Goa a No Go

So, we didn't make it to Goa. Turns out that the only flights into and out of Goa are in the middle of the day, meaning I could be there for under 24 hours or miss a day of work. Neither was appealing. I think it was a good move not to go.

Under the recommendation of some people in the office, Lorne (a co-worker and friend) and I went to Pondicherry. Amazing.

Located on the Bay of Bengal, Pondicherry is this former French colony, now beach town that's one of the most unique places I've ever been. Most of the city is decidedly Indian, with busy streets, auto-rickshaws, trash, and everything else I've come to expect.

But, there is a 5x20 block area that has wide cobblestone boulevards, French architecture, and crepes. What makes it especially surreal, is that there is barely anyone on most of the streets, which is quite the contrast from the rest of India. Walking around, it really feels as though you're in this abandoned French town that a few Indians stumbled upon and thought, "hey, this would be a nice place to live."

On the very eastern end of the city, there's this promenade that runs along the water. All day, there are just people parading up and down. It's especially cool around dusk when what feels like half the city is just hanging out there. People of all different age groups take evening strolls, stopping at various street vendors to get snacks. We got a hotel that had a private balcony overlooking it. Amazing.

The city also has a huge emphasis on yoga. There's this Ashram, founded by Sri Aurobindo and this French woman referred to as "The Mother." People come from all over the world to study yoga at this place, resulting in a fairly large non-Indian population in town. The Ashram has people streaming into it by the dozens all day, coming to pray on the tomb of Sri and The Mother, meditate right next to the tomb, and then move on to buy stuff in the gift shop. I don't quite understand how you can find inner peace in such commotion, but I guess some do.

On Saturday, Lorne and I decided to rent scooters for the day. May be the best investment I've ever made. For about 3 USD, we got to fly around town, go out to a bunch of beaches, stop and grab coconuts on the side of the road, and just enjoy the tropical weather. It was so much fun. Being mobile like that really helps you see more of the area in a way that you can't on foot or in taxi. Oh, and driving in India is out of control.

I'm really glad I didn't go to Goa. While it would have been nice to relax in tropical paradise on a beautiful day and then party all night, I don't think it's quite my scene. And I would have missed out on the amazing city of Pondicherry.