Searching Puri in Puri

I’m not disappointed to make my way to Puri in the state of Orissa. Puri used to be a hippie hideout in the 1970s largely because of the bhang (marijuana), and the sea. Of course these are not the reason drawing me here. Neither does the deep-fried bread named Puri which is usually eaten for breakfast in northern India. Hahaha. While the hippie vibe has long evaporated and so are the backpacking scenes, it was getting more pleasant for me to stay here especially when I found a small guesthouse opening its door to the seafront. It is only Rs 350 per night albeit teeming with mosquitoes. Having said that, Puri is still far from being a laid back town.

Hotel Woodstock (right by the sea!)

First encounter to an Indian beach

It could be due to the slower pace that makes the people here more friendly especially when I just traveled from the chaotic and hectic Kolkata. Only a handful of foreigners were spotted here. Puri must have been on Japanese backpackers’ radar. It has been a long time since I am mistakenly regarded as Japanese. I was told that it used to be a Japanese favourite place. A few Japanese even fall in love with the locals and settled down here eventually.

In addition to beach, Puri is also a fishing village

Orissa to me is still part of northern India but it appeared that Dosa has been replacing Puri as the popular breakfast on the street. I continued to search for Puri in the town of Puri and wondered why I was reluctant to take Dosa.