Solo Trip to Pondicherry!

Arrival

Mystic and sunny clouds outside the airplane window seemed to turn into dark fogs and in no time raindrops started to make noises as drops were placing on the plane stating that it's going to be raining today in Chennai. I looked at fellow passengers, no one was prepared for the rain, and so I. The flight landed and I was still wondering if coming down here was the right decision or not. It was breezing outside the airport. I needed to catch the metro from the airport to the C.M.B.T bus stop. This was my second time at Chennai International Airport, the convenience of reaching the Metro station from the Airport is the best thing about this airport. The metro station is right there and can reach from inside the airport. This was going to be my first-time metro traveling and hence I had no clue about the token system here. I talked to one uncle and he helped me with the process. The Metro was so clean and technologically advanced that I remember I had messaged my friend saying that I didn't know that India is this modern. As soon as I reach the C.M.B.T bus stop I headed to a decent restaurant for Breakfast. Although it was breakfast time for me, it was a regular lunchtime in Chennai, and hence no idli wada for me. No regret! I had a delicious ghee Pongal rice and filter chai instead. Well, then I realized that I am in Chennai, in the south of India. I think Chennai could be a destination for Food vacation. All kinds of authentic south Indian dishes one can have in Chennai, like Andhra meal, Karnataki, Tamil meal, etc. Nevertheless, I had a very short date with Chennai as I needed to head to Pondicherry. With a full stomach and a lot of enthusiasm, I boarded the government bus. It was going to be a four-hour journey, so without thinking much I opened a book and finished till we reached Puducherry.

I think they must have knowingly gave the city two names, one "Puducherry" for its Tamil existence, and another one "Pondicherry" for the French touch. As I reached the Pondicherry bus stop, my first impression was that it is like any other city in India, crowded and busy. I took an auto to the hostel I booked a few KMs away from white town in Pondicherry. On my way to the hostel, I saw big malls and known food franchises in one part of the city, small lanes, temples, and street food chains in other parts. I saw food stalls serving a variety of dishes anyone could ask for in the south. I decided at that very time that I am going to come here for food exploration for sure. Till the time I reached the hostel, my mind had convinced with the information that Pondicherry is not that different though.

On the arrival, I was allotted the mixed dormitory room which I needed to share with two boys. The host, Roshan, informed me that the female dormitory will get vacant for one person that very night and I can shift there too. It is not like that I have not stayed in a mixed dormitory before. In fact, my two solo travel stays were in a mixed dormitory only. The concept of the female dormitory in a hostel was introduced to me on my third solo in Gokarna. But the fact is that it feels more comfortable when you are staying in your same-sex dormitory than a mixed one for sure. The hostel was an old french building, wood furniture, beautiful curtains, homely vibes, a charming terrace, and always clean. By far I chose the correct place to stay but still nervous about how the city turns out to be for exploring. That night, I got freshen up and go out straight on the street. I wanted to explore those food streets I saw while riding an auto. I picked a rented bike from a nearby place and head to the market area where I could find street food. While riding I encountered old charming full of color temples as I entered the market area. Aunties wearing traditional sarees and uncle with shirt lungi, everything was proper south Indian. I stopped at one tiny shop where an old-aged couple was selling Dosas that too on a banana leaf with four different chatnis. I then tried a local healthy drink made of coconut milk at another small place. As I explored more, I found one cafe which had no nameplate. I read the menu and got confused as no mentioned dish as I felt familiar with. It is then the Cafe owner came to my rescue, probably by seeing my puzzled face, and recommended a mouthwatering pattu soup. It was heavenly delicious. After this, I found myself in deep thought where again I was asking myself, Have I made the right decision to come here? I felt that this is it, temples, food chains, and coffee. I did it on the very first day. What next?

