Heritage Town - Pondicherry. (Part 1)

Hello Readers,

Hope you all are having a lovely day, month & year so far! I certainly am!! I recently got a chance to visit Pondicherry in South India.
It was a 4 days’ trip giving me a lot of time to explore the place. So, I decided to write 3 posts; 2 posts about places to visit in Pondicherry and the last post about my stay in Pondicherry along with the best restaurants in Pondicherry.
Hope you have fun & get all the info you need if you’re planning to stay here!

~~HOW TO REACH~~

I read a lot of reviews online & at the end Quora proved to be the most useful in helping me understand the best way to reach Pondicherry. Now, there is an airport in Pondicherry, but there are very few flights to & from there. Also, most of these are connecting flights with stops in between which is not ideal. This brings me to the most ideal option.

You can fly to Chennai. And then from Chennai, you can go by road to Pondicherry, which takes about 3 hours. There are various options for the road travel as well.

If you are on a budget or travelling solo, you can consider the bus option. From the Chennai Airport (MAA), you can take a cab to reach the CMBT bus stand, which is about 30 minutes away. It’s a big bus stand with a lot of busses which you can consider. There are AC & non-AC busses to Pondicherry. You should make sure that you take the bus which goes by ECR only. If you take any other bus which takes a different route, it will take 5 hours, which was the mistake I did! So, choose carefully even if it takes some time. There isn’t a ticket counter & nothing is properly organized. You just need to approach the bus conductors and ask for all these details.

The other option & the much better & relaxed option for Chennai to Pondicherry is by booking a cab. The rates for Ola are between Rs. 2500 to Rs. 3000.

After 2 hours of flight & 5 hours of tiresome & hurtful bus journey, I reached Pondicherry around 3 PM, only about 9 hours after I left home. So, clearly, I didn’t want to waste any time relaxing (which, in retrospect I should have done for a while, at least.) I was out to explore the city by 4 PM. Since there were few places on the list, I chose to ride a bicycle, (which, in retrospect, also is something I should not have experimented.) So, in this post I will write about my adventure on the first 2 days, which mainly involves roaming around in Heritage Town of Pondicherry!!

~~WHITE TOWN / FRENCH COLONY~~

Ever since I started planning this trip, I was very keen on going to White Town. All the photos on Instagram & Pinterest were so amazing that I couldn’t wait to be there. The photos were of people standing on front of interesting graffiti, colourful walls, simple walls with nice windows and so on.

And, now that I was there, I was not happy. I mean, sure, people use a lot of Photoshop, but even after considering that, I didn’t find the overrated French quarters nearly worth the hype. The colourful walls weren’t as colourful. The interesting graffiti was nowhere to be found. So, naturally, that upset me. So, I gave up on exploring the White Town (for which I had saved 3 hours!)

Time Taken to Explore: 1-2 hours.

~~SRI AUROBINDO ASHRAM~~

Pondicherry is considered as a spiritual place. The history of the places goes back to the spiritual collaboration of Sri Aurobindo & Mirra Alfassa (The Mother.) People from the around the world come & settle in Auroville in Pondicherry on their path to eternal peace.

This Ashram is a small place where the Samadhi of Sri Aurobindo presides. There is a beautiful garden surrounding it where people sit & meditate. There are various frames hung around the place. There is also a book store inside from where you can purchase books on various topics surrounding spirituality, life & death. You can also get post cards with quotes on them. It is a short tour but you actually feel good vibes inside the premises.

Time Taken to Explore: 20-30 minutes

Timings: 8 AM to 12 PM & 2 PM to 6 PM

~~IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CATHEDRAL~~

There are many churches in Heritage Town, of which I visited 2. The Immaculate Conception Cathedral is truly exquisite. It is a big structure. It is painted in white & gold colours from outside. The inside is truly beautiful. This was my first time visiting a church, so I don’t know if all churches have a similar look. But, this one really seemed quite amazing. The lights & colours made the architecture look even more magical. I sat there for some time & it felt really good.

