pondicherry or "Chicken 65: Do we need to explain?"

Hola folks
this will be short as this keyboard is terrible and connection not hot. we left for Pondicherry this weekend. Its a French colonial holdout on the Bay of Bengal, liberated slightly before the rest of India.
Highpoint: being treated like VIPs at the Tamil New Year's parade and given prime seats behind some big politico. Plus, the amazing costumes and dances.
Will do this on a list--
Drive over:
1. Our driver spoke ZERO English and was on the low IQ side (plus no deoderant)- we stopped everywhere for directions and Indians were so frustrated with him- almost as much as we were since we had a map he refused to use or listen to our instructions in bad Tamil.
2. COuntryside with 3 monkeys seen, beautiful birds, searing heat. Lots of little towns with thatched roofs and older folks tending goats sleeping on rocks.
3. 1 busted tire during 4 hour drive. Apparently this is a good ratio.

Hotel:
1. Park, the sought after ashram, did not have rooms AND it was new year, so we paid an inflated price. The place we stayed was on the beach (which is rock with a sand walkway above)
though and prime spot for new years festivities.
2. Bad night management- a story I will tell later. We owe a great deal to Bharvi and her fierce rhetoric, consternation, and absence of fear in the face of bad management who woke us up 3 times. We will find our friends at the tourist bureau and complain loudly.
3. Lunch at hotel was funny. Title of blog a menu item. Other menu items included "magic" ingredients and egg rolls that "activate million senses"

Ashram:
1. had to take off our shoes across the street and be silent in the presence of the ashram. An old lady directed us (who knew you could be bossy with only hand movements and facial expressions!) to the shrine like area. To tell the truth, is definitely more meaningful for believers.
2. many meditators on stone floors. yikes
3. guru was Sri Aurobindo and "The Mother" Many books for sale with their wise sayings

Shopping:
1. possibly smellier in Pondy. Nothing to buy.

French Area:
1. ate fabulous breakfast at French-like place with BLACK coffee (althuogh eau de tree bark)
crepes and soft boiled eggs with GOOD toast. Lovely. OUtside and hot with stray dogs sleeping on our bags, but lovely.
2. Not so good dinner. Crevettes with tomato sauce. And french fries. And wine (VERY expensive here! still like 150 rs. which equals $3, but that's more than I'll pay for food in a whole day!)
3. many (by which I mean I think we saw 15-20 the whole time) european tourists and a few creepy old french men- there since the 50s.

New Year:
Fabulous! Cannot describe without pictures and video- but you will see when I get back.
I think we were on TV cause they kept filming us in these places of honor where some tourist bureau dude put us after asking "tourist?" "sit! now! here!"
They had fireworks but we missed them waiting for my stupid french fries. Serves me right for not getting "Italian soft ice cream" ie: fro yo, instead.

Other:
1. we saw two elephants, painted- one walking down the street and one in the city.
2. all the awesome cows have painted horns and bells on. They are totally nonchalant about their newfound beauty.
3. I am still really excited about the monkeys. They were sitting in the bus stop in the middle of nowhere. and eating stuff. Another one was watching the road on a post.
4. have not gotten sick yet- but have needed Prilosec. Am eating only hotel food (pretty much where all the restaurants are anyways...) except in Pondy.

OK, so I said it would be short but I lied. Sorry you got suckered into reading!