It seems delayed dramatic posts about the live experiences have now become my forte.
Although half of the year passed, here goes a tale of the beginning of yet another new year - New year 2017.
After careful planning and dissolving the Bangkok trip with a friend, ~ Ready , Steady and Whoooosh…. The flight takes off from Mumbai to Bangalore on 27th December 2016.
After a few old reunions , my friend and I set off to take an overnight bus to Pondicherry.
28th December 2016,
A bright morning dawns upon us as we get down from the bus in Pondicherry (Also known as Puducherry).
We rush to our pre-booked hotel only to find that the check in time has some time left.
With a mix of excitement and weariness , we head towards a famous café - Le Café : The only TRP of this café is that it remains open 24*7 and it’s a beach side one where you can start a lazy day with gossips and coffee. The café is located near the Rocky Beach.
The hotel where we stayed was is called the White Town area. The area has the French colonies and it is the only Shopper's paradise. Few lanes here and there around the White Town, you have the shopping streets ( the local Pondi markets) . The list goes as follows:
1. Mission street
2. Jawaharlal Nehru street
3. Casablanca : The branded and the local designer shop
4. Hidesign factory outlet - You need to dig deep into their store and find out a dusty bag as a jaw dropping price and they will polish it for you. Little did I know earlier that it is a Promenade brand. Promenade hotels and restaurants are all over Pondicherry.
Talking about the eatery places,
1. Café Xtasi - For Pasta and Wood fired pizza
2. Maison Perumal Restaurant - For Authentic dishes ( Veg and Non veg) and the ambiance of course.
Food hunt is a task every day and Zomato can come to a good rescue.
Do not forget to hire a Scooty! It makes life easier in the town. (Per day it costs you around 300-400 Rs)
The next day we hit the Serenity beach and the Auroville. On the way back from Auroville, we did some street shopping. The beach experience was an good one. We met some interesting travelers from Mumbai , had lunch with the bunch of unknown people at a shack on the beach, exchanging our experience tales. The Shacks offer amazing sea food. Crab chopsticks are Prawn curry with rice (Not the goan style) are worth not missing.
You can also try Calamari fish fry if you're fond of them.
And rises the Sun for the day, for which the trip was planned! 31st December 2016. We were yet to plan our New year destination. We start the day heading towards the most famous beach - The Paradise beach. The beach has clean and clear waters. You can opt for a ferry ride towards the Paradise island or directly land up at the Island on your Scooty with Google maps by your side (This Island concept did create a lot of confusion in our head). On our way back, we bump into the "Pandora's box festival" which is nothing but a musical concert arranged for the new year. The location was mesmerizing. Having spent the evening there by the backwaters, we head back home only to crash in there again for our New year night. If you have a bunch of friends, you can even spend the night there in tents. We had to rush back towards our hotel after the clock struck mid night for the place where we were staying was far away from the location.
On the New day of the New year, we pack our bags to return back to our 'business as usual'. Before leaving the place, we visited the "Immaculate Conception Cathedral" Church. It's a beautiful church in the ancient settings.
Who says, Pondicherry is worth visiting for only a day or a two. It absolutely depends on the way, a traveler explores! If you need a peaceful Goa, Pondicherry is the perfect place for you to be away from the busy life in a metro. A place where, when the night approaches and you are done with your exploration around the city, you can slow down and stroll on the silent streets by the sea and get lost in the tranquil land.