Time Taken to Explore: 15-25 minutes

Timings: 7 AM to 12 PM & 3 PM to 8.30 PM

~~THE SACRED HEART BASILICA~~

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is another beautiful church, a bit farther from the central city. When I visited, it was quite full & I got to hear the mass. It felt peaceful & my homesickness went away for a while.

Time Taken to Explore: 15-25 minutes

Timings:

Monday to Saturday - 7 AM to 6.30 PM

Sunday – 8 AM to 6.30 PM

~~OLD & NEW LIGHTHOUSE~~

There are 2 lighthouses on the Promenade road. The Old Light house is on the Promenade, but it isn’t very fancy. But, the new lighthouse, which is a bit afar is quite amazing. You can go inside the lighthouse & take picture of the spiral staircase. I had seen some photos of it online & it looked amazing! Although, you can only go inside form 3 PM to 5 PM. I couldn’t go there at those timings, so I skipped it altogether.

Time Taken to Explore: 25-35 minutes

Visiting Timings: 3PM to 5 PM

~~ROCK BEACH / PROMENADE~~

I think The Promenade is the highlight of Pondicherry. It is a beautiful beach with rocks towards the end. Well, Pondicherry is known for Auroville, beaches & churches. And, I think I enjoyed the latter two quite a lot. The best thing about The Promenade is that the street facing the beach is closed for all vehicles post 5 PM! So, you can go for a nice breezy walk & have a nice & chill time.

As a Mumbaikar, I thought that Marine Drive was better than Rock Beach. There wasn’t anything proper to sit on on the Rock Beach, just rocks, which are a bit uncomfortable. But, I think, considering all other places, this one had to be the best. In fact, I visited it thrice, all evenings! Just sitting & looking at the ocean gives me back my sanity & I really needed that as I was not exactly happy with the sightseeing!

Another plus is that all the restaurants are lined up along the Promenade. So, after your evening walk, you can go & have a nice French dinner!

~~OTHER PLACES IN HERITAGE TOWN~~

There were so many places I missed out on because of various reasons. Some were far away. Some were closed because of some political rallies. Unfortunately, these were the ones I really wanted to visit. So, if you get the time, do visit!

Bharathi Park:

This is a very nice park, located in the Central city. I only got to see it from the outside. It takes about an hour to explore it entirely. It is open from 6.30 AM to 8.30 PM.

Raj Nivas:

Raj Nivas is the place where Lieutenant Governor of Pondicherry resides. It’s quite closer to Bharathi Park. You can see it from the outside. There are some specific timings when you get to go inside as well.

Pondicherry Museum & French War Memorial.

Now, I was really looking forward to go to the Pondicherry Museum. It is an art & history museum which has collections of bronze sculptures & a lot more. It is open from 10 AM to 5 PM. The museum is also within walking distance from Bharathi Park.

I also wanted to visit the French War Memorial as well. But, I suppose my luck wasn’t so good after all.

Eglise de Notre Dame des Anges:

This is another church which was on my list. But, I couldn’t exactly find it, so I skipped it.
Pondy Marina:
Pondy Marina is the location where a scene from 'Life of Pi' movie was shot. It is actually quite scenic & you can take beautiful shots there as well. Again, it is on the Promenade lane but much ahead. I tried finding it too, but got lost a few times & eventually gave up. You should check that out too!

Well, that is it for Pondicherry city & Heritage Town. I will be back next week with a post about Auroville which is the most talked about place in Pondicherry!

Until next time,

Force of Nature. (Mindscape Reviews #9)

Hello Readers!

I’m back with another book review. That’s 3 in a row & I am proud of myself! This time I read a mystery thriller named ‘Force of Nature’ by Jane Harper. I decided to read it because it was in the list of ‘unputdownable books’ & yet it took me a long time to finish it. But, that’s my fault, because the book stands true to be on that list! Since I read it over a period of months, I lost track a few times which is why I don’t exactly remember a few details, so this post will be a bit bizarre & just a little bit influenced from Goodreads.

