Trip To Pondicherry- Part 2

To read Part 1 of my Pondicherry Trip, click here- Pondicherry PART1

We headed off, eagerly anticipating our long leisurely stay at St. James Court Beach resort located at Chinna Kalapet. So after another harrowing squabble and drive in auto we reached our resort in a single piece, much to my relief.

On the way, we noticed police vans patrolling and announcing something on a PA. We asked our driver about it and he mentioned that the police in Pondy are very strict regarding vehicles parked in No Parking areas and usually towed away vehicles if they were not moved away by the owners from a No Parking zone.  

A car being towed away at Beach Road.

St. James Court Beach resort is situated right next to the beach and all the rooms have sea facing windows with a breath-taking view. We had booked a deluxe room which had cost us 3000/- on a 24-hour check-out plan. It’s always better to book the rooms in advance since most of the rooms are occupied in the resort especially during weekends or holiday season.

 

The receptionist welcomed us warmly and helped us settle down in our room. The rooms that we had chosen were clean and spacious with AC. Pondicherry weather can be quite humid even during rainy season, so the AC felt really wonderful.

Our rooms at the resort

Our rooms at the resort

We went around exploring the resort and when Ashok discovered the swimming pool, he was as excited as a kid. We decided to relax in the pool for some time and after some disappointing attempts from me to learn swimming, I decided to just play in the water and splash around. Although I’m a Piscean I don’t know swimming. This is one thing that I would love to learn but for some reason I keep procrastinating it. Anyway I was happy to just learn cycling in the pool.

Ashok trying a Karate move in the swimming pool

It had become quite dark by then and we decided to hit the beach and relax amidst the mesmerizing sunset and soothing waves. A brick wall that separates the resort area from the beach has a small gate that is manned by a lone security guard. For a minute, I did ponder what would have happened to the guests in resort if ever there was a tsunami-like situation. But when I saw the splendor of the beach and the glorious sunset, my qualms disappeared.

The pristine beach

View of the resort from the beach

View of the resort from the beach

It was really a magnificent evening with the soft breeze and frothy waves lapping the shores and the orange hues of the sun as it disappeared below the horizon. I was taken over by a sudden desire to own a house next to the beach side. When I expressed my desire to Ashok, he had a silent chuckle. Some day…

Enjoying the waves at the beach

 After beach, we decided to have dinner. The resort has a beach front open air restaurant and bar where one can dine, drink and enjoy the mellifluous sound of the waves. But a word of caution, in Pondicherry most of the natives speak only Tamil. So be prepared to be met with a blank stare if you are trying to order your dinner in English. With our limited Tamil vocabulary, we had a tough time, but somehow we mixed up English, Kannada and few words of Tamil and ordered in an amalgamation of languages that the waiter understood.

The view from the window in our room

The sprawling lawn and the beach

The food served in the resort was good, but wish I could say the same for the service too. We had to wait for an hour for our appetizers to arrive. Or maybe the waiter was trying to translate our order in the kitchen.

The next morning we woke up to a bright day and hit the beach again. Yes, it can become quite addictive, especially for me, who was perpetually saying “5 more minutes” to Ashok whenever he wanted to go back.

There was a complimentary breakfast served, which comprised of Idli-Vada, Puri, Pongal, Bread, Eggs and Tea/Coffee.

We, after our scrumptious dinner at the resort

After the heavy breakfast we explored other services offered in resort. There’s a game room, cultural activities and also shooting practices arranged on request. I wished that there were beach sports or boating rides arranged too, that would have made the stay more fun. The resort had a large sprawling lawn that was used for outdoor activities. A family was engaged in playing cricket and we joined in the fun too.

Pondicherry architecture

Pondicherry architecture

Mahatma Gandhi statue at Beach Road

Soon it was time to return back to Bangalore, but we had fun in Pondy and I was completely in love with the city. The town is a blend of foreign culture and local traditions which is easily witnessed in the cuisine, architecture, the lifestyle and the native folks. People from abroad roam around freely, mixing with the locals, sipping hot cups of chai and eating the hot samosas and bargaining like pros in the flea markets.  Even I was put to shame seeing the angrez woman’s bargaining skills, that too when she didn’t even speak our languages.

 Pondy has this amazing old world charm about it that warmed my heart to the core. So the next time you want to visit a place to relax, relieve your stress, or just leave behind the hustle-bustle of the city, then do consider Pondicherry for a vacation.

 

Spotted some dolphins swimming in the sea near the Beach Road.