I was so furious that I parked my bike at the corner of the road, I called my friend, and I cried. I remember I kept repeating why did I come here, there is nothing. Then suddenly I saw few people wearing beautiful western dresses walking on the road in front of me. So I was standing on this road, at my back there was the market which I just explore, and in front of me, there was another road which goes straight to the white town of Pondicherry. The white town is the french colony where both renowned cafes and small local cafes reside. The white town is full of history and french culture. Like as a ray of hope, I followed that road and found many happening places. As it was night, I could see only lights and vibes. Suddenly my soul pitched up on high notes and started singing. I got an instinct that there are so many places and things in Pondichery to explore. Just a division of the road gave me chills on the existence of this charming place.

Strangers

I met a fantastic girl in my hostel, Sonal. Hippie pants, tight top, and a cool jacket. She was looking like a college girl when Roshan introduced her to me. I found her a travel enthusiast and a very calm-spoken person. It was the ritual of the hostel to gather on the terrace at night and connect with people. It was then I got to know that Sonal is a woman in her 40s and I gasped in disbelief. I got connected to her very well, I mean she is super brave exploring the world on her own. Nothing to mention she inspired me in many different ways. The next morning I and Sonal went to Pondicherry beach which was hardly a 10-minute walk from the hostel. A beautiful street walk alongside with peaceful beach. We stopped at a famous cafe there, called Le cafe, for a morning coffee. Tables were put at the beach so that you can enjoy your coffee viewing the sea. We talked about almost everything, from dealing with our own parents to being a parent as she is a mother of a young independent daughter, from once being a helpless person in life to become an own hero, from practicality to spirituality. Everything.

Soon a bit Sonal and I separated our ways from the cafe as we had different plans for a day. I started walking on the street and stopped to look into the sea. It was too much chaos on the beach. Bunch of people clicking photos near to the sea, eating, talking, laughing, playing, etc. I just stand quietly there seeing waves and soon got involved in my own thoughts neglecting everything around me. It was then an empty beer bottle lying carelessly on that beach sand that got my attention. As soon as I looked the other way, I found more such empty bottles and cans with plastic plates which I guess people have conveniently forgotten after enjoying an evening on the beach. It frustrated me and I don't know why I suddenly shook up and start collecting those bottles and other waste from the beach. I collected and dumped them to nearest big dustbins which I think the Municipal of Pondicherry intentionally have put on the corner of the street to make people understand that to leave the tourist place clean is also a part of your vacation or a visit.

"Excuse me, Madam" I heard a man's voice when I least expected as I was staring at the memorial monument in the center of Promanade crowded street(yes, crowded. Although, according to Sonal, that was the least crowd she had seen there in her countless visits to the place). I turned my face to this boy surprisingly. He then asked me for one cafe's address. I replied politely, "I am sorry, this is my first day in Pondicherry. I am afraid I cannot help you with any address." He then asked me a very confusing question, "I saw you at the beach, you were looking so sad." I laughed as I didn't know what to answer him. I turned my back to him and started walking. I started questioning myself that what made him think like that. Maybe because I am alone and was staring at the sea quietly had given him that impression. But I was nowhere near to sadness. In fact, I was at the moment peacefully. Meanwhile, again after a 5 minutes walk, I saw a tall guy, leaving his friends behind on the other corner of the street, approaching me. He smiled at me and greeted "Hello". I said greeted back in amazement. "Why are you roaming alone?" he bombarded my question on me. "Because I can", I responded to him wittily. He must have thought of this as his best opportunity to ask a girl out. "Would you like to have breakfast with me?" he intentionally asked. "No", I plainly replied and told him that I do not want to have a conversation with you and hence you can leave. Without giving the situation any more importance I continued my walk through this charming street. The old lighthouse, big trees, beautiful big houses, gardens, and churches, that street has all things my heart would fill with the love for. True gem I would say. Walking from one lane to another, I spotted a man who was literally following me. I noticed this was the same guy who asked me for the breakfast. I have traveled solo in three places, one was a whole state, one was a country, and one was a city, but this was my very first experience where someone followed me through. Just to confirm that this is really happening, I got stopped at one church gate and checked if the guy also gets stopped. And my guess was right. Our mind works in a miraculous way. Within a second, I remembered seeing a police station on my way and I decided to bring him near that police station. I kept walking and stopped exactly in front of the police station. Now I looked at the guy and walked towards him. He sawing me moving towards him started acting like he was talking on mobile. "Are you following me?" I asked him furiously. He continued his acting when I told him "I am not comfortable and you need to stop following me right away or else the police station is right in front of me." He said sorry and walked away.