~~INTRODUCTION~~

‘Force of Nature’ is a mystery thriller fictional novel written by Jane Harper. This is the second book she has written with Aaron Falk as one of the main detectives. The base story is set in the Giralang Ranges, which is basically a forest. A group of ladies & another group of men who work at BaileyTennants are supposed to take this particular corporate retreat with the motto of team building, working under pressure & what not.

Interestingly, 5 ladies start their journey in the forest, but after a few days, only 4 ladies come out. To quote the book, “It wasn’t any one thing that went wrong, it was a hundred little things.”

~~CHARACTERS~~

There are 2 detectives; Aaron Falk & Carmen Cooper. They make a great team. I didn’t think any of them were exceptionally Sherlock Holmes-talented, but I suppose that’s what made the story believable & more real.

There are five women executives. Jill Bailey who heads the family-run business, along with her brother Daniel Bailey. Alice Russell, the missing woman, is at a senior position. Lauren Shaw is in middle management. There’s a pair of 2 sisters, Breanna & Bethany McKenzie who have a complicated relationship. Bree works as Alice’s assistant while Beth works at a senior role.

The five ladies chosen are not so fond of each other. Also, they are chosen for some reasons involving anger issues, substance use or insubordination and so on. So, you can only imagine how snarky & fake the initial part of their adventure can be when they are trying to figure out the route. And, also, you can imagine how frustrating yet entertaining the next part would be when they are lost in the woods.

~~STORY LINE~~

The novel is divided in 2 parts which goes back & forth throughout. There’s the past, where the ladies are in the forest & there’s the present, where detectives are trying to find the missing Alice Russell! In addition, there is another suspense for Alice’s story. Alice had been working undercover to get the contracts & hand them over to Falk & Carmen to expose the Baileys for money laundering.

The author has written it so brilliantly with the timing from the past connecting it to the present. She has also left tons of cliff hangers in the past & then jumped to the present in the next chapter where there is another cliff hanger. So, you can imagine how much of an amazing roller-coaster show it is to read it.

Along with Alice’s missing status linked to the missing contracts, there is a lot going on. There is tension between the sisters. There is very little trust between them all. There’s the history of a serial killer in those Ranges dating 2 decades back. There’s an abandoned & creepy cabin. There are a lot of fights, verbal as well as physical. There is an angle about the relationship between parents & children. So, all in all, it is incredibly thrilling, entertaining & unputdownable.

What happens to Alice Russell?

Is she dead or alive?

Did one of the other women kill her or is she still alive out there?

Is the son of that serial killer behind it?

~~OVERALL THOUGHTS~~

I really regret that I didn’t binge-read this book, but I’m going to correct that mistake when I read Jane Harper’s ‘The Dry’. Given my excitement throughout the review, you can guess that I totally loved the book. It was unpredictable which I liked the most. It had a lot of characters with focus on each which was also good. The story was a bit slow in the beginning, but it speeds up in the remaining 40% of the novel. Surely, I have read better mystery novels, but since I read this after this & this okayish Young Adult novels, I was grooved to it! I have rated it at 4/5 on Goodreads!

Go check out the book & tell me if you like it! And suggestions from a similar genre are welcome!!

 Until next time,

Five Feet Apart. (Mindscape Reviews #8)

Hello Readers!

Recently, I read this book named 'Five Feet Apart' written by Rachael Lippincott, Mikki Daughtry & Tobias Iaconis. Just like the last book I read, this one has got its movie adaptation coming on 15th March starring Cole Sprouse! So, I read this in a day as well.

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~~INTRODUCTION~~

Five Feet Apart is another romantic YA novel. It's about a young boy & girl, both of whom have Cystic Fibrosis. Because of this disease, they have to stay six feet apart from each other at all times & can never touch each other. They are of contrasting personalities & yet come at a situation where they are hopelessly in love and yet they cannot even embrace the other.

