad, pineapple raita) – which disappointed us. But then, it was there loss. We had gone there to have our staple punjabi food – daal makhni and butten naan πŸ˜‰

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They had an extensive menu but no guarantee if an item will be available on a particular day. Maybe you can try your luck experimenting, but we believe commonly ordered items will be there at all times. Maybe pineapple raita is an ‘exquisite’ item according to their chef.

Regardless, the non-veg dishes are finger licking good. Take my word because I witnessed some people (a group of 4 gents) actually licking their fingers. Until the waiter saw this and fetched bowls for them to cleanse their hands.

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We liked the decor, considering it is a very small place by area..they have done a brilliant job in fitting around 10 tables. There will be waiting on few days, specially weekend -> the food is genuinely good. But otherwise it is good place to hang out if you don’t mind eavesdropping.

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We leave you with their contact number – it is worth a try! We give it a thumbs up!! πŸ™‚

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‘Brikks Pizza’

Brikks Pizza

Located in Hinjewadi, Pune, India

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Things we liked :

  • Well, Let me first write what we did not like
  • Maybe theΒ infrastructure and interior design

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Things we did not like:

  • Insects – many of them
  • Not actually traditionally made – at least we did not think so
  • No serving plates – we ate in boxes
  • Hardly any customers
  • Super-expensive
  • Small portion to eat

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Read more about this place on:

Zomato, TimesCity, PuneBurrp

Let us know if you have visited the place. Tell us your views.

Lohagarh Chapter..All about it.

Lohagarh or Lohagad isΒ situated 52km from Pune, at an elevation of 3,450 feet (1,052 m).Β It divides the basins of 2 rivers- Indriyani and Pavana. Its actual date of construction is still a mystery. If you trace back its history, it was occupied by several dynasties like Satavahanas, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Yadavas, Bahamanis, Nizamshahis, Mughals and Marathas. Shivaji captured it in 1648 and it ultimately fell in the hands of the British by 1818.

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It is an ideal destination for a day trek from Mumbai or Pune, especially in the monsoons.

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Directions :

  • Take a train from Mumbai towards Pune and get down at Malavli, the station after Lonavla.
  • By road, cross the Lonavla town and come towards Pune on the old highway (NH-4). You will pass Karla caves on your left. Take a right towards Bhaja caves. The fort can be seen towards your right.

Pune to Lohagad – 70 km
Mumbai to Lohagad – 90 km

There are breathtaking waterfalls on the way.

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There are many scenic places where you can stop on the way up. Some places will not even have proper constructed roads and it depends on your own free spirit, where where all it takes you.

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There are deserted architectural places where there is no restricted entry. You can even go down to the basin of rivers and have a swim. We did. πŸ˜‰IMG_0669

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Once on top, enjoy the amazing the breeze. It gets sort of cold and foggy, specially in the months June-October.

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Vada Pav and hot tea are ideal snacks during the rains. You will find several small shops serving these in Lohagaon, the village at the base of the steps.

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The road uphill is a biker’s paradise.Β 2013-07-14 17.45.53???????????????????????????????

What we liked the most –

  • the trek
  • the awesome climate
  • the ease of reach ability
  • availability of medics on the way
  • small eateries
  • many natural streams and ponds
  • crowd of youngsters and families

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So next time you’re around Mumbai or Pune, do drop by Lohagad to enjoy its history as well as the scenic beauty.

Lavasa Diaries…All about it.

Set over 7 hills, Lavasa calls itself β€œIndia’s first planned hill city”. We talked about it in our previous post.

Lavasa city is in the midst of many mountains and almost every part of Lavasa has its own lakeshore (dam backwaters).

How to go to Lavasa city from Pune (Magarpatta City):

Go to Chandni Chowk. Proceed towards Mulshi Dam. Once you climb down Pirangut ghat, you would start seeing big blue colored signboards for Lavasa. After Pirangut, you have to take a left for Lavasa. Once on this road, you would cross Temghar dam. Keep going on this road until you see an arch on the right, which is the official entrance of lavasa. From this point, the road goes down to the dam and the city.

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Our road map here.

The distance to Lavasa from the turn on Mulshi road (after Pirangut) is around 30 kms. The road isΒ very smooth (too smooth for Indian roads) and the curves on the road make it a biker’s paradise.

The lake shore has been modeled on old Europe with many stone bridges criss-crossing the waters. This makes it an extremely scenic place for photography.

To know more : go to Wiki.

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10 Excuses of going to Lavasa :

1. You’ve lost faith in the world.

2. You want to pull your (or someone else’s) hair off – in short – everything bugs you.

3. You’re moody.

4. You’re adventurous.

5. You love riding bike. And want to show off your skills.

6. You want to feel wind gushing through your hair.

7. You want a break.

8. You love to meditate.

9. You love water sports.

10. You love nature.

With that, I hope some of you would go to Lavasa sometime. Leave a comment, if you want more details. Do tell us your experiences, specially if they vary from ours. πŸ™‚

Cheers!

Lavasa Diaries..Continue

Google is one helpful tool. And so is an android phone.

Not just from gossips, we did know a bit about Lavasa, India‘s planned hill city. (Read more here) And we were ready to know more, or at least validate what we had heard/read.

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The beautiful sun could be seen rising on the lush green hills…

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There are not just 2 or 3 but 2-3 dozen spots where you would want to just stop, take a break and breathe in.DSC_0031The astounding beauty compels the travelers and tourists to make this journey a sort of stop-here-stop-there tour.DSC_0030

Many waterfalls can be spotted too πŸ™‚

2013-07-07 09.37.44DSC_0014Of many such famous stop-over places is the Temgarh Dam.Β DSC_0038Some of us gutsy people even crossed over this gate to get a view captured in our memories. πŸ™‚/If the water level is low (which fortunately it was, when we went), one can climb down to the water level. There is a small spot here too. Peaceful, indeed.

WP_20130707_020Not to forget, where there are tourists, there are local businesses. You will be surprised to find the number of corn-on-the-cob “shops” en route.

DSC_0047 DSC_0049Once you enter the main city gate, the ambiance would completely change. You’ll clearly see much more foggy hills than you saw on the way up. You can see the city’s development so far, standing miles above its ground level.

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The colourful houses give a European touch to the city’s panoramic view.

DSC_0081It is equally exciting to see water sports happening in the artificial lake at Lavasa.DSC_0106 DSC_0088 DSC_0082On reaching the city, you can opt for a tour on hop-on-hop-off bus, which is too trendy by Indian standards πŸ˜‰

DSC_0107The city is not completely developed yet, but the parts which are, will not leave you complaining.

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DSC_0111 ???????????????????????????????A long walk on the streets around the lake midst the mountains, will definitely make you forget the rest of the world for a while.??????????????????????????????? DSC_0136Lavasa gives you a good 8-10 hours getaway from the daily monotonous and hectic life. The experience is soulful and connects one to nature in a spell bounding way. img_1481How to reach Lavasa?

Wait for our next post! πŸ™‚