It was amazing how much smoother everything went the second attempt. I again made a hotel reservation, but had a friend book the taxi. He was able to do that with little trouble although it was a bit more costly then I had anticipated. I didn’t care too much because I just didn’t want to deal with any hassles.
The drive down was pretty uneventful, but I did find out why it is best not to be out on the roads here at night. At one point we were driving down a pretty significant highway with a median and all of a sudden there’s a car in our lane coming right at us. I don’t know if the other lanes were closed or what, but it was kinda crazy. Mom, in case you’re reading this, it wasn’t really a close call, but it did make me realize the wisdom in not traveling at night! The other thing I found out is how difficult it can be to find anything at night, especially when the power is out. I was fortunate enough to call and get a decent idea where to go, but man it’s difficult to navigate to a specific location at night. My camera has a GPS function that is really great, but in this case the address I put into it didn’t match the hotel’s actual location. It was on the right road, but off by 2 or 3 blocks. I didn’t realize this until after the taxi drove off, so I got to do some walking. Fortunately, there were no major problems finding the place even with the power out. It was like stepping back in time though. One thing I have not mentioned is that Pondi is an old French colonial town, so arriving to the hotel with the power being out was almost like taking a step back in time to the 18th century. The wooden door opens up to a large courtyard filled with vegetation and then the colonial architecture is complemented with antique furniture that adds to the ambiance. Of course, being welcomed by someone holding a candle is quite an experience in and of itself. After being given various room options, I selected the cheapest one with hot water. I was then led past a long corridor of rooms adjacent to lovely wooden chairs and tables that seem made for this place. My room is not large, but has a high ceiling two twin beds and old antique furniture. The desk is particularly interesting and even more so when a candle is sitting on it. Then the windows open to face a restaurant across the street which also is without power. They have a supply of candles as well, so I can peer across the street and see the light flickering and the shadows moving as people are eating and carrying on in spite of the lack of power. I never thought it could be so pleasant to be without power, but it turned out to be a delightful way to start the weekend.
I slept in a bit on Saturday morning before making my way over to a pancake house that was recommended by Lonely Planet. Interestingly enough, there was some construction and the place appeared to be something completely different. I don’t know how often they update that book, but it needs a little revision. After striking out there, I came back to the hotel and found out that they had breakfast ready for me! It was quite a pleasant surprise as I was just going to ask where to I might find a good breakfast spot. The juice and tea that was served was delicious and the croissant was no less.
From there I began my walking tour of the old colonial part of Pondi. It’s a seaside town on the Bay of Bengal so much of my walking was along the beach. There were quite a lot of people, but it wasn’t terribly crowded. The Gandhi statue was interesting, but most of the walk was made more enjoyable on account of people-watching. I took a little break before continuing past the French consulate and an ashram that was closed for lunch. A Hindu temple and some shops were nearby, so I made my way through after observing an odd elephant-person interaction. Basically, people were allowed to walk right up to this old elephant that was totally unrestrained. If the person offered change, the elephant trunk would take the change and then pat them on the head. It must have been some sort of ritual that was thought to bring good luck, but really it just looked like a scam to me, although it would have been interesting to have an elephant pat my bald head!
I continued to make my way back towards a nice park that surprisingly reminded me a bit of Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia. It was well-manicured with beautiful flowers and shrubbery along with a lot of sculptures. Another break was taken in the shade before heading to see a Catholic church and then going to lunch. Lunch consisted of deep-fried prawns, squid, rice and veggies. It was topped off nicely with mango ice cream. I spent the afternoon walking around and seeing another church and the botanical gardens. The botanical gardens were quite large, but not well maintained. There was even a train that used to go around, but it had fallen in to horrible disrepair. With the last few rays of sunlight slowing drifting away, I made my way back to the hotel. For the second consecutive night, I missed dinner because the restaurants close too early. By too early, I mean they close at 10:30pm, but in India that’s pretty early when you start eating dinner at 8:30 or 9pm! At any rate, it’s been a fun experience thus far, so hopefully tomorrow will be more of the same!
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