~~CHARACTERS~~

Stella Grant is a seventeen-year-old girl who has been living with CF since she was six. She is someone who plans everything she does. She is immaculately particular about her CF-influenced life. She makes to-do lists & lives by them. She cares deeply about those in her life, probably more than she cares for herself. Like any other teen, she has got some issues too, but you need to read the book to know on what level they are.

Will Newman, on the other hand, is a care-free guy who was diagnosed with something called B. cepacia which is a type of CF. It is infectious & actually quite dangerous if any other CF patient is near him. Initially, he is portrayed as a spoiled brat earlier in the story, but later (cannot say this more simply) he changes because of love. He is passionate about sketching cartoons, at which he is rather good at.

Poe is another character in the story. He is a friend of Stella's. They both met when they were little & both grew up together with CF. They were always there for each other over the years. I love their friendship & soon he also becomes Will's friend. So, you get to know both of them through Poe’s perspective.

Another recurring character is Barb, who is a nurse & also the CF police. She is tough, but she means well. There are also a few more characters. Jason & Hope are Will's friends while Camila & Mya are Stella's. Both of their family members are also vital to the story.

~~STORY LINE~~

I suppose it's a pretty simple story. A girl with CF who has control issues meets a guy with CF who has no boundaries. They both clearly know it's not a good idea to be together, but obviously, they can't help it & they fall in love. There is also backdrop of other things happening with Stella & her family, Stella & Poe, Stella & Abby, Poe's family, their friends and so on.

Will they touch each other?

Will she get new lungs?

Or will she get B. cepacia instead?

Will they be star crossed lovers or something else?

~~OVERALL THOUGHTS~~

To be honest, it was too straight forward a story for me to like it. It was quite predictable & simple. Usually, in such novels, there is something captivating. Either the romantic story or the coming-of-age story or something tragic. But, in this one, I didn't find any. I thought it would be like 'The Fault in our Stars' meets 'Everything Everything', but it really did not meet my expectations either way because those two novels have already set a high standard. The author has tried to make it dramatic, but it doesn’t feel that way. Also, the reason why it is titled 'Five Feet Apart' & not 'Six Feet Apart' isn't very clear or clever. Some more light or meaning on it would have been preferred.

The only thing is that the author has tried to spread the message & awareness for Cystic Fibrosis. I knew about it as it is already shown in so many books & TV Shows. But, I got to know about the fact that CF patients need to be six feet apart at all times.

I have rated this book at 3/5 stars on Goodreads. In my opinion, the novel is okay for light reading. But, if you're not a reader, then skip it & just watch the movie instead.

Until next time,

The Sun is Also a Star. (Mindscape Reviews #7)

Hello Readers!

It's been a while since I have read a book. Since I have decided to read at least 19 books this year, I had to begin sometime. Compared to my earlier records, 19 is nothing. But, I'm sure, once I get into it, I'll be just as hardcore a booknerd as I was before.

And, I have made a good start by reading this wonderful book in a day. And, so it begins!

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~~INTRODUCTION~~

'The Sun is Also a Star' is a Young Adult novel written by Nicola Yoon. I had read her book named 'Everything Everything' earlier & I had enjoyed reading that. So, I was keen on reading this one.

The story is not much different that most of the romantic YA fiction, but the thing that stands apart is that the entire book is the story of just one day. How much changes in a day & how real coincidences can be. Another thing is that the author has expanded her horizons by showing diverse main characters.

~~CHARACTERS~~

The female lead is Natasha Kingsley. She was born in Jamaica & came to America with her family when she was 8 years old. She's a science geek who loves facts, reality & practicality. She is very passionate about not being passionate. And, like this quality is a must, she doesn't believe in love.

She & her family are being deported on the very same day & she's trying her best to keep them in the country. And in the middle of all this mess, she finds some calmness, stability, passion & handful of dreams when she meets Daniel.

