Back from a relaxing trip to Pondicherry...the trip began one cloudy Wednesday morning, everyone seemed to be going about their business as usual, the fresh morning dew was a sign of a wonderful beginning. The flight landed under the glare of the scorching Sun in Chennai- the city of temples. I sat wide-eyed on my drive all-the-way to the small town of Cuddalore. The straight-forwardness, no-nonsense nature of very ' Madrasi' is reflected from the sign-boards to the street-signs. The hospital board read 'kidney stone center' whereas the school was named ' Student education institution'. The driver was a shy 40 year old for who barely knew Hindi, so we barely got round to introductions and few basic about the city questions (which were also quite an effort).
Next pit stop was lunch at Pondicherry , fondly called pondi. By the promenade, right under the blaze of the sun lay a line of small cafes and restaurants, but a inviting arch, covered with plants and creepers at the entrance of a narrow pathway caught our attention, it was leading us to a popular vegetarian restaurant. The food they had to offer , was finger-licking and left us satisfied. So we then continued our trip to Cuddalore a small town, more famous for the devastation that the 2008 Tsunami caused, leaving its locals reeling under the shock for a long time.
Dirt, factories, smiling locals, hot air was what described this town. There was nothing left to explore. The recent spate of industrialization had left this coastal town dirty and hot. So travelling back to Pondi/ now Pudducherry was our next plan.
A little something about this french village, the town is literally divided into two sections, the indian quarters and the french quarters.The demarcation clearly exists and you can know in which section you are by looking on which street you are , if its a Rue - then you are at the french quarters. The french'ness' is preserved in the food they serve, languages they speak and their way of life.
Pondi has a almost spiritual air about it, it might have been the Osho asharam centrally located which spread this vibe. But also the people, foreign travellers included, eluded a peaceful vibe, unlike my earlier trip to Goa where wasted travellers were in plenty. The promenade which is a street by the beachside , welcomed you. My book gave me company one evening whereas on another I accompanied my mother for a stroll. Taking a cycle on hire and exploring the small territory was also my favourite part. I can now claim to go about pondi without asking for directions. Delicious Food, lots of it was on top of my list. We tried different cuisines- south indian, chinese, french, italian, different deserts, soups... every corner has something appetizing to offer. A small french restaurant named 'Le terrasse' had yummy oven- baked pizzas and french onion soup, the thought of which still brings a smile on my face. Pondi which was colonised by the french, has a french quarter where streets are names Rue..., libraries are bibliotheques, bakeries are pattiseries etc. The ashram guest house we stayed in was a beachside inn which had strict rules- no drinking, no drugs, timings when gates shut and excellent rooms.One warning though 'Dont expect room-service'.
General warning, while travelling in Tamil Nadu- if you want to communicate anything, do it not once, not twice but thrice, as locals here somehow never seem to understand. There were times when we ordered paratha(wheat bread) and got chinese noodles, we asked for some salt and got a cup full of sugar instead, asked for directions to a grocery store and were directed to a hotel, it was exasperating and funny at the same time.
Enough of my blabber now, here is a what pondi was all about....
Also an interesting link- Auroville, a small model township near Pondi is a must-visit, the philosophy and message on which this town is constructed is something I as a global citizen with a 'one world, one race' philosophy can relate to and so can every peace-seeking human being.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auroville
Next pit stop was lunch at Pondicherry , fondly called pondi. By the promenade, right under the blaze of the sun lay a line of small cafes and restaurants, but a inviting arch, covered with plants and creepers at the entrance of a narrow pathway caught our attention, it was leading us to a popular vegetarian restaurant. The food they had to offer , was finger-licking and left us satisfied. So we then continued our trip to Cuddalore a small town, more famous for the devastation that the 2008 Tsunami caused, leaving its locals reeling under the shock for a long time.
Dirt, factories, smiling locals, hot air was what described this town. There was nothing left to explore. The recent spate of industrialization had left this coastal town dirty and hot. So travelling back to Pondi/ now Pudducherry was our next plan.
A little something about this french village, the town is literally divided into two sections, the indian quarters and the french quarters.The demarcation clearly exists and you can know in which section you are by looking on which street you are , if its a Rue - then you are at the french quarters. The french'ness' is preserved in the food they serve, languages they speak and their way of life.
Pondi has a almost spiritual air about it, it might have been the Osho asharam centrally located which spread this vibe. But also the people, foreign travellers included, eluded a peaceful vibe, unlike my earlier trip to Goa where wasted travellers were in plenty. The promenade which is a street by the beachside , welcomed you. My book gave me company one evening whereas on another I accompanied my mother for a stroll. Taking a cycle on hire and exploring the small territory was also my favourite part. I can now claim to go about pondi without asking for directions. Delicious Food, lots of it was on top of my list. We tried different cuisines- south indian, chinese, french, italian, different deserts, soups... every corner has something appetizing to offer. A small french restaurant named 'Le terrasse' had yummy oven- baked pizzas and french onion soup, the thought of which still brings a smile on my face. Pondi which was colonised by the french, has a french quarter where streets are names Rue..., libraries are bibliotheques, bakeries are pattiseries etc. The ashram guest house we stayed in was a beachside inn which had strict rules- no drinking, no drugs, timings when gates shut and excellent rooms.One warning though 'Dont expect room-service'.
General warning, while travelling in Tamil Nadu- if you want to communicate anything, do it not once, not twice but thrice, as locals here somehow never seem to understand. There were times when we ordered paratha(wheat bread) and got chinese noodles, we asked for some salt and got a cup full of sugar instead, asked for directions to a grocery store and were directed to a hotel, it was exasperating and funny at the same time.
Enough of my blabber now, here is a what pondi was all about....
Also an interesting link- Auroville, a small model township near Pondi is a must-visit, the philosophy and message on which this town is constructed is something I as a global citizen with a 'one world, one race' philosophy can relate to and so can every peace-seeking human being.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auroville
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