We left Pondicherry on Friday morning and drove back up towards Chennai. We decided to stop in Mahabilapuram as there are a few nice resorts there. On the way down south we had noticed a sign for a new beach resort called Fortune Chariot Resort and the billboard picture looked amazing, so we decided to try it out.

As we were driving back past the salt fields we were discussing what we thought the salt felt like and the process it went through after it left the field and before it hit the supermarket shelves. Interesting conversation, I know! Anyway, I asked Penri to stop at the next pile of salt that was near to the road so that I could have a look at it. A few minutes later there was a big pile not far from the roadside, so we stopped and I got out to go and take a look.

Between the road and the pile of salt there were all thorny bushes and Pen said he didn’t think I’d be able to get through, but as I was wearing my wedge flip flops, I was sure I’d be ok. It was hard work getting through as the thorns kept sticking to my clothes as I walked. Anyway, I made it through and picked up a pile of salt. It was really large chunky bits (like rock salt) and the pile was quite solid. Penri asked me to bring him a handful back to the car, so I picked up some and made my way back through the thorns.
We put the handful I brought into an envelope and put it in the glove compartment (and I’ve only just remembered it’s there)! Not really sure what we’re going to do with it – anyway – it’s a memento from our holiday.











Also on the road on the way back up north, we saw this billboard and I just had to take a picture of it because the message is very strange. They have this new law in Chennai about wearing cycle helmets and they are really clamping down on it with police stopping motorcyclists and fining them and signs being put up everywhere. Anyway, as you can see this sign not only warns against safe driving, but it talks about safe sex aswell.



We followed the signs and found the Fortune Chariot Resort. It seemed very nice, very new and very empty. They told us they were full and they only had Deluxe Cottages available. As the price was fairly steep, we decided to have a look around and see if the Temple Bay or Ideal Beach Resorts had any cottages available. Temple Bay had one but only for one night (and we wanted two) and Ideal Beach only had standard rooms available and Penri wanted a cottage. So, we decided to head back to the Fortune Resort.

We checked in and paid for the Deluxe Cottage and were then taken there in a golf cart which was fun! Because we had paid for the deluxe room, we were supposed to get a massage chair in the room, however it wasn’t there and the Assistant Manager who had taken us to our room asked us to just wait a minute and they would bring one in from the adjoining cottage. So, we sat there in an uncomfortable silence (me, Penri and the manager) waiting for one of the men to come and move the chair.

They opened up cottage number 20 next door and tried to bring this huge massage chair through the small adjoining door. There was no way it was going to fit through, so the manager asked us if we would consider moving into the cottage next door even though it wasn’t quite finished as there was a spare bed without a mattress there. We looked around and it seemed fine, so we said that would be ok.

The manager left and we showered (in the very cold water) changed and went and played table tennis. After which, we had some lunch which was delicious and then went for a swim. The pool at Fortune is the largest pool in Chennai and it is massive and very nice, although not very deep. We were both tired after our swim and being in the sun for a while so we went back to the room and had a nap.

When we woke up I wanted to use the Internet as there was an auction closing on ebay and I wanted to bid for something. The Internet wasn’t working so I decided to make a cup of tea and relax until Penri woke up. The kettle wasn’t working and neither was the fridge. When Penri woke up, I told him we should complain about the room as not only were none of the above things working, neither was the air conditioning control, the safe or the hot water. For the price we were paying, you don’t expect to have to ‘manage’.

We took my laptop and went to reception (to try and use the wireless Internet connection) and Penri spoke to the manager. He was very nice and suggested he move us to another cottage. Penri told him that when we checked in we were told there were no cottages available, however as it turns out there was one. So, while I struggled with the Internet connection (as even the wireless wasn’t working), Penri went to look at the other cottage.

The manager came back and I explained that the wireless Internet wasn’t working, so he let me use the computer in the office while I waited for Penri to come back. As it turns out I had already missed the auction on ebay anyway.