Daniel Jae Ho Bae is the male lead in the story. His family is originally from Korea, but he is born & brought up in America. Like every story goes, he is the total opposite of Natasha. He is the kind of dreamy guy who believes in dreams & that we have been put on Earth for some reason & that we need to find it & follow that passion. Not that that was not enough, he is also a poet. He is in over his head & he doesn't really care about speaking the daring truth. 

Natasha's family includes her mom, dad & younger brother. Her relationship with her father is not good, after all he was the reason they were caught as undocumented immigrants & were now getting deported. Hers is a poor family living in a very small apartment.

On the other hand, Daniel's family includes his mom, dad & elder brother. His relationship is okay with his parents, but there is a mutual hatred between the brothers.

Coming from different races & nationalities, you can still see a similarity between both sets of parents, which mainly involves how racist they are, how difficult their lives have been living in the US & how easily they can embarrass their children.

~~STORY LINE~~

Natasha's family is getting deported & there's only so much that she can do. While she's hassling from one lawyer appointment to another, she comes across Daniel. They meet randomly & when he saves her from getting hit by a car, she finally decides to go have coffee with him.

The first half of the book is the lovely lovely unusual love story between Natasha & Daniel. You will get butterflies & you'll be extremely happy reading it. But, as it progresses, they get into a fight & separate their ways.

Will they ever find their way back to each other?

How many more coincidences will there be?

Will her deportation be postponed?

Will they live happily ever after?

I'm not giving any spoilers, but it is pretty predictable & you should read the book for it!

~~OVERALL THOUGHTS~~

I had bought this book months ago & had given up reading it at least twice. But, when I knew there was going to be a movie adaptation of this book starring Charles Melton & Yara Shahidi, I knew I had to read it before the movie comes out. And, this time, I read it in one go.

The story is simple yet complicated. The characters have their own charm & you can see them changing under the influence of the other. But, they bring out the best in each other too. Even though the story line apart from the love story is something new (deportation), the story is quite simple and yet it will leave you wanting for more. Even though you know what will happen, you will actually feel the feelings when it actually happens. I have rated this novel at 3.5/5 stars on Goodreads!

Let me know your thoughts on the book & please read the book before you watch the movie!!

Until next time,

Sunrise at Tiger Hill + Tips on Stay & Restaurants! (Part 5)

We were in Darjeeling for 4 days, 2 of which went in reaching Darjeeling & leaving Darjeeling. That left us with 2 days for sight-seeing, of which we only went out on one day. As of the second day, we found our courage somehow to go to Tiger Hill to see the sunrise. And, that’s that. After that, we skipped many of the best places. I regret that, but given how sick, tired, sleepy & cold we were, I suppose I can allow that.

~~SUNRISE AT TIGER HILL~~

We got up early around 3:30 AM. Got ready by 4:00 AM. It was 6 degrees in the morning before dawn which is why I wore 4 t-shirts plus sweater plus jacket. And additionally, a beanie, scarf, gloves & 2 pairs of socks! Wow, so much & I was still cold!

We left as soon as we prepared ourselves, physically & mentally. It was a long ride till Tiger Hill. I was already unwell. We all were sleepy, cold & tired & yet excited & hopeful. Those are definitely some weird combinations to feel for one person, so no wonder I felt sick to my stomach.

So, anyway, after the long ride, in which I mostly slept, we reached there by 5 AM. We had to stop way earlier & walk an uphill climb. I was practically walking with my eyes half-open, struggling to walk. After a while I was tired & out of breath. When I opened my mouth to breathe, all the cold went in, giving a sore & itchy throat. All in all, it sucked! We finally survived & reached the top. It was crowded & all the best seats were already gone. People were just standing in a semi-circle.

So, at Tiger Hill, you see the sunrise at one end & on the other end, you see the rays of sun hit the snow-clad Kanchenjunga making it goldenish red & that effect is stunning! We must have waited at least 45 to 50 minutes when we could finally see the sunrise & Kanchenjunga! It was a sight to behold!

