Moving to Chennai was a boon in disguise to me. From the uneasiness due to weather to love towards the culture, my journey is a beautiful experience in itself.
It was a Friday morning and weekend vibes hit me hard. So I decided to explore places around Chennai. The very first place that struck my mind was Pondicherry. With its cosmopolitan crowd and long stretch of beaches, Pondicherry, was on my bucket list. It was time we booked our bus/train tickets and pack our bags. We reached Pondicherry on Saturday morning. The sun was shining bright and undoubtedly we would get roasted. Luckily, the sun showed some mercy by evening and it turned out to be cool and breezy. Wohoo!! Prior planning was minimal, therefore, we explored the city on our own whims and fancies. Crystal white Vespa turned out to be our savior.
Day 1- We first checked into a very cute little apartment, located in the heart of white town. It housed a cozy room and a very beautiful terrace with a view of Promenade beach. The waves were roaring while it hit the shore with all the force. It instantly invited us to sit by its shore and tell our tales. But every beginnings must start with blessings as it’s said, we hit the temple first. Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Temple, a massive temple with beautiful paintings and carvings all around. It was a serene place with people buzzing in and around the temple. We found out an offbeat thing to do next. Yes! It was a handmade paper factory visit. The entire process of making a handmade paper was exhibited there. It is right in the heart of white town called as Aurobindo Paper factory. The showed us how marble papers, colourful oil painted papers, greetings etc. were made right from procuring the raw materials to delivering a finished product and selling it at a minimal cost. After this, it was time to energize our body with a sumptuous lunch at Surguru Spot restaurant, just a minute away from the temple. Taste and ambience was just perfect. After this, it was time we explore the White Town which hosts cozy cafes like Le Cafe, Cafe de Arts, Coromandel cafe, Indian Kafe Express and many more. How can we miss capturing the moments here! We ended up taking loads of pictures which satisfied our hunger in true sense. In the course of exploring different streets, we ended up meeting some very nice people who guided us to places all-around. The sun slowly set in painting hues all over the sky. Next came Sacred Heart Basilica Church. Aesthetical and peaceful. Just sit there and listen to the chirping of the birds. It was high time we head to the main attraction of Pondi! The Promenade beach!!! It welcomed us with loud roars of the waves and wide arms. We sat there, sang songs and played in sand until sun bid us goodbye promising to see us next day. It was dinner time but the energy of crowd in the concerts and dance performances near Mahatma Gandhi statue did not seem to stop anytime soon. We headed to a close by cafe to grab some quick bites and a hot coffee. Day was over in no time.
Day2 – This was kept for impromptu plans. Early morning sunrise on Rock beach was worth missing some sleep time. It was more than just beautiful. No words can describe the slow and steady sun gazing up in the sky and lightening our day. A sucker for sunrise myself, I had capture some pictures and time-lapse videos. After witnessing such magnificent scene, my hunger calls gave up. It was time for some crispy Vada and Masala Dosa at Udupi Ruchi right opposite to the beach. People thronged the place for some freshly steamed Idlis and roasted Dosas. Breaking the fast with such amazing food was memorable. Now began our city exploration for the day. Youngsters have a bad reputation of avoiding museums and parks but on the contrary we made it a point not to miss any place here. So we visited Pondicherry Museum and Bharathi Park. It housed many sculptures and scriptures of the times when it was not Pondicherry but Puducherry. The park is opposite to Raj Bhavan, a Government owned property, probably the residence for some officials. Next we headed to Lady Des Angels - Notre Dames Church which is said to be a replica of the famous one in France. The church a sheer treat to eyes with its huge doors at the entrance and massive prayer hall decorated with lights and flowers. Absolute favourite among tourists. When in Pondicherry, how can we forget a visit to Aurobindo Ashram! Most followed Guru/Philosopher among people there and all around the world, especially French. It had several disciples guiding us at the doorway on how to take a stroll and observe things in order. This place is quiet and pin-drop silence persists! A peaceful place where people were actually silent and meditate. It doesn’t encourage any usual chatter-batter in the premises. Despite such a huge crowd, I could not hear a slightest murmur in the air. Blissful and very enlightening visit it was. We made sure we visit all the touristy places and feel the vibes of a true tourist. After this, we planned to take a boat ride from Chunnambar boat house to Paradise beach. The ride to boat location was through highway which was super fun to ride on. Yes we did wear helmets. It goes without saying. On parking our vehicle, we bought tickets for to and fro boat ride which would drop us to paradise beach/island. It was a 20 minute long boat ride. There were many activities on the beach which included rain dance, some jumping activity and also an ATV ride on the sand. There are small shelters here and there where people can lie down to rest after all the water games. After having enough fun in the water, the sun began to set in for the day. It was time we head back to our stay and pack bags to head back to Chennai. Bus stand is patrolled by Police 24x7 and is safe for solo women travelers. The weekend soon came to an end and turned to be one memorable and picturesque weekend. With cute little town and amazing food and people, the trip was worth all of it. It started with a hasty, unplanned getaway but ended with all the great memories in all our minds. Albums are filled with photos now. A difficult task is to decide on which of them to post!! A must visit for every travel enthusiast and not so enthusiast as well! Pondicherry caters to all kinds of travelers. Be it a laid back traveler or a super energetic traveler. It never fails to amaze.
Keep travelling, Keep learning. Travel teaches you lessons not taught in schools.
