Pondicherry is a fascinating place. Situated in Tamil Nadu, in the southeast corner of the country, it is a former French colony. If anyone thinks they have heard about Pondicherry before, it was probably from 'Life of Pi' because they show it in the movie and that is where the main character is from! It feels different from other Indian towns, and my cousin told me that its actually its own autonomous state and follows its own set of rules ! The 'White Town/Heritage Town' is situated right along the beach promenade and it feels like you have stepped into the French Riviera in certain spots. It's very cute & quaint. Little French and Indian eateries, bicycles (along with to rickshaws ofcourse), and plenty of tourists! It is a nice breath of fresh air from even the chaos 10 minutes up the road! We stayed at an ashram hostel, which in simplest terms means a hostel with a bunch of strict rules - no drinking, no smoking, be in by 12, etc. Ashrams- whether they are hostels in random towns or yoga retreats- are just a concept of place with an itinerary and they are often connected to a good cause. So, they are usually cheap but some people don't like them due to the restraints. For $5/night we weren't complaining.
As for the city itself we saw some nice things. We ate a great local Indian spot, with fantastic South Indian cuisine. South Indian food is simple but good and incredibly cheap (less than $1 for a meal). It comprises a bunch of rice based 'breads' made in different ways with a multitude of chutneys and sauces accompanying it. Delicious with a salt Lassi ;)
We also checked out the Ganesh Hindu Temple. There is usually an elephant that roams the temple and collects donations by sucking them up with his trunk and spitting it back out to the donation box---really! However, maybe he was having a sick day because we didn't see him the morning we went. We also saw a theatrical performance with Kallari interpretations- meaning martial arts blended with dance blended with acting-- a South Indian art form. The acrobatics were great, however, I didn't really understand the storyline (it was in English) so I didn't get that much out of it.
Being with my cousin and 2 of her European friends that we met, we really enjoyed the place.
The next day we decided to explore a unique place just outside of Pondicherry.....a fascinating story I promise! Next post....
And pictures will hopefully come soon, just dealing with bad connectivity again :P
