Pondicherry Hotels
Amerikiwi's travel blogs:
|
|
  | |  |
Pondicherry day trip
Entry 9 of 23 | show all | print this entry |
Yesterday, I went on my first day tour through the Tamil Nadu Tourist
Government Centre Tours. As I said, I normally avoid tours, but I
thought seeing htis is India and all, I could use a little guidance to
adjust.
I was awakened at 5am after no sleep thanks to some Indian men partying or something (note, most don't drink any alcohol and you can't buy it barely anywhere) all night, but I was up and ready to take the pre arranged auto to the tourist meeting point. However, despite my friends mom's valiant attempt to have the staff arrange a 5:30 pick up and confirm it, no auto was there. So, having to be somewhat forceful we need to leave now, they eventually found me one. Now, there was barely any traffic, and so it was much easier driving - again "autorickshawing" remember on a3 wheels in like a little tin can running on diesal. Although I don't know my way around this confusing place, Gowiti (my friend's Mom) has made an effort to show me landmarks. So, in pitch dark at abotu 6am I notice we are off on a wrong road and although I couldn't tell you where the right road was, I knew it was wrong. I say "tourist complex" again and fortunately some 2 police on a motorbike were up in front of us and the driver checked with them. Thank God! As, I have to admit, there was a moment of fear there and it reminded me the importance of knowing your general whereabouts.
Okay, so at the tuorist center for the day trip to Pondicherry which is about 3hours by bus. I end up saying hi to this Australian guy (tourist # 3 I have seen in 4 days). Great 20 year old on his way back to Oz after studying engineering in China for a few months. We hit it off and now I have a buddy for the day! I was soooo happy. WE sat on the bus together and had great discussions on politics, religion and what we were experiencing looking out the window.
It is so hard to explain how different everything here is from the roads, the mode of transport varying from cattle pulling a cart to some new SUVS, buses tilting because so full, the homes that are little huts along the side of the road, the rivers that some are so covred with trash and the sounds of incessant honking. However, here were were getting out of the city yet still so many people crammed into every village we passed through. We stopped at arestaurant for breakfast and I had a yummy masala dhosa (i think) which is a rice pancake wrapped around tasty flavored potato like a fajita. Oh, and a pineapple lassi which is the tasitest drink in the world!
We passed mnay areas hit by the 2004 tsunami. It is about a mile of empty land from the road to the beach adn you can see some palm trees snapped halfway up, likely from the water. There are some memorials in tamil (I think) and some graves, although I think most hindu's are cremated. It was so sad to think how scared these people must of been. I think it is easy for some people to feel that oh, well, they were living in huts to begin with without water or electricity so how much did it affect them? But, then you pass the families, children playing in the dust, etc... adn you realise that my God, it must have been absolutely terrifying and so hard to re-establish what little they had started with.
Just a quick tidbit, over one third of Indians live on less that $1 US a day. $365 a year. Yes, things are cheaper here, but it is unfathomable poverty. It is baffling to pass shanty type towns of box like homes crowded with a family, adn then next store see a huge Accenture consulting tower and and Addidas shop where one pair of shoes is more than the majority of Indians make a month. Crazy dichotomy and so hard to get my head around.
Sorry, rambling, but cool in this cafe at the moment. So, we stopped in Auroville first. This was made in the 1960s and supported by reps from 120 countries to be one place on earth for world unity without any religion, but based on spirituality. Now a few thousands Indians, and westerners live here and pay to do so, and tour buses stop here so I am a bit cynical. We looked at the multi million dollar gold plated sphere in the center of the complex that serves as the main mediation area. And, I have to say, bizarre. Don't get me wrong I completely and utterly support the concept of world unity regardless of stupid borders, religious rightousness, etc.. but I am perplexed why a spiritually charged place needs a $20 or whatever million dollar gold sphere? ANyways, beautiful gardents and was very unique.
Then, off to Pondicherry which was ruled by the French until the late 40's I think when the rest of India got independence from the British. The beach is beautiful, the statue of Ghandi was neat and the company of the tour at lunch was entertaining. The streets are in French which is odd to see in India. We then went to an ashram of the "Mother", the person behind Auroville. Ashrams, what I gather, are holy places where people go to meditate and grow spiritually. They are usually run by a "guru" or holy leader adn this one was famous because the "Mother" was a very important guru and here tomb is here, she died in teh 70's. STill clueless and learning about Hinduism, as I followed a procession of believers past her flower covered tomb in the center garden of the ashram, I felt a deep sense of spiritual awareness that, yes, almost brought tears to my eyes. I sat for a moment watchign teh many people praying devoutly and wanted to stay. Instead, with a crazy, rude bus tour guide only letting us have 20 minutes there, I left but thinking, yes, I shall visit a few more ashrams, I want to know more.
Hinduism is over 2000 years older than Christianity (something like that) and the similarities are not coincidental. The more I learn of religion, the more blatantly obvious it is that all of them are based on the same story - one true supreme being, a son or others manifested into human form and some sort of trinity or holy ghost. With Hinduism being the oldest, I think it is worth serious study. Granted, as a fan of spiritual wholeness versus religous doctrine, my interest is in learning more about the spritiual aspects of Hinduism. I spent a long time (we were boycotting the guides dictator style!) picking throught the many books. I was moved. It is so about finding your own connection witha higher being and growing as a human while respecting nature and the over all world. I also took a glance at a yoga book and quickly was re-educated that yes, yoga is much more than a $15 dollar session for strength and flexibility.
I left intrigued and wanting to know more, much more.
Then, off to the Pondicherry museum which was possibly the most fascinating museum I have visited. YEs, Te Papa is a gorgeous interactive sparkly million, zillion dollare one in Wellingtn, but this old house held masterpieces of history. There were deities (the Hindus believe in hundreds of different ones) from 1st centruy B.C (yes, a hundred years before Christ) adn coins from BC. There were urns over 2000 years old. A few nice new friends from the trip (from Northern India) explained some of the deity statues and it is so interesting the stories, very magical, entertaining stories that come alive from each statue. Hinduism has the equivalent of the "Trinty" found in Christiantiy (or vice versa, Christianity has the trinity based on Hinduism!). All, in all, fascinating bu tnot enought time to look at all the coins from soooo long ago, I have never been into coins, but wow, these were spectacular from Sri Lanka 800 years ago, etc..
Then, after a bit of a drama with the guide pushing us to leaver early and a passenger boycotting, we finally were off. Oh, and after I met a group of sweet college girls studying Information Technoloby (IT) here which everyone studies and asking me questions about jobs in the US. A new piece of the culture here is to have a family member over in the US, everyone has a relative working on IT in the US.
Well, what a day. It was a much needed break out of the city and gave me a sense of yeah, I can do this on my own and definitely want to stick to smaller towns with at least a few tourists.
I already feel I have experienced so much in three days I could leave today as a changed person. I can't imagine how I will feel a month from now. I look forward to the love - hate adventure I am certain it will be !
Peace, Lanah
|
|
If you like this entry, search for other entries by amerikiwi, from India or try a new search. |
| |
Back to Entry - Back to Home
|
3 votes 
