The One with the Ick Factor
I guess it was inevitable that at some point, I would get illin’ for feelin’😕
I had a day and a half left in India, and I am staying at this beautiful hotel called the ITC Grand Chola, in Chennai, for two nights. I took a non A/C bus from Pondicherry up here, which was about a 4 hour drive, and then got settled into my hotel.
I had breakfast in Pondicherry, no lunch, and a latte with honey from the hotel Cafe. Then for dinner, I ate some Indian food at a restaurant in the really nice mall near the hotel, and I had ice cream from Baskin-Robbins afterwards. All the while, drinking (I think) bottled water.. all of the tops seemed sealed, but I’m not 100% sure.
It does seem that I’m prone to food poisoning, given how many times I’ve gotten it in my life. I’m really careful though. Or maybe it was from the crazy heat here that can be really unbearable. Either way, it was miserable. If you know of the Dudie apple juice event of 2014, that was me, and I was also Campbell Scott from Dying Young, his movie with Julia Roberts. Soooo, it was not wonderful… this is my face right now..
WTF
The only thing keeping me motivated is the thought that I will wake up tomorrow, feel wonderful, have a great five hour flight to Abu Dhabi, and meet a Prince in Dubai who makes me his travel wife (which means, I don’t have to ever be around him or in the UAE, but he sends me a stipend every month). I heard that was an option… Right, Paula?
Next up: Wellness! And UAE.
Colorful & Frenchy India
Color me Pondy! Pondicherry was on my ‘must-go’ list for three reasons:
- It seemed very unique because of the French influence remaining (particularly in the architecture), from when the French colonized in the 1600’s until the 1950’s
- It’s on the ocean
- One of my favorite restaurants in Houston is called Pondicheri (Indian food😆)
*footnote: M. Night Shyamalan was born here
**footnote #2: this post dedicated to François and his Frenchy, purple light
This is absolutely a town where you feel like there is no other place on earth like it. Multiple cultures stacked together – Indian in all ways, but Frenchiness still remains. Tamil and French both are the official languages. Street signs in Tamil and French. Indian restaurants, French restaurants, Italian restaurants… Indian people, French people… temples/ashrams, churches/basilicas/cathedrals, mosques… smorgasbord.
The most popular temple in Pondicherry is the Manakula Vinayagar Temple, and when I was looking at it, I kept thinking of the candy necklaces I would wear / eat in the 80’s😂 Those were the days.
In fact, the colorfulness of the whole town makes me think of the Candy Land board game😍
Rainbow of buildings…
cafe
my hotel
Goubert Avenue
On many of the sidewalks, there is artwork in the form of kolam, which is a type of drawing using powder or rice flower, that is a Hindu tradition. Every morning, (mostly) women decorate in front of their houses, as it is traditionally supposed to bring prosperity. They’re on the sidewalks and streets, so they get stepped on – I was keeping my head down trying not to destroy any with my big feet😳. At the end of the day, they’re washed off, and in the morning made again.
flower color kolam
flowers
kolam
Street signs in both languages…
french + tamil
tamil + french
Some interesting monuments / landmarks…
Immaculate Conception Cathedral
inside cathedral
Manakula Vinayagar Temple
Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
inside basilica
stained glass
stained glass
outside basilica
buying rosaries
rosary
Old Lighthouse
Gandhi Statue
French War Memorial
Some really cool door and window covering designs…
Ocean scenes…
sunrise
sunrise
sunrise
sunrise
pier
so many people at 6am!!?
Promenade at night
Food problems…
Gelato right next door…??
sambar, chutney, dosa, vadai
view from breakfast
Random rats…
what are they keeping these rats for…?
Cute town❤️❤️
Next up: Abu Dhabi (this is the only thing I know about Abu Dhabi) & Dubai 😃
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