Southern Escapade- Pondicherry

Day 1 – Friday December 15, 2006

Well the day began at an early hour as i needed to be on time for the wedding ceremony of my best friend in Chennai. The thumping music of karnatic Shenani along with the fascinating rituals and the scrumptious breakfast( called Tiffin) served on a banana leaf along with the typical south Indian coffee managed to keep my spirits lighted.

Breakfast or Snack is called Tiffin in South India.The breakfast consisted of pongal, dosa, mendu vada and idli with onion chutney, sambhar and mulga poodi.
Once i finished with the wedding moved to the hotel and did some enquiry about the bus stand and places to stay. I spoke to someone in Pondicherry who sort of confirmed a reservation for me for 500 bucks but on this trip i have just been having a bad luck with hotel reservations as later on when I reach Pondicherry I find out there is no reservation.

Anyways i get to the Chennai Mylamore( am not sure of spelling) Bus station. The Bus station looks like an airport. It is the largest bus station in Asia. They accept credit cards for booking tickets. Anyways i get into my local ST bus at about 5pm, and buy my ticket for 105 rupees to Pondicherry.

For first hour or so we are still getting out of the city, i am not too impressed by the way the city is placed, small roads, traffic and overcrowded. As we come to Beach way, the view is outstanding, however not for too long as it gets dark soon, it would be fun to ride through this road in daylight. On the seat next to me is seated a sleepy mother with a sleepy kid.

At about 830pm I reach Pondicherry and haggle with the rick guy for a price to go to Beach area where my hotel is. The Hotel Park Guest house which i am told a reservation is made for me says there isn’t any. Anyways am glad i didn’t stay there as they have deadline of 10:30p.m.

So I walk around through 3-4 hotels but all of them are too expensive. Finally i see this place Duma guest house which is sweet little house owned by some French family. Bala the owner & manager comes and shows me the room, i negotiate the price and finally settle in. He recommends me to check out Le Club a fancy French restaurant across the street although a little expensive. Its a nice place with good ambience, serving authentic French food and Vietnamese. I liked the salad. After dinner, I go looking for a cybercafe

Walking through the streets around 10 is not very exciting. As the place is dead. But people are helpful, one guy directs me to coffe.com which is supposedly a coffee and net browsing place and open 24 hours. The way to this place is through a n array of narrow streets I pass through a really nice Masjid and some lovely houses. I am looking forward to exploring the places around tommorrow
Bon Jor

Day 1 update- Just when i thought this was the end of an un eventful day for me, i didnt know i had something more in store for me. After posting my post on the blog, i chatted with the family who runs the place and casually mentioned about a friend an elderly lady who i had meet in Chennai that morning. It so happened that the family also knew my elderly friend and by chance her best friends son was also sitting there. As soon as my excitement settled down i decided to walk to my hotel. A new place, no idea of roads, no people to give directions i definately lost my way after walking a couple of kms and approached the traffic police station to ask for directions.
When one of the helpful personnel’s there told me that I had walked in opposite direction and my hotel is 2 kms away, i gave the look of a helpless girl who didn’t know how to go and would not even find a cycle or auto to get home. So the kind police inspector dropped me to my destination. When i got to my hotel, Dumas guest house, i realized i was the only guest living in that big Mansion. Chances of meeting a ghost were plenty but i guess I was too tired and fell asleep


Day 2 Saturday, December 16,2006

I woke up at about 7am and realized that the place am staying was not a real hotel but a guest house, so no drinking water and no chai. So i walked around the streets looking for coffee and chai. The tea stall was buzzing with activity, idlis being made, vadas being fried but there was time for tea or coffee as he was waiting for milk. After my previous night experience first thing i wanted was a cycle. I asked the tea stall vendor for a cycle hire shop. He directed me to one. I hired my cycle for 30rs a day. I told him i wanted it for 2 days. For 50 bucks i had the Lady bird ms india cycle with a nice basket in the front to keep my bags. As I pedaled through the streets i felt like i had wings with my cycle. I cycled through the bazaar looking for a nice cafe. I passed through the busy street but could hardly find anything.

On this busy street the i meet this french guy, Francis on his cycle. Francis was from France and he had a high-tech cycle with gears. He had cycled from Bombay to Pondicherry clicking ver 5,000 pictures. It took him 2 months to get here. He directed me to a place called Daily bread .

Daily Bread is a nice air conditioned bakery restaurant serves excellent coffee and croissants and is very reasonable Rs10(coffe) and Rs 8 (crosissant). I read some local news and then ride to Aurobindo Asharam to check out what its all about. On my way I pass through my company`s office although its closed at its just 9am
When i reach my guest house, i meet Bala the guy who owns the guest house. He tells me that his family has been living here for 100 years now. The house he lives is over 200years old. I invite myself to see his house when he is free. The guest house has some company as some tourists rent the rooms upstairs.