Penri came back, having moved all our stuff and we went and had some dinner. I had spaghetti bolognaise and Penri had a curry. The food was amazing. We went back to the room and slept. Penri woke up at midnight and reminded me that when we had gone for our swim earlier, because the safe wasn’t working, we had put our passports under the cushion of the sofa and now we had moved cottages and left them there. So, I had to phone reception and explain to the man that we needed someone to go over to our second cottage to retrieve our passports. Luckily, he was very understanding and said he would send someone over straight away.

So, we got settled into our third cottage in a day and started to relax and enjoy the holiday. We spent all our time playing table tennis, swimming and enjoying the food in the restaurant. When we swam on Saturday, we were only in the pool for about an hour, but Penri managed to get sun burnt on his back and neck. While I remember I have to include the sign from by the swimming pool – a few of the points made us laugh. Only in India do you have to put a bullet point about not spitting or urinating in the pool and the fact that the hotel won’t provide swimsuits!

Overall, we had a really nice stay at Fortune – very relaxing and a nice break away from Chennai.

Pepsi and Socks

Pondicherry

Penri and I have come away from Chennai for a few days. We haven't gone far - we are in Pondicherry (see map above). Pondicherry used to be a French colony and the entire city is divided into two sections - the French quarter and the Indian quarter. We are staying in a nice hotel in the French quarter.

The drive down here was pretty good and only took us a couple of hours. We checked into the hotel, showered and changed, then went out for a wander around the town. When we came back to the hotel we both booked a massage. Penri had a back massage and I opted for reflexology, which I have never had before. It was very relaxing, although when she got to the end of the massage, she pulled each one of my toes until they all popped (it was painful and unexpected)!

We have just had our breakfast and are now going into the town to do a bit of shopping. Pondi is very different to Chennai. There are still lots of people, but nowhere near as many. The shops are different too and you can buy alcohol here (which you can't do easily in Chennai). It was very bizarre having a cocktail with our meal last night.

Anyway, that's all my news for now but I will take some pictures while we are out and about today and post them on here a.s.a.p. It's easier to add to my blog while we're here because the Internet connection is so much faster than ours at home.

Oh, I almost forgot - on our way down here we passed a Salt Farm where they harvest salt from the sea and make huge piles of salt which look like snow. It was really cool so we stopped and took a photo (see below):

Builders

Here is a picture of the building work going on next door. It is actually much further along than this picture shows, but this is the last photo I took two weeks ago. The picture is taken from our bedroom window so you can see how close to our house they are building.

Tuesday 12th June

So Penri went to Immigration on Friday to pick up his residence permit. On the receipt we were given, it had both of our names and the guy behind the counter couldn't understand why he couldn't find mine. Penri kept trying to explain that I had already picked it up.

He called me when he left and told me that he had to wait for the signature. I asked him 'What signature?' and he told me once you get your permit stamped, you need to go to another office to get it signed off. I was never told that, so yesterday (Monday), I made the trek over to Immigration again.

I arrived at 2 and went to the office to get my paper signed. There was no-one there, so I asked someone behind the main counter where he/she was. I was told he had gone to lunch and would be back in 10 minutes. I must say, I had my doubts, but 10 minutes later he appeared.

I got the permit signed, which took seconds and then left. From there, I went to a really nice shop called Auroville to buy a snack. I bought Penri some savoury biscuits and myself some sweet ones.

As I was reversing out of the car park I saw a young calf tied to a post. His neck was so close to the pillar that he could hardly move. It was baking hot and the poor creature was covered with flies and he couldn't move. I stopped the car and opened the window and threw him a biscuit. He ate it really quickly and then looked at me, so I threw him another one. This time my aim wasn't as good and it was just out of his reach. So, I got out of the car and pushed the biscuit with my foot nearer to the calf. Again he ate it and looked at me.

I went back to the car and got the whole packet of biscuits and tipped them out right next to the calf. He sat there happy and ate the biscuits. I wish I could have done more for him, but he obviously belonged to someone and from the stares I was getting from drivers and autorick drivers, I felt I had to leave.

I drove back to Penri's work. Just as I approached the turn for his road I saw a dog stuck on the central reservation. He was trying to cross the road, but everytime he put a paw on the road he had to pull back because the traffic was crazy. I slowed right down so that he could cross in front of me, which he did but then he couldn't get across the other two lanes. He went back onto the central reservation and started walking along it again. I had to move on as the traffic behind me was getting heavy and agitated.

