Pondicherry & the Sticky Heat (and a Very Persistent Peacock)

okay, so pondicherry. it’s…a lot. i’m a freelance photographer, and honestly, i came here chasing light, and i found it, but also a whole mood. i’ve been bouncing around *south india for a few weeks now, and this place feels different. less frantic than chennai, more…deliberately faded. like a really good vintage print.

i just checked and it’s…like being wrapped in a warm, damp towel right now, hope you’re okay with that. the humidity is seriously eighty-one percent, which explains why my hair has a life of its own. the weather report said twenty-six point thirteen degrees, but honestly, numbers feel irrelevant. it feels like thirty. and sticky. very, very sticky.

spent yesterday wandering the french quarter, trying to capture the peeling paint and the bougainvillea. it’s gorgeous, but also…a bit of a tourist trap. i overheard someone complaining on TripAdvisor about the prices in the cafes. apparently, they’re hiked up for the “foreigners.” classic. i found a little chai stall tucked away on a side street, though, and that was gold. seriously, the best chai i’ve had so far.

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"apparently, that guesthouse near the beach? the one with the blue walls? someone said the owner is obsessed with collecting antique doorknobs. like, seriously obsessed. it’s a whole thing."
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my guesthouse is…interesting. it’s run by a family, and they’re lovely, but their rooster has zero respect for sleep. zero. and there’s a peacock. a peacock. it just hangs around the courtyard, strutting and occasionally screaming. it’s majestic, but also deeply unsettling at six am. i’ve been trying to get a good shot of it, but it’s a slippery customer.

food-wise, i’ve been living on dosas and filter coffee. i tried a seafood place someone recommended on Yelp - it was…an experience. let’s just say i’m sticking to vegetarian for a while. i heard that the fish isn’t always super fresh, and i’m not willing to risk it.

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"don’t bother with the leather shops, apparently. a friend of a friend said they’re mostly selling fake stuff, and the quality is terrible."
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if you get bored, auroville is just a short auto-rickshaw ride away. i haven’t been yet, but i’m planning a trip tomorrow. i’ve read a lot about it on IndiaMike, and it sounds…intense. a utopian experiment. i’m curious to see what it’s actually like.

honestly, pondicherry is growing on me. it’s messy, chaotic, and a little bit overwhelming, but it’s also beautiful and full of character. it’s a place that demands you slow down and just be*. and maybe invest in some industrial-strength mosquito repellent. and earplugs. for the rooster. and the peacock. you’ve been warned. i'm also checking out Pondicherry Tourism for some local events.