North India may have the Himalayas, but it’s the lush greenery, plantations, and different kinds of temples that attract a tourist to the South. The love for a new kind of adventure was what beckoned our friend DJ yet again on his next trip, which began from Chennai this time around. The adventure began on 25th December 2019 and he got to tell us about it two years later, in the midst of the Corona pandemic.
25th December 2019 at Chennai
DJ decided to spend a different kind of Christmas by taking a flight to Chennai, where he met his friend Skanda and stayed for the night at the Oyo property of Swarnam Residency. Skanda was from Bengaluru and together they had decided to rent two bikes for the Southern sojourn- a 500cc Royal Thunderbird (DJ) and a Bajaj Dominar 400 (Skanda). However, there was one small problem- the bike renting agency Wicked Drive was giving the two-wheelers in Bengaluru. As a result, Skanda had to find a friend to take both the two-wheelers to Chennai, which he eventually did.
On the 25th itself, DJ had also planned to meet another friend of his, but couldn’t do so as she was busy at a function. The three of them (including Skanda’s friend) decided to have dinner at Layalee Global Cuisine restaurant. Our man DJ, being a hardcore vegetarian, ordered veg fried rice without onion or garlic. Funnily enough, the waiter got the fried rice with onion leaves on top! It was rejected by DJ but he eventually got the dish without any type of onions.
DJ believes in the policy ‘Early to Bed, Early to Rising’, and makes the others believe it too. Keeping in mind that they had a long day ahead, they finished dinner and went back to their rooms to sleep by 10:30 p.m.
26th December 2019- Chennai to Pondicherry
Ask any person in Chennai or a regular traveler how delightful a drive this is, and he or she will tell you. Swarnam Residency was merely 15 minutes away from the airport. The trio finished their breakfast of Poori Bhaji by 8 a.m. and started on their journey. One of the tasks on the way included petrol, and both the bikes tanked up. DJ was also able to meet his friend this time.
It seemed as if the two guys never wanted this journey, considering how much fun they were having on the beautiful ECR. They kept stopping throughout the way to Mahabalipuram and also took a number of drone shots. The plan was not to stay in Mahabalipuram but in Pondicherry instead, and they made their hotel booking en route.
By 11 a.m.. DJ and Skanda were in Mahabalipuram, which is also known as Mamallapuram. This place has a large number of temples, all of which are within a radius of 1 km. The place where they reached first was the Shore Temple, which overlooks the Bay of Bengal. The stone temple has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and Lord Shiva is worshipped here. They found each of the temples to be very beautiful here, with very different structures compared to the North. A lot of art was
visible on every pillar here. Since both the guys were in biking gear, they did not enter the temple premises and prayed from outside.
The next destination on the radar was Krishna’s Butterball, which is a unique structure that comprises a massive granite boulder kept on a short incline. It is the friction that prevents the ball from coming down. It is said to be cut from the mountain. The guys wanted to fly a drone here, but to their dismay, the security guard did not allow it.
The next destination on the radar was Krishna’s Butterball, which is a unique structure that comprises a massive granite boulder kept on a short incline. It is the friction that prevents the ball from coming down. It is said to be cut from the mountain. The guys wanted to fly a drone here, but to their dismay, the security guard did not allow it.
Filled to the brim with coconut water
It seemed as if DJ and Skanda had more coconut water running through their veins than blood on this trip! They were consuming water from two coconuts on an everyday basis and did so again after checking out the Butter Ball. Near the Shore Temple, they found a unique snack that looked like mango chaat. Instead of having proper lunch at this time, they had the chaat in generous amounts, along with more coconut water.
On the same day, Skanda and DJ were able to reach Pondicherry by 1:30-2 p.m., where they checked in to the Valentine hostel. This place was like a homestay, with the landlord staying there as well. AC facilities were not available, and it was priced at INR 500 per person. Both guys decided to have a bath and then planned for the evening while relaxing in the afternoon, after shooting a few 360-degree drone videos.
An Evening at the Paradise Beach
At around 6 in the evening, both men decided to venture out towards the famous Paradise beach. To go toward the beach, they left the Dominar 400 back in the hostel and rode on one. They found the beach to be very clean and pretty, with not too much of a crowd. The water literally shined like diamonds in the evening sun’s rays. The guys found the perfect opportunity to fly their drone here to take lovely panoramic shots.
The area became pretty dark by 7 p.m. It was half residential and half commercial and they started searching for a famous restaurant here after speaking to a few locals. Unfortunately, this restaurant was closed, and the guys continued roaming here and there. They found a very interesting evening snack here, which comprised of very tasty Golgappe with mushrooms.
Skanda is a non-vegetarian and DJ a vegetarian. They began their food journey with the popular Sri Kamatchi restaurant where they ordered a plain dosa, peanut chutney, and mutton biryani. DJ was not quite full after this meal and both of them decided to try yet another restaurant called Surguru. He found it more comfortable to eat as this was a pure veg restaurant. The men ordered 6-7 items, including vegetarian fried rice without onion garlic, and idli chutney.
With full stomachs, they headed back to their hostel and slept by 10 p.m.
Stay tuned for the next leg of the journey that starts early next morning on 27th December 2019.