I got to Penri's work after another crazy battle with the traffic in Chennai.

Update 8th June.

They have started building a new property just next to our house (by the fence near the swimming pool) so we now have two building sites next to us. It’s really annoying because they start work early in the morning and the new site is just below our bedroom window.

I have been ill over the last week with a stomach upset so I haven’t really left the house much. Yesterday was the first day I went out and it was a hectic day. I had to go to immigration to pick up our residence permits. They told us to be there at 3 p.m but I thought I would go earlier to miss the crowds of people. I arrived there at 2 and although there were five people there working, I was told I had to wait until 3 p.m to see a lady who would sit at the desk in the corner, so I sat and waited.

At 2.40 p.m, the lady came in and put her stuff on the desk and then spent ages going between her desk and the counter, picking up stamps and a stapler and other stationery. I did feel kind of bad for her as she was heavily pregnant, but she seemed happier finding other things to occupy her time than helping me. I was getting really impatient, especially when the room started filling out with people all waiting to see this one lady. At 10 to 3 she disappeared out of the room and came back just after 3 o’clock.

I made sure I was first, by sitting at the chair next to her desk. I gave her my paper (and I had already searched through the 3 huge stacks of forms and pulled out mine and Penri’s and put them on the top). When she took my paper she told me to go and sit and she would call me. She then collected in ALL the papers from the other 40 people in the room. I didn’t move and take a seat (for starters there weren’t any spare ones), I just stood up right next to her desk.

Once she had collected in all the papers, she called me to her desk. I pointed at mine and Penri’s forms and she pulled mine from the pile. She gave me my residence permit (extended till April 2008) but wouldn’t give me Penri’s. She said he had to come himself to collect it. I explained to her that when we applied for them, we specifically asked if we both had to come to collect them and we were told ‘no, just one of us’. I was annoyed but there was no way she was going to back down, so I just took my papers and left.

From immigration, I had to go to the music shop to pay for my piano hire. The traffic was crazy and it took me nearly half an hour to travel 2 miles. After that I had to go and pay the rent for our house. Again, it took a while to get there because of the traffic. Once I had paid the rent, I felt relieved that I had accomplished all three important tasks for the day and got in the car to go and meet Penri for dinner.

I turned on the engine and put the car in first gear to move forward, the engine revved but I moved nowhere. I got out to see what the problem was and I couldn’t believe my front tyres were stuck in mud! The car wasn’t going anywhere. I stood looking at the front of the car for a moment and then went and asked the security guard nearby to help me. We both tried pushing forwards and backwards. I tried driving while he pushed (all that accomplished was covering him in mud!) The car would not move.

Slowly, a bit at a time, more and more people stopped to help – each with their own idea of how we could solve the problem. One man told me that axel had broken and the car wouldn’t move anywhere. Even I knew that wasn’t the case and we just had to get it out of the mud. They put stones and wood under the tyres but as soon as I tried to move, they just sank further into the ground. They tried pushing (all 20 of them) and still they couldn’t move it.

I was just looking at the car thinking ‘I have no idea what to do’. Only one of the men who had stopped spoke English, so he was translating for me as the rest of them were all discussing what to do. After about 10 minutes, two men from the Pizza Hut next door came out to help. One of them went to the tyres and the other got into the car to drive. It was like there was nothing wrong with it. Within seconds the car was out of the mud and on the road. I couldn’t believe it.

When I told Penri the story he asked me if I gave them money. I had actually considered this but how much money would you give to 22 people without it being an insult? I didn’t have that much money on me, so I just shook the man’s hand (who had spoken to me in English) and said thank you to all of them and drove off. I still laugh about it now – it’s so embarrassing!

On my way to meet Penri, I decided to go for some retail therapy. There’s a really nice shop (kind of on the way to his office) called Anokhi. I managed to find a couple of tops and a nice pair of earrings.

Anyway, it’s Friday today (the last day of school) so most of my friends have either left last night or are leaving today. Chennai will be very quiet over the next few months. Maybe I will finally get to finish the musical I have been writing!