When you watch something like that live, it changes you.

Time stops & people stop & it’s just the beautiful & wondrous view.

It’s magic!

Most of the guides have a preset places to cover. So, after covering Tiger Hill, they usually go for Batasia Loop & Ghoom Monastery. But, it took a lot of time for us to get back to the City from Tiger Hill because of all the traffic of tourist cars who were there for the same. So, we ended up just going home.

~~OTHER PLACES WORTH VISITNG IN DARJEELING~~

I honestly wanted to cover most of these places, so if you are in Darjeeling, do go to these!

Batasia Loop:

Batasia Loop is a must-visit in Darjeeling. It has a war memorial in the center & also a garden. It’s quite close to Darjeeling city. You can go here after your visit at Tiger Hill.

Ghoom & Dali Monastery:

These two are the most famous monasteries in Darjeeling. You can make some time to visit them.

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway:

I was excited to ride in a toy train, but we ended up skipping it. The ride is from an authentic original steam engine train. But, we couldn’t find that. And, secondly, they are quite expensive with Rs. 800 to Rs. 1000 rate for a 2-hour round trip.

~~ STAY AT GANGTOK~~

We stayed at Pradhan Cottage near Convent High School. We had booked it on AirBnB. While we loved the interiors & the entire cottage experience, we weren’t so happy with the location. It was a bit out of the City & not even on the main road. You have to go 3-4 levels down to reach the place.

Apart from the location, everything else was perfect. So, I’ll surely recommend it. Check it out here.

~~RESTAURANTS IN DARJEELING~~

Just like we dropped going to a few sights, we also dropped going to a few restaurants that were on my list. Most of the times, we ate at the cottage. Only twice did we go out.

Frank Ross Café:

This Cafe was a must-visit for my Darjeeling Restaurant Bucket List & so was keen to have the food here but was quite disappointed. This café is known for its English breakfast, South Indian food & hot beverages. Of these, we only liked the Darjeeling Tea. South Indian food & sandwiches were not good. Despite amazing reviews, it was a complete disappointment.

Glenary’s:

This is the place where you can go for breakfast, lunch & dinner on the same day & won’t be disappointed. Its décor & ambiance is amazing. Service is really good. Food is absolutely delicious. It has 2 floors. On the ground floor, is a lovely bakery which is just out of a Disney fairytale. On the first floor is the restaurant with little balconies that have a stunning view! If you’re planning to visit, go around 4 PM so you can enjoy it at its best!

We visited during Christmas-time, so it was wonderfully lit & beautifully decorated. Check it out!

Some other good restaurants are Sonam’s Kitchen, Keventers & Kunga restaurant.

~~OVERALL TOUR EXPERIENCE~~

We went on an 8-day long trip after years! I had way too many expectations from it & compared to that, it turned out to be quite okay. The cold was really unbearable, so I think it should’ve been better to visit such places in summer. I also came to the realization that I prefer beaches to mountains. With all the mountains’ twists & turns, the whole thing just made me sick, so I hated the internal travelling part.

I guess Sikkim went quite well, because I enjoyed the Ropeway, Banjhakri waterfalls & Ganesh Tok. I also loved M.G. Market quite a lot! I didn’t enjoy South Sikkim much because of the travelling, so well that was okay-ish. And lastly, Tsomngo Lake was quite beautiful matching my expectations. So, all in all, it was good. About 6.5/10, I’d say.

As for Darjeeling, well, that’s complicated. We all wanted to visit this place since a long time & what we got was just unbearable cold. We didn’t go to many places either. But, the best point was the gorgeous sunrise at Tiger Hill! So, just for that, I’d day 8/10 for Darjeeling!

I'll be back again in a couple of weeks as I'm travelling to Pondicherry this week! So, stay tuned!! In the mean time, you can check out all my Sikkim & Darjeeling posts.

Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 & Day 4!

Until next time,