On Saturday, we got up and drove to a Pondicherry, a town about two hours away. On the way there, we stopped at a town called Auroville. It's a sort of utopian society, where there's no religion or political leadership. They pursue deeper understanding and higher excellence. A huge golden dome lies in the center of the town which represents the center of the soul or something. People who are serious go inside the globe to meditate. I thought the philosophy was really interesting, and it made me want to study it a bit more.
We were dropped off at Pondicherry by the ocean. Immediently, we were surrounded by vendors, who shoved merchandise in our faces saying, "You buy?" "Very good price, very good price." Several people wanted to take a picture of Lydia. It was like a group of white people was a much bigger attraction than the monumental statue of Gandhi nearby. Well, at least now we can say we've been to the Bay of Bengal!
We entered the marketplace shortly after this; sort of covered street with different stalls selling food and clothes. When we first approached the marketplace, the stench of fish was overwhelming. I could see massive piles of fish guts in a neighboring stall. Fortunetely, as we moved away the awful small gave way to scents of spices and fruit.The bazaar was dirty and crowned, but at the same time, beautifully picturesque, as are many things in India.
I had my first bartering experience! I wanted to buy what are called Ali Baba pants, and I chose a couple that I liked. It was strange to argue a price with the person selling, but I managed to lower the cost a little. Not that it was very expensive in the first place; earlier in the day, I had a meal that cost about 60 cents.
After shopping for a few hours, we stopped at an ice cream shop, which was delicious.
It was a really fun day!
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