I finished my novel, Butter, during breakfast and donated it to the Auroville bookcase.
During breakfast at my Auroville guesthouse, this white, translucent spider was looking at me. I started to take a photo. Suddenly, the spider disappeared. I looked at my phone. It had jumped onto the back of it! I shook it off and watched it as it watched me. Occasionally it would turn then turn again, approaching me. Maybe it smelt breakfast. The turn was instantaneous. As I’d witnessed, it had powerful legs. Although only 15mm, toe to toe, it could leap tall buildings in one bound.
It was time to return to Chennai.
The train from Puducherry was just over 3 hours. Unlike all my other train journeys, I was able to read. Apart from a few short occasional exchanges, the people in my bay were busy with family or on their phone.
I checked into the same hotel I’d previously stayed at Chennai. Dinner was at a new place: Sante Spa Cuisine. It was a flavoursome veg and quinoa dish, perhaps a bit too salty.
My flight to Kozhikode (Calicut) was in the evening. I made the most of the day.
I tried to go to the Fort St George Museum. Although security checked me, they didn’t tell me that the museum was closed! I don’t know why I didn’t go the first time. The museum has India’s original independence flag.
Helene had suggested other places. I walked to St Mary’s Church. After the church, I went to Santhome Cathedral, which was built on St Thomas’ remains. I thought Christianity had been introduced to India by Europeans. Yet, St Thomas’ remains predate that.
Near the cathedral was a Hindu temple. I walked there. When I saw the temple, I realised I’d been there before!
Time was getting on so I took an auto to my final destination, passing some interesting buildings. I occasionally asked the driver to stop so that I could take a photo.
Helene had the 2023 edition of Rough Guide to South India. She read that there were photos of Gandhi at the Southern Indian Railway Headquarters.
When I reached the building, there was a no entry sign at the gates. I walked in and told the guard that I was here to see the Gandhi exhibition. She said visitors weren’t allowed in the building. I asked her if she was sure because I’d heard that there was an exhibition on. The guard called another security guard. He confirmed that visitors weren’t allowed. I asked if I could go and take a photo of the front of the building. They allowed me to.
When I got to the front, I went slightly in the building and asked someone about the Gandhi photos. She said there were no photos but if I went up the stairs, I could see a portrait.
I was now in the fine-looking building! I liked the open plan interior. I took photos then proceeded to the first, second and third floors. I used the toilets and topped up my water! Several friendly workers confirmed that there was no exhibition. No one challenged me in the building.
I walked back to the hotel, passing the fine looking central station. This time I took a shortcut off the main road and saw a market and a mosque.
After picking up my rucksack from the hotel, I took the metro to the airport.
Travelling on domestic flights in India is a pretty smooth experience. It’s almost as easy as using the trains. In this instance, when we exited the plane, the luggage carousel was close to the Calicut airport exit. You could pretty much get off the plane, pick up your luggage, and be in a taxi within 15 minutes.
Calicut airport is about an hour from the town centre. That, and the initial journey to the departure airport add time. Both, nevertheless, are much quicker than taking a train from east to west India.