Pondicherry
Weekend getaway from Bangalore No. knot knot 7....
Destination: Pondicherry (renamed now as Puducherry - around 100 kms from Chennai)
Attendees: 4 guys
Mode of Transport: Maruti Swift
Destination: Pondicherry (renamed now as Puducherry - around 100 kms from Chennai)
Attendees: 4 guys
Mode of Transport: Maruti Swift
The advantage of four guys going on such a trip is that there is no need for any advance planning. Go and find some decent place to stay and eat. Roam around like wild animals without worrying too much.....or so we thought........
I was wondering all morning what to write about Pondicherry and finally decided that I will just list down our itinerary as it played out:
Friday 10pm - Leave office.
Saturday 1am - Take a wrong turn assuming that, in Tamil Nadu the KM unit is defined differently from the rest of the world!!
Saturday 2am - Find our way back after travelling 80kms extra!!
Saturday 3am - Have a near death experience, thanks to a slight lapse in concentration on behalf of the driver.
Saturday 6am - Finally reach Pondicherry with a smile on our faces.
Saturday 6:45am - Still searching for a decent hotel....the smile on our faces has vanished by now!!
Saturday 7:30am - Finally find a decnt lodging, check in and walk for over 1km to the only place open for breakfast.
Saturday 8:30am - Indulge in deep sleep ....zzzzzzz
Saturday 11:30am - Wake Up, thanks to the receptionist who calls and asks for something in Tamil, which I am yet to figure out.
Saturday 1pm - Drive down to Cudammalur lake and take a small motor boat ride to Paradise Island.
Saturday 2pm - Enjoy the waves and the beach accompanied by some 'seriously OK' fish fry and pathetic chicken and egg friedrice....yuccckkk
Saturday 4pm - Enjoy our first drink of the trip (4 chilled Kingfisher beers) at Cudammalur Lake and look forward to a even better evening.
Saturday 5pm - Head for Auroville internatinal community village (around 8 kms from Pondi)
Saturday 6pm - Reach Auroville and realize they are closed for the day and hence just walk for around 1km to check out the large gold coated dome where they teach about meditation and yoga.
Saturday 7:30pm - Make awesome plans for a 'Rocking' Dinner.....smile is back on our face.
Saturday 8pm - Give up on two restaurants attached to resorts.....because they are beach-side restaurants which are FAR AWAY from the beach!!!
Saturday 8:30pm - Finally find a good restaurant that overlooks the Gandhi beach.
Saturday 9pm - Get the good news from the waiter that 'They have no ice-cubes'!!!.....and storm out of the restaurant after compulsarily having to eat some bland sea-food starters.
Saturday 9:30pm - Disappointedly end up having a good dinner at Anjappar restaurant comprising of Kadaal or 'Fowl' fry and Turkey masala.
Saturday 11pm - Allow our tiredness to take over and doze off again....zzzzzzzzz
Sunday 11:30am - Wake Up to realize that we have lost our chance to visit Auroville and hence decide to just take a stroll through the 'Sunday Market'
Sunday 1:30pm - The only good thing coming out of the 'Sunday Market' was three novels for Rs.50 each.
Sunday 2pm - Looking for a good restaurant to have some nice sea-food.
Sunday 3pm - still looking........
Sunday 3:30pm - Finally end up at a 3-star restaurant for a drink and eat whatever food they had to offer.
Sunday 5:30pm - Check out of hotel and head home.
Sunday 9pm - Dine on some delicious dosas at A2B restaurant off the high-way in Krishnagiri.....our first decent meal in 2 days!!!
Sunday 11:30pm - Reach home and sleep.....again.
In the end, if you ask me how was your trip...i'll just say - " No Comments". You can feel free to contact my friend Rahul who thoroughly enjoyed the trip. I can give you his contact details if you are interested.
But here are a few important points to remember if you go to Pondicherry.
1. DO NOT keep any hopes of having a beach side drink and dinner, assuming that Pondi is a International Tourist Destination.
