Pondicherry

Emma looking through bathroom window!

Man sleeping in street below our balcony.

Dinner time.

A toast with sparkling juice!

Emma enjoying the stay!

One Saturday in October we spent one night in the town of Pondicherry which is a small coastal town originally settled by the French. Although our touring was rained out due to monsoons, we did enjoy the stay at the historic hotel which had previously been a mayor's mansion. It was remodeled into 21 rooms which are each unique and have kept features from the original property. A loft was added in the room to accomodate more guests and I'll have to say it's the most unique hotel we've ever visited! But as you can see from the photo of the homeless man, I hope no one gets the impression that we are living a life of luxury. India is a country of stark contrasts. When you walk out of any nice establishment, you are hit in the face by the poverty and misery all around you and you can't help but be grateful for everything you have and to say a prayer for everyone you see around you.

By the way, after our rained out weekend, the kids got a treat because school was cancelled that following Monday for a "rain day!" Excessive rains made travel difficult and even though we had no problems, people in the north part of the city did experienc flooding and downed power lines, etc!