Nice Days in Pondicherry

Nice Days in Pondicherry

Saturday, Oct. 7, 2006--Pondicherry (Cont.)

Ajish, a 28-year-old doctoral student in biotechnology came to meet me in the early evening. He had helped me plan my travels to Pondicherry via a travel forum. He will finish his doctorate within the next few months and wants to try to get a post-doctoral fellowship in the U.S. He has friends at the University of Illinois, so he is thinking he might go there. I suggested that he apply in various places and take the best offer. I told him there will be Indians at ANY university in the U.S. that he should choose. He's a nice young man who smiles with his eyes.

When he left, Ajish dropped me off at a restaurant in town where he recommended I eat. I could tell it wasn't my kind of place. It is really for tourists. So I walked down the street to a local place. I had a special masala dosa. It came with a nice, spicy green sauce that I especially enjoyed. They brought me seconds of it.

Sunday, Oct. 7, 2006--Pondicherry and Auroville

I took a local bus to Auroville this morning. The bus dropped me off on a country road about 1 km (little more than 1/2 mile) from Auroville, so I walked the rest of the way down very rural roads that were just loose red dirt and gravel. Auroville was established to be an ideal community. To live there, one must renounce all religions--past, present, and future--and dedicate one's life to peace and goodwill. The master plan for the community was developed by a French architect. At the center is a huge garden area centered with a structure that is a golden globe. Inside the globe is the world's largest crystal. The structure allows sunlight to come through a point on the roof and "activate" the crystal. I was able to go to the gardens, but I was not allowed inside the globe to see the crystal. To do that, one must stay at the guesthouse, go for meditation in the evening, and then return in the morning to see the crystal. The complex has several nicely designed living structures and a compound with an information center, restaurant, shops, etc. I ate lunch in the restaurant which serves internationally accepted health foods. I had spinach quiche with salad.

In the evening, I stayed in my room and read. I finished The Known World by Edward P. Jones. It's a very good novel about slave owners in a particular (fictional) county in Virginia. Much of the book is about a few free Black families who owned slaves and the relationships that existed between them and their slaves. I gave it 3 1/2 stars out of 4. It would make a good film, I think.

It was raining lightly, so I went to the restaurant in the hotel for dinner. I ordered an onion dosa. It was filled with chopped onions that were slightly cooked. Unfortunately, the heat from the onions made the dosa limp rather than crispy. But it was tasty with all the sauces that they served with it.

Monday, Oct. 8, 2006--Pondicherry

This morning, I decided to explore parts of the city I had not yet visited. I used a map provided by the tourist office to follow some suggested walks. One took me through a wonderful old section of shops with colorful stucco walls and tile roofs. Another took me through the Muslim section of the city. I stopped at a factory that makes homemade paper. They have the most wonderful sheets of wrapping paper, but it is impossible to carry them. I also stopped at a juice bar and had a very refreshing pineapple drink.

I ate the luncheon plate at a local vegetarian place. It wasn't anything special. In fact, my meals are becoming too routine. I have to figure out a way to provide some variety.