2. Whenever you venture anywhere inside TN, make sure you carry a Tamilian with you!!!.....and unlike us, make sure he is not a 'useless bugger' who goes to ask a policeman for directions and comes back 5 mins later with his family history......and just sits in the back seat and keeps saying "Dundee, put the Tamil FM ra!!"
I was wondering all morning what to write about Pondicherry and finally decided that I will just list down our itinerary as it played out:
Friday 10pm - Leave office.
Saturday 1am - Take a wrong turn assuming that, in Tamil Nadu the KM unit is defined differently from the rest of the world!!
Saturday 2am - Find our way back after travelling 80kms extra!!
Saturday 3am - Have a near death experience, thanks to a slight lapse in concentration on behalf of the driver.
Saturday 6am - Finally reach Pondicherry with a smile on our faces.
Saturday 6:45am - Still searching for a decent hotel....the smile on our faces has vanished by now!!
Saturday 7:30am - Finally find a decnt lodging, check in and walk for over 1km to the only place open for breakfast.
Saturday 8:30am - Indulge in deep sleep ....zzzzzzz
Saturday 11:30am - Wake Up, thanks to the receptionist who calls and asks for something in Tamil, which I am yet to figure out.
Saturday 1pm - Drive down to Cudammalur lake and take a small motor boat ride to Paradise Island.
Saturday 2pm - Enjoy the waves and the beach accompanied by some 'seriously OK' fish fry and pathetic chicken and egg friedrice....yuccckkk
Saturday 4pm - Enjoy our first drink of the trip (4 chilled Kingfisher beers) at Cudammalur Lake and look forward to a even better evening.
Saturday 5pm - Head for Auroville internatinal community village (around 8 kms from Pondi)
Saturday 6pm - Reach Auroville and realize they are closed for the day and hence just walk for around 1km to check out the large gold coated dome where they teach about meditation and yoga.
Saturday 7:30pm - Make awesome plans for a 'Rocking' Dinner.....smile is back on our face.
Saturday 8pm - Give up on two restaurants attached to resorts.....because they are beach-side restaurants which are FAR AWAY from the beach!!!
Saturday 8:30pm - Finally find a good restaurant that overlooks the Gandhi beach.
Saturday 9pm - Get the good news from the waiter that 'They have no ice-cubes'!!!.....and storm out of the restaurant after compulsarily having to eat some bland sea-food starters.
Saturday 9:30pm - Disappointedly end up having a good dinner at Anjappar restaurant comprising of Kadaal or 'Fowl' fry and Turkey masala.
Saturday 11pm - Allow our tiredness to take over and doze off again....zzzzzzzzz
Sunday 11:30am - Wake Up to realize that we have lost our chance to visit Auroville and hence decide to just take a stroll through the 'Sunday Market'
Sunday 1:30pm - The only good thing coming out of the 'Sunday Market' was three novels for Rs.50 each.
Sunday 2pm - Looking for a good restaurant to have some nice sea-food.
Sunday 3pm - still looking........
Sunday 3:30pm - Finally end up at a 3-star restaurant for a drink and eat whatever food they had to offer.
Sunday 5:30pm - Check out of hotel and head home.
Sunday 9pm - Dine on some delicious dosas at A2B restaurant off the high-way in Krishnagiri.....our first decent meal in 2 days!!!
Sunday 11:30pm - Reach home and sleep.....again.
In the end, if you ask me how was your trip...i'll just say - " No Comments". You can feel free to contact my friend Rahul who thoroughly enjoyed the trip. I can give you his contact details if you are interested.
But here are a few important points to remember if you go to Pondicherry.
1. DO NOT keep any hopes of having a beach side drink and dinner, assuming that Pondi is a International Tourist Destination.
2. Whenever you venture anywhere inside TN, make sure you carry a Tamilian with you!!!.....and unlike us, make sure he is not a 'useless bugger' who goes to ask a policeman for directions and comes back 5 mins later with his family history......and just sits in the back seat and keeps saying "Dundee, put the Tamil FM ra!!"
Comments
Never been to Pondi but thought it was a gr8 place. Maybe now I'll do double research b4 going there:)
FYI, have added another travelogue 2 my blog!