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Published: January 9th 2010
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Pondicherry, the name has the same mysterious feeling to my ears as places like Zanzibar. I truly enjoyed Zanzibar ad Pondicherry was next on my romantic list. But to be truthful, I really had no idea of what to expect. The top of the peak season is just behind us...which means it is easier to find rooms. Hotel de l'Orient...if you come here, this is the name to remember.
Pondicherry is a former french trading enclave. Per se, the place is maybe just below a square mile. It lays on the seashore, running around less than a mile, and few blocs deep from the seashore. My friend had told me that this is the place to see in the region. And if you ask what else to see beside the French area, well, there is not a lot. We could have stopped at Auroville, to visit the commune, but we decided to make our way straight to our hotel.
From Chennai airport, there are not too many ways to get here. The easiest is clearly to get a car straight out of the airport for the 3 hours ride. Small advise, it worth to walk 200 meters out of
the airport to get a much better deal. The road is pretty nice, and smooth...if you forget to consider the local driving skills. To reach the seashore in Pondicherry, you cross most of Puducherry which is slightly chaotic, but nothing compare to Delhi.
I had booked a nice room for two nights at the Hotel de l'Orient. The hotel is part of the Neemara group which restore historic properties all over India. Rates are very reasonnable...for what you get. I had read mix reviews for the quality of the hotel, but I must mention that these guys are very nice, efficient, and knowledgable about their job. Spot on for Neemara group. The hotel has just below 20 rooms. You don't actually book whichever room, but from the beginning, you book the room you want (with obviously a different price matching each room).
Our room is called Kalikal. Wonderful bed...which come nicely after few days in "Island mode". But the best part is our huge private terrace with a view of the patio of the hotel, a real treat (It's actually one of the only 2 rooms with a private terrace)! We found the perfect base to explore the
area. In Pondicherry, to be happy, you need to go slowly...to be ready to drop any stress and let yourslef wonder around the few streets. I must admit that we had a very interesting experience. Right in the middle of the french area, few people, few cars, slow motion. Than you move few street inland, and suddenly India comes back to you...full speed and chaotic. There is no border, no guards, no signs....You just walk 100 meters, and you are in another world. We did cross this invisible lign few times, and each time were fast to backtrack coming back to the land of the smooth romantism.
In few blocks, you encounter the french consulate, french primary school, french lycee, Alliance Francaise, Ecole d'Extreme-Orient...I've lived in Saigon and still spend few days there every month. Saigon, Phnom Penh, these places could share the same romantism, but evolution have not bring the same results. If it was not for the wifi and french Le Monde (just few days outdated), we could be
somewhere in 1970, and it would be as if nothing had moved around the world. Here, time has stopped...or maybe the people who have settled here just decided
that some type of french mediteranean romantism, is after all not a bad idea.
We spent one some time during one morning at Le Cafe on the seafront. There is no beach, just a vague and dirty sandy path lay next to rocks crushed by the waves of the Ocean. Le Cafe have few tables on the terrace facing the sea. Here two worlds meet. Tourists and Europeans locals...shall I say french locals...sipping fresh lemonadeand iced tea...looking at the sea and the other locals...and each group looking at each others. I've known this feeling in Saigon back in 1996, but didn't witnessed it for years, this mutual curiosity between two groups sharing the same place. A square mile that could be set next to Arcachon, or Tunis, but instead lay on the Indian Ocean shores...a stop somewhere between Marseille and Saigon, somewhere lost...but an impressive identity.
For 3 days, we did not do much. Sipping lemonade, eating "kind of" french food. Is this the only place in India where every menu offer you a steak with french fries? Time did stop for us also. Wine is still way too expensive, gin...way too bad quality...and beer...cheap but as bad
quality as gin...but it did not stop us to lounge around...walk 300 meters between two patios, between two
terraces. I've got a good friend in Shanghai, Hugues, who's crazy about old stones, he would feel in heaven here.
Pondicherry, worth a stop of 48 hours...I don't think I would stop a lot more, I wouldn't risk to settle in a place where terrace life...is the only life...spending your leisury time reading news that are irrelevant to the time and the place. All this in a place that we wish, will be the same, and even better in 10 years. Because we didn't tell you, but they are renovating all around...so if some places on earth need to be visited before they disappear, maybe here, tomorrow will be even smoother on the terraces.
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liliram
liliram
lovely hotel, lovely place
My, you guys really make fascinating discoveries , don't you? first time i have read about this place, or about this hotel. looks lovely. must be pricey too. but if you say it is worth a stopover, i'd listen.....and save. Nice blog, peter.