After a bath, i get on my Dhanno the cycle and go to the Pondicherry museum in quest of finding the history of this place. Unfortunately the Musuem has not much history as such except some interesting vehicles that were used by the French and Governor Dupliex house stuff. I visit the library next door, after searching for over an hour in the history section i don’t even find one book, but i find this old man who pretends to be helping me and gives me a book in Malayalam or Tamil. Finally some one directs me to the other side of the library. After searching again i can hardly find anything. I am so upset, how can they have a library without a single book on the French rule or history of Pondicherry, i decide i need to go to goggle immediately. Luckily i find a reference- fact book on Pondicherry.

Pondicherry or Pudichary means the new settlement. Originally discovered by French, was captured by British for a short time but was given back to them by some treaty. Remained a independent French colony till 1954 or 58 post which the colony handed over the powers to India.

Back on my cycle, something seems to be wrong with the handle and the brakes,so i go back to the cycle shop, and this time i am given sturdy cyle (Bhaiya cycle as a friend of mine would call it) with heavy stand. I am enjoying cycling thorough the streets, the Rui Rollaind and Rui Suffrus etc passing through the lovely colonial homes and it so peaceful. I feel like am in some different era

All the cycling has got me tired its about 2pm i go to Kerala Ayurveda and get myself a foot massage. After this at about 3pm i begin my journey to Auroville which is about 14 km away. The ride initially is nice when i am crossing through sea area. The Sea is beautiful nice and blue. But driving through the market and ECR is tough. I have to be so careful. People driving on the wrong side, cycles or bikes not honking when they are behind or honking when they are not even close by. I wish my cycle has a mirror. Finally i reach Auroville where i see another Daily bread cafe. i walk in and enquire about the ashram. The guy advises me not to take my cyle there as it is a very long drive through hills and would be dangerous while coming back. I haggle with a rick guy and for 160 bucks take a round trip.

Auroville wants to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to realise human unity.

Auroville is a very nice and green, it would be a nice place to stay and do some volunatary work. Unfortunately I am a little late so I cant get to see the Matra Mandir the huge gold globe from inside as the tickets for that are sold only till 4pm. The visitor center is nice having a lot of interesting things to shop. I walk from the visitor center to the Matru Mandir in hope of getting a opportunity to get inside. When I reach Matru Mandir which about a 15 min walk from the visitor center the guard tells me I cant go in. Its already getting dark and I also want to see the auroville beach, so I do not wish to waste any more time walking.

I try to get a lift for this 15 min ride. A wave out to a girl riding a kinetic and take a lift from her. She tells me that she lives in Pondicherry but works as an Engineeer in Auroville. She thinks am a little a crazy to cycle upto Pondicherry from Auroville. The Rickshaw guy is informative on our way back he shows me the guest houses where people stay and the Solar Kitchen where food is cooked for all the guests. I request him to take me to the beach as it is highly recommended by one of my friends.

Auroville beach is one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. In the twilight of the evening it looked so beautiful with the coconut trees, blue water, the breeze, I just didn’t want to leave but the thought of riding the cycle back in dark coaxed me to leave soon.

Cycling back to Pondicherry was tough. Firstly the roads are not well lit, Cyclists and motorists would come from any direction, riding through narrow roads and busy streets was tough. Also when motorists flashed their car lights from opposite direction it was difficult to see ahead. I wish my cycle had gears, rare view mirror and headlights.

Finally when I reach Pondicherry I decide that its time to treat my self to a good meal at a nice restaurant. So I head to the Le- Orient which is a very classy French colonical hotel with a courtyard restaurant. It is a heritage property owned by the Nimrana group of hotels. The courtyard restaurant looked so beautiful , lit with candels and a band playing some good music. Unfortunately they had a set menu consisting of all the four courses for 350 bucks but all the items were non vegetarian and they couldn’t replace it with veg dishes.

So I go to another restaurant across the street on the rooftop called Rendevous . I am quite tired getting off and on the bike and parking it. Parking the cycle is a little bit of a problem as it has heavy stand. This is where I get a valet to park my cyle. I am so thrilled by this, actually the watchman there saw me struggling with the parking so he offered to park it and even the lock the cycle for me.
Rendevous restaurant is typical rooftop restaurant with cane furniture . The food options are plenty from sandwiches, Italian, Indian. I just settle for a veg sizzler. After my valet gets my cycle for me I decide to go to coffe.com to write about today and have some good coffee, although I am very tired.

At coffe.com the computer are occupied so I just sit down with my lonely planet on a table and chit chat with Daisy the girl who runs the place. Kevin and Silkh sitting on the next table borrow my Lonely Planet and then we start chatting with each other.

Kevin is from UK and he used to work for an NGO before he quit his job to come here 3 weeks ago. Silkh is a photographer and she is from Germany, she has come to Kolkata on a project and after the project was over she came to Auroville. Both of them tell me that they are very bored in Auroville as everything closes there by 830 and the other people living in their community don’t interact too much so they come here in the evenings. I recommend them Andaman & Nicobar Ilands and Mahabaliopuram to explore around.