French Colony

Jesus Christ, Lord Sai Baba, Lord Ganesha, and Lord Buddha's small statues were decorated in an old house veranda. It was a beautiful yellow-painted house having a nameplate starting with Rue(street in French) name. There are many such beautiful big houses. One such house was turned into Sir Aurobindo Ashram. Sir Aurobindo was a nationalist, a philosopher, and a devoted Yogi. I had heard about this Ashram quite a lot in Pondicherry blogs and vlogs so I had an idea of what I can expect inside the Ashram. It was open for tourists. So I pulled out my chappal and entered. It was calm and serene inside. Chanting voices and green lush could take you in the surrender of this elegant Ashram. There is a Samadhi of Sir Aurobindo. You can do Dhyana there.

As you walk to the street of the white town, you will encounter a beautiful church, Notre dame des angles Church. The church has astonishing architecture and a high spiritual ambiance. As Christmas had just passed when I reached Pondicherry, churches were decorated in the most charming ways. This church was not the less. As I visit the church at the night, there were colorful lights everywhere around the church. The church is surrounded by big Christmas trees, all light up. There is a white statue of angels at the very entrance of the church. As you enter the church, it is again an affectionate surrounding where you can sit quietly and pray and can just admire the interior. Yes, it is that beautiful.

Pondicherry Museum is again a heritage located at the center of white town near the famous Bharathi Garden. The history of French ruling in India and especially in Pondicherry has been briefly projected in the museum. How Puducherry became French traders spot to how it got the liberation from French people, everything in one place. Other kings ruling and local people cultures are part of the museum. I had a good 2 hours informative trip inside the museum where the staff was extremely helpful and ready to guide you through the wisdom. It is the time when I left the museum I recognized that how this small union territory has this incredible history of its own, and how the people of Pondicherry at that time struggled for their freedom.

Alongside the French colony, there is one marvelous temple of Lord Ganesha. Absolute dazzling temple architecture devoted to Ganesha's life, from birth to various forms of the Lord. Besides the God murthi, alluring storytelling is carved on the temple walls. I took the whole time to see each and every craft the temple has. As I approached one Pandit for the explanation of one such craft, he guided me through the entire temple gems.

Auroville

The one thing I was excited to visit before traveling to Pondicherry is the town Auroville. It was a 6 km morning ride from Pondicherry to Auroville. I had breakfast in a famous Auroville cafe. Chocolate Croissant and a coffee. Then I headed to the enchanting Auroville botanical garden. The well-known meditation center, Matrimandir, is the main tourist attraction in Auroville. Quite intrigued by the history. 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, above all politics and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to realize human unity. Serene roads of Auroville will take you to the Auroville beach. There is one more beach called serenity beach on the way back to Pondicherry. But before leaving Auroville one must have lunch at Tanto, an Italian food place. There is one more famous small place called Bamboo shoots. As the name suggests they serve bamboo shoots dishes. There many small shopkeepers selling homemade things on the Auroville streets.

Paradise beach

Paradise beach is about 10 km from Pondicherry city. I had a good serene ride towards the beach as there is a small village from which you can actually reach the beach. Small ponds, coconut trees, and tiny temples everywhere. There is a lake too beside the beach where you can have a boat ride. Beaches in Pondicherry are hardly that clean and hence Paradise is not an exception to that too.

Pondicherry on plate

Mexican food lovers like me cannot avoid visiting Margarita's Mexican Restaurant in town. The ambiance of the restaurant itself will take you into the Mexican town. Excellent lampwork, incredible paintings, fanciful furniture, and an exotic food menu. This place is all that I was expecting for a different mood in a day. Maybe that's why this is the only place I went to twice in my single trip. I loved their Cilantro rice to the core. Whereas, chicken enchiladas are a must-try.

