Pondicherry
Took a late night flight from Pune. Landed in Chennai in the early hours of the morning. My next step was to head to CMBT Koyambedu, the main Bus Stand in Chennai. Headed straight to the taxi counter for a 14 KM ride to the bus stand. The fare quoted was ₹450; but I was lucky enough to have two others who were headed to the same place. So the cost came out to be ₹150 per head.
Later in the evening, explored the other streets including the French Quarter and Goubert Street. Hiring a scooter is the best option to explore Pondicherry in a Day. You can also choose to hire a bicycle, which I did. (₹70 for 2 Hours).
After exploring White town for about an hour and a half, I had to go in search of budget accommodation. Booked a room for 2 nights at ₹900 per night(Not Really a Budget Price). After Lunch, took a short ferry ride to Paradise Beach , which is really worth a visit.
I boarded the 2 Am bus to Pondicherry, which hardly had 10 passengers. On reaching Pondicherry at 7 AM, grabbed a quick breakfast and went straight to Beach Road, the main tourist area of the Union Territory of Pondicherry. The road begins from the Gandhi statue, and stretches for about 2 KM, lined with some beautiful Colonial Buildings and cool looking Cafes.
Today was planned entirely for Auroville. After Breakfast, took a bus from Pondicherry Bus Stand and got off at Auroville Cross. The tricky part here was, I had to go a further 7 KM inside to get to my destination, which had no access to public transportation. Auto Rickshaws were hard to find. Fortunately, I found one for ₹150 per way.
The Matri Mandir is the biggest and the only attraction in Auroville; if you are not into Meditation and Self Awareness. I am someone who prefers Hustle Bustle and Chaos any day over tranquility and Peace of Nature.
So About 2 hours were enough for me to visit Matri Mandir. Be prepared to walk quite a bit to reach the main attraction.
With more than half of the day and the following day day still at my disposal, and being in no mood to visit any other beach or nature spot, I decided to go to Chennai. So I took an auto to the main road cross, and a bus back to Pondicherry Bus Stand. After grabbing lunch, I hopped on to one of the ECR buses for a comfortable 3 and Half Hour journey to Chennai.
Chennai
I was excited to explore Chennai, more so, since it was unplanned. After breakfast, I started with the Marina Beach. Has to be said, the Cleanliness and the order of that part of the city was commendable. It was amazingly neat, and the well paved promenade gave a good feel of the city. After strolling for about an hour, I took a local bus for a short ride to the MA Chidambaram stadium. Unfortunately, entry was allowed only on matchdays :(
In the afternoon, I spent some time in T Nagar, well known for shopping in Chennai
Later in the evening, I met up with a friend at Elliot's Beach. Although the beach in itself was not very pleasing, the vibe around it surely was! Fancy Restaurants and glittery shops gave it a very lively atmosphere
Time to go home
Although Chennai was not on my mind, I was glad that I could make time for it. But at the same time, I was kicking myself for not having another day to visit Kanchipuram and Mahabalipuram.
This was my first solo trip ever, and surely it was a success!
Auroville
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