The interns and fellows set off for a spontaneous weekend in Pondicherry as a last hurrah before Christine and Monica return to the US. I wish there was bonded labour in Pondicherry. Wait, what am I saying?!?!? What I mean to say is: Pondicherry is a beautiful place that I'd love to call home and I'm already scheming on how to go back...
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Monica, Emily and I splurged for one night at a historic hotel called Hotel De L'Orient. It still only came to 30 USD for the night and was easily my favorite thing about the town. I think Sara Crewe would have stayed here with her Captain father. L'Orient was only two blocks from the Bay of Bengal and still uses skeleton keys!
The stairwell...
My slippers and bag on an antique aubusson rug. The room was full of French Colonial antiques. C'est mangnifique!
The interior courtyard where we had notre petit déjeuner. Unlimited croissants!!
Casey downing a bottomless mug of robust Arabica coffee. (Pun completely intended.)
[ SO ]
[ BEAUTIFUL ]
[ IT HURTS ]
Whether the setting is pristine...
or has patina.
This man was taking refuge from the rain against the back wall of a tea stall. When I asked to take his picture, he was adamant: "Je te l'offre en cadeau." (Je pense! J'espere!)
I stumbled across several literary treasures, like Dagny Taggart's revolutionary motor seemed out of place reveling in the bygone colonial era...
...and a recurring motif from The Calling of Lot 49 caused me to ponder questions of ontology versus epistemology. Is it true that Pondicherry is the most delightful place in India? The French speaking auto drivers certainly held to that belief!
The town had a funny obsession with cubism.This little elephant is caught red handed making a passionate plea in defense of his own beautiful vandalism: "Stick no Bills"
But what Indian vacation would be complete without running through the pouring rain to catch your bus home? Henry and I have never been so grateful that all of India is en retard than when we showed up at our bus stop 15 minutes after the departure time and our ride home was not yet bound for Bangalore!