Cafe de art, an artistic cafe. It is again an old house turned into something fabulous. Creative wall painting on the cafe's entrance will take your senses into a gasp. There was literally a workshop going on for block printing. I participated and the next thing I know is that I had designed one shopping bag, wohoo! It felt like a productive day indeed. The place is popular for its pancake and french cuisine. They have one single option for iced tea, called Homemade iced tea, which is just amazing.

Love french bread? Then Le Chateau Pondicherry has everything you would ask for. From pretty pastries to smoked croissants everything delicious. This is a big fancy cafe in a white town which gives a foreign neighborhood feeling.

The much-talked cafe of Pondicherry is the famous Coromandel cafe. It is a big mansion with big doors and ancient furniture. It feels like you are in a Hollywood horror movie where they show the protagonist living in an old mansion in a retro era. The cafe is picturesque but the food I didn't find that delicious as compared to other places in a white town.

Mini onion samosas serve everywhere in Pondicherry. But the best I had in a small cafe behind Notre dame des angles Church. They serve refreshing Hibiscus tea too. It is worth exploring such small cafes in Pondicherry as you can get the next surprise tasty thing in your mouth.

For authentic south Indian food, A2B restaurant near white town is the best. Ghee Pongal and any kind of Dosas are just incomparable. Then the second place comes for the Sadguru restaurant where again dosas are incredible. Their Chhola bhatura is a famous one and one can get this only in the evening time. Promanade beach has a small Gelato shop near Auro mall, famous for chocolate gelato scoop.

The hostel life

I set foot on the terrace to attend the midnight chat with fellow hostellers wearing my pajamas as it was almost bedtime for me. Roshan invited me to the big table to join the group. Sonal was there, so I sat accordingly in between Roshan and Sonal, the only people I knew there. I saw a girl sitting right in front of me, she looked familiar. She was there with her friend. I stared at her and said "Hello". I greeted back in the puzzle. There was one Bengali couple on the table narrating their trip to Pondicherry to us as it was their last night in Pondicherry. They were so adorable and I was having a good time. Then something clicked on me and I checked my Instagram app, searched Dolly Singh. I had a doubt that the girl in front of me is none other than YouTuber Dolly Singh. But I wanted to confirm this from her as she didn't see that much active and bold as she looks in her witty videos. "Are you Dolly Singh?" I asked in a confusing tone. She got shy and humbly responded, "Yes, I am." Then I told her how I and one of my friend watch her videos and how talented she seems on them. She smiled but she seems intimidated. "Don't worry, you can be yourself here," I told her and we started the hostel mini party with music, snacks, and games.

I met few nice people in the hostel. The caretaker of the hostel, Eddie, was working in the hostel to learn the hospitality business as he wants to open his own hostel in his local town Auroville. Daily on my office time, we used to have a chitchat about traveling and his goals with the hostel. He once said that people come into this hostel, on the first day their faces look terrible and then after the first day they walk in the hostel as they are roaming in their own house. I agreed with his point. This hostel has those homely vibes. I met a guy from Banglore who stayed in the hostel for the whole nation locked down period and now after lockdown he actually got settled in Pondicherry as he fell in love with this city. There was one Mumbai girl who was in the hostel for a whole month. She loves reading poems and doing yoga. She has given me quite a list to check for Pondicherry places. There was one Punjabi guy to whom I met on one of the night terrace chitchat sessions. He had traveled to Africa and hence there was a full geographical virtual visit to Africa for the rest of us hostellers that night.

I had a very well farewell from the hostel. We played games, shared trip itineraries with new fellow hostellers, and the music. Roshan made his special dosas, cocktail drinks, and ribbonfish fry for us. God bless him. And that's how I spent one whole week in this paradise.

Pondicherry has everything charming about it. When I was thinking to visit this place I had googled out pictures of the place, like what to visit and where to go. But I am more than happy to tell you that I had a much more pleasant experience than I thought I would be getting from Pondicherry.