Day 1-: Reaching there ...... Though its been eleven months we did this trip, I thought it would be great to jot it down as another new year is ahead. This was the new year 2006 break. With no plans towards the end of the week, which also turned out to be the last weekend of the year, there happened to be an instant plan on Friday after returning from office late. Jitumon was going with Randeep and Premjit to pondy for 3 days. From my companies side a trip to Nandi Hills was planned but got cancelled that evening itself. I was free and so I also jumped in. Earlier, for Diwali also we same guys had planned for this but it didn’t visualize. At that moment, 2006 happened to end with instant decisions.
30 dec ’06. We had to wake up early as we had planned to start from Bangalore by 7 to 8 AM.
After packing with few necessary items in my backpack soon I and J were off to Silk Board junction which was our meeting place. R was waiting for us and P, taking the wheels in his dad’s Maruti Zen. By 8:10 we started our engine and we swept along the Hosur Road. Money was an important aspect for unplanned tours like this and so we halted at Electronics City where two of us loaded the purse with some cash. Cruising ahead, we reached a toll road after which for the next 30 kms it was a smooth ride. On the way we stopped for breakfast at A1 Plaza, a restaurant maintained by the Reliance group.
But smooth rides do not last long. On the way just before reaching the Krishnagiri hills, we detoured planning to go and visit a fort that was on a different track. It was P who willed to go to the vellore Fort. Thanks to the Bangalore Weekends book I took with me. I also took the
Pondy map for reference. But on the way, we missed track and came back to the road to Pondy. Destiny had only that as our New Year destination I suppose. Once crossing the rocky hills while entering Krishnagiri, the road had all the pits and humps that a typical Indian asphalted road has. It was like torture to the car but then, the same car had crossed many road miles in Assam which are worse than this. But somewhere in between the road was worse. We were going fast when suddenly a hump appeared and we saw the registration plate fly past the windscreen. R pulled over. There weren’t any mechanic nearby. We found some discarded wires in the car and used that to tie the plate.
Next few kilometers went smooth. There was Kamelot playing in the background and the serene beauty. What a combination! Then we reached this place. Just beside the highway, we noticed a lovely landscape with still water, plain land and a flock of cranes sitting on the branches of the trees nearby. It was very soothing and refreshing. We halted here and relaxed. It was mainly for R, who was driving constantly and needed a break. We then moved ahead and by afternoon reached a populated city – Villupuram or somewhere around that. This appeared a very crowded place. We noticed that there was a wonderful temple in the city and planned to visit while returning. We halted here for lunch and filled our tummies. After this, we didn’t stop for anything.
Before coming, we hadn’t booked any hotel for staying at Pondy. When we felt we were near, I made some futile calls to few hotels for accommodation. All were filled. But still we hoped that would be arrangements in some form and proceeded ahead. By 3 or 4 PM, R pulled over the car and parked on the busy MG Road. We walked through the city inquiring for accommodation. There was one right in the middle of the city but we didn’t like it and went towards the beach.
I saw the rocky shore for the first time and it didn’t quite impress me. Yet I enjoyed the wind blowing past the shore. Finally we were in that union territory of India which was once the original French headquarter in India – Pondicherry. We four sat on the rocks and relaxed again. There was one little problem none of us overlooked yet. We needed a place to sleep!
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