We talk about everything from the culture differences, to the good food places in Pondicherry. Suddenly Kevin happens to tell me about a Organic restaurant he used to run in one of the suburbs of France in the countryside. We start talking and explore the idea of starting a restaurant in Pondicherry . We discuss everything from the profile of customers, cost of setting up a place etc

Its about 1130p.m and the three of us wonder if we could go to a bar which would open in Pondicherry. Daisy at coffe.com tells us chances were nil but we could still try. We walk through the narrow quiet streets to the waterfront, where the restaurants and bars are shut. In desperation we also visit a local bar which is also closed.Finally we settle down for italino icecream which is the only thing available at that hour. The two of them look for a rickshaw to get them to Auroville, the normal bargaining happens. Since its almost the rickshaw guy is asking for a bomb,i recommend them the idea of going to a police station and asking them to drop them since they have lost the way.
At the corner we meet another french gentelmen who is parking his car to enter his neat house. He tells us that he is from Paris and he is staying here with his family doing some research for the french institute. His research is on the water problems of south india. The three of us wonder why would a French company want to research on the water problems in India, till we conclude that it could be coz a French water pump company maybe funding the research. Finally we find a rick and the two of them head back to Auroville and i settle in to my little house

Day 3 Sunday,December 17,2006

After a peaceful sleep I wake up at about 9 am and set out to go to the Sacred Heart Church . Loads of people buzzing in and out of Sunday Mass. The church is beautiful. After that I cycle towards the French cemetery. I am told that the French cemetery is very interesting as all the grave yards have nice facades build over it. After asking a couple of people who cant understand what am looking for I reach the French cemetery.

At the French cemetery there are 3 women busy working. They say something to me in Tamil which I cannot understand. But I guess when I remove my camera she understands I am here to click pictures of the facades, thus she directs me from one interesting façade to the other. Some of them have writing in tamil, whereas some have it in English and French. Some of facades on the tombs are like little chapels.

Then I cycle to my favourite breakfast place Daily Bread and try out some Brio che although am not to impressed by it and settle in for some coffee and crossoint . Outside I end up chatting with a driver of one of the tourist vehicle an ambassador to ask him for directions to the beach. He thinks I have come from Kolkata from some strange reason .

Anyways its already 11:00, and I get the feeling that the beach is too far so I decide to just make a visit to the cybercafe, return my cycle to hire shop and check out the liquors shop. I do not find anything interesting to buy at the liquor shop so I walk back to my little house, clear my dues with Bala and get on a rick to go to Bus stand. I am going to a friends house to spend the night in Chennai. She stays at Kotivakam.

All the buses I enter in to the drivers are so rude, just as I utter the word Kotivakam they ask me to get down. Finally I get into one bus. The ride on the East Coast road is something I am really looking forward . Stangely the ticket is 55 rupees instead of the 105 rupees I paid on my way from Chennai to Pondicherry.

The ride on ECR road is out of the world, the fields the lovely blue beaches, sea. I would just love to live here by the ocean.

Finally I reach Kotivakam and locate my friends house. She has her nieces over two very cute little girls. Children are so much fun. With the girls we visit the Velankani Shrine at Bassinagar and move to the beach next to it which is so crowded. The girls enjoy themselves with a ride on the horse and the cartwheels

We go for dinner at nice Italian restaurant called Bala Chaio on Kotivakam beach. The restaurant is on a nice huge bunglow with a huge courtyard. The tables are laid out in the backyard. The place is run by an Italian lady and serves some good authentic Italian food although it’s a little expensive even compared to Bombay standards

A trip to tamil land can never end without a Tamil movie. So myself and my friend go to this sort of local theatre. The show is at 945p.m but we are almost there 45 mins prior to the show. We buy are tickets for 35 bucks and wait for the gates to open

In the theatre they have no national anthem practice, slowly slowly people start walking in. The theatre is full inspite of being a Sunday night and some people are actually standing and watching the movie in the balcony.

The name of the movie is E means fly. The actor is Jeeva and actress is Sadaah. The movie has an interesting plot it is based on how these American companies are sending their medicines to be tested on Indian.
The hero jeeva lives in a chawl does a little bit of hera pheri and a doctor who is pioneering this scam calls him and gives him a job to rob a dead body from the morgue. In the middle of this the actress Sadaah a dancer in a restaurant shifts with her family next door to Jeeva. Jeeva helps her to set up the house stealing some stuff. After about half and hour we decide to leave as the whole episode of robbing the dead body from the morgue was getting a little creepy. The atmosphere smelled of country liquor and whistles on the action scenes of the actor. I had a early morning flight the next day so we decided to leave.
This was the end of my refreshing Southern escapade