The Merry trip to Puducherry

#CoffeeWithTripoto

The best trips are planned faster than making a cup of coffee. This is a quote I invented after I booked my tickets in just 10 minutes for a short trip to Puducherry in August 2017. I was sitting with my husband and was randomly talking about visiting a good patisserie and as we discussed further, we thought why not visit a place that is a baking Haven! And in no time we booked our flights and thankfully got a really good deal online. In the next two days we planned it all and researched everything we could fetch online. We decided that we shall take a flight to Bengaluru and go on a road trip to Puducherry from there. We borrowed a friend's car and started early morning. It is the best time to escape the heavy maddening traffic of Bengaluru and get to the smooth highway road. The highway drive was amazing. we were greeted with a rainy sky and bright green vegetation all around the highway. It was beautiful! 6 hours went by watching the charming sight of beautiful green coconut trees, banana plantation and cattle grazing. We went via Vellore which was a wise decision, as the other highway is under construction. Though our route was longer, but we reached without any problem on time. The weather added a delightful effect to our moods and our pictures too.

The smooth highway route to Puducherry with scenic greenery.

We opted to stay near the beach, so we chose White Town to be our residence for our two day trip. White town is full of beautiful French architecture. there are colonial bungalows that are now either converted into Government offices or hotels. We stayed at The La Closerie, a quaint place in White Town with the prettiest decor you would ever see. This seven room property has absolutely stunning interiors that will make you click pictures all the time.

The room was warm and cozy and yes it had a climb bunk bed sort of arrangement too! Unfortunately the hotel had few flaws that made us change it the very next day. No toilet doors, power back up took hours to get started, and the loo had just the toilet paper arrangement. The pool in the property can't be used as the tree inside the premises litters it with pollens and leaves.

Even after the flaws the charming hotel was worth a one day stay. It was pretty place to do yoga too!

The first day at Pondy was all about eating and taking long walks around sea. This place has a lovely neighborhood, smiling faces and a pretty marine drive. One can walk for hours and not get bored admiring the colonial touch of the buildings, the rocky beach, locals living a peaceful life and enjoying the beauty of the sea.

After taking a long walk, we were extremely hungry, so we decided to get a taste of the famous pizza of Pondy at the Cafe Xtasi on the Bussy Street.

Mind you that was one humongous pizza that seems a little smaller in the pic. Our next stop was Baker street. This famous bakery in Puducherry is one of the oldest and most popular bakeries of all. and it will never disappoint you with the quality of breads, pastries and mouth watering eats.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXrxK8yjuqc/?hl=en&taken-by=_theindianyogini

We packed a lot of yummazing bakes and took it to the hotel room to have it in our relaxing PJs. The next day we woke up and shifted to Hotel Sunway Manor, which is away from the beach but had great hospitality and amenities. After checking in we went on a drive to Auroville. Being a yogi I was full of excitement as I was going to a yogi haven after all. The place is just half an hour from the main city, but as you go inside the Auroville city, you will feel you have entered another world. a world full of peace and harmony with nature. After a short introductory session in the entrance about the idea of Auroville, we were asked to walk till the Matri Mandir. Dedicated to the mother and ideology that we all need to live together with peace and happiness.

The place is so special and mysterious that you would want to visit again and stay here for few days to know more about it. The trip to Auroville ended with some shopping at the fancy shops set up there. The shops are managed by mostly residents of Auroville and they sell products made by people in the city. That's the reason the shops are pretty expensive on the pocket.

One can also try the cafe' in the Auroville campus and enjoy some French cuisine and tasty bakes.

It was lunch time when we reach back to the city. We decided to have good south indian food, after our extreme indulgence in continental food for the past 24 hours. and again we chose the best place to do that, it was the Surguru Restaurant at the Bussy Street. Yes Bussy Street is your place to try out good food!!! The food was so tasty and cheap that we kept ordering one thing after the other. To get the overdose of dosa and uttapam down our throat we ordered Filter coffee and closed our plates!

After filling our stomachs to the brim, we proceeded to the Aurobindo Ashram. It was an unexpected short tour as they have closed most of the areas for travelers. The good thing was that our constant jabbering stopped as we had to maintain silence in the premises. We went to the samadhi of the great Shri Aurobindo and I must tell you one can feel a sort of positivity and a connection with the guru there. all you have to close your eyes and remember him. After a short meditation in the premises, I bought a lot of books on Integral yoga and Shri Aurobindo's teaching.

The last stop of our visit to Pondy was the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Pondicherry. This church is so colourful that you will feel happy the moment you step inside.

The stained glasses create coloured shadows that will make you feel wow!

After a long day and a wonderful visit to the amazing Puducherry, we were tired but full of beautiful memories. We couldn't get enough of Pondy in a two day visit. It was hard to go back to the hustle bustle of the city and leave the simple and content life of Puducherry behind. While driving back to Bengaluru, i hardly blinked. I tried to absorb the beauty of Pondy, the white and yellow buildings, the colonial era, the slow pace of the city, the aroma of bakeries and much more.