Trip to the Andamans - day 5 - 18th May

Last day of tours.. today, we were scheduled to see the rest of the city attractions. we started a bit late, coz the museums do not open till late in the morning. the first place we went to, was the Anthropological Museum. here we saw and read a lot about the different tribes in the world, their evolution, and current state of life. as expected, a lot of emphasis was given to the tribes of the Andaman and Nicobar islands. although most people might find it boring, i found it pretty nice, and interesting. especially, because, we missed out on the chance to see the tribals this trip.
Next we went to the mini zoo. compared to the zoos in chennai, or in the mainland.. it wasn't much to see.. plus, this zoo was being vacated and moved to a newly constructed main zoo. the only highlight, was that when we entered the zoo, a monkey seemed to have escaped from it's cage. so all the workers were tied up, trying to put it back in the cage. we saw India's largest python there.. the Reticulated Python. pretty gross, and i'm not a snake lover. we saw a lot of crocs there, not a croc lover either. then there were tiny turtles, which were so cute. and a lot of monkeys, and eagles... the place was very old, and since they were moving the animals, it wasn't much fun.
after the zoo, we went to the Chatham saw mill. this saw mill is supposed to be the largest in Asia. but it was closed, today being sunday. but then, i dont think it was much to see, and i'm not very comfortable with saw dust anyway. the most important thing about the Chatham saw mill is that there is a sea bridge connecting two islands; the main island of port blair, and the island hosting the saw mill.
Next we went to the Zoological Survey of India Museum, which is situated near the Andaman Teal House. this museums and research library exhibits a good variety of sponges , corals, butterflies, centipedes, and such. outside, is also kept the skeleton of a baby blue whale! if a baby is that big, how big is momma whale????
after that we went to the Samudrika fisheries museum. this place hosted some of the coral, and sea life species for us to see.. it was really interesting to see fishes, lobsters and star fishes, those that we get to see just on TV.
but then, i wasn't able to enjoy this place fully.. i was sunburnt completely, trying to dry out my jean in the sun.. so all this moving around today, all the walking, wore me out completely. and i could barely stand. only after i drank 2 tender coconuts, was i able to stand up, and see clearly.
right outside the samudrika, there was a canteen, where you can choose the sea food you want, fresh catch, and have it cooked for you, right in front of your eyes.. my dad and i were really intent on trying out a lobster. we don't find lobsters back at home.. so here atleast we thought we might try. and in this canteen, they had a single, beautiful lobster in display. we asked for the price of one, and the reply, was a whooping 1500 bucks.. that much for a single lobster.. we came back, and lost all interest in it..
after that, we had lunch, and then went to the New Science Centre, that we missed on the first day of tour.. it was superb fun.. all those interactive science learning.. honestly, enjoyed every minute in there..
next stop..the most famous, Cellular Jail. the last time we were here, was for the light and sound show on the first day of the trip. it was pretty dark, and we weren't allowed to look around. so we went this time to see what it looked like.
the front of the jail which used to be offices, have been transformed into museum and art galleries. so we walked through rows and rows of freedom fighters' life stories, and art depicting the sufferings of the prisoners at cellular jail.
after that, we entered the jail... it was so depressing.. i guess the cries and hues of the prisoners left a permanent mark on the ambiance of the place.. when you stand within the walls of this jail, it's not hard for you to imagine what it would have been like 60 years ago..
we went through each wing of the jail... initially, the jail had 7 wings, now it has only 3..
the image below is only a model of the jail, back in olden times..

we even went to the gallows.. unusually, they had 3 nooses for hanging the prisoners. which meant that 3 at a time were being killed. they had so many people who had to be executed, or should i say, slaughtered, that they couldn't make do with just one. they needed 3!!
it was so depressing... we heard life stories of some very strong freedom fighters..
how the inmates of one wing, never saw those of another wing.
how, they were treated like worse than animals..
we even saw the old oil-press... it is an olden day method of extracting oil from dry coconuts. usually, cows would be used to run the machine, but in this jail, prisoners were used.. per day, the amount of oil to be extracted was given, and if they don't extract that much, they were beaten up to a pulp...
then we went around to the roof of one of the wings.. the view of the sea from up there was breath-taking.. but it was also sad to think that despite all this beauty around this place, the prisoners were in no state to enjoy these views..

David Barry the most cruel jailer of those times.. the following is one of his quotes..

i couldn't wait to actually get out of that place.. it was like, all the joy was sucked out of me, and maybe this is how it feels to be kissed by a dementor...!
and it also set me thinking.. all those freedom fighters, who gave their lives, families, and everything they had, to free these country.. if they were to see how our leaders run the country today, i'm sure that they'd be extremely vexed to see that India was better off in the hands of the British. every politician except maybe a handful are only looking to see how much of the national treasury they can move into their bank accounts while in power. and to think that all the sweat and blood that every freedom fighter shed, for this country, is now going right down the drain, makes me so sad.. it is saddening to see all that work go to waste..
and for those who want to see how the first paper published on the 15th of August 1947 looks like.. this is it...

last stop, was to the Runway View point. from up a hill, we could see the airport runway. splendid view, and my bro, who is an airplane enthusiast, went completely bonkers.
it was also a joggers park, and what a nice place to jog in every evening.. the view was super cool! this place is a definite must-see!














well, I've come to the end of my trip... we went back home, had dinner... settled all the bills. next morning 19th May, we left for the 12:30 flight back to Chennai. this time we flew in Air Deccan.
this place is the most wonderful place i've ever been to. and i'm definetely going back there. these 5 days weren't enough for us to see all the tourist attractions. we still have to go to Baratang, India's only active mud volcano and Barren Island, where is India's only active volcano. and Mount Harriet, and a lots of other cool places i've been wanting to go to. i also wanted to go to Cinque island, where tw islands are connected by a single mud strait. when there's high tide, they are separate islands. when it's low tide, they are one island. cool na?!!
i am definitely going back, and it's a promise!
and for those who are planning a trip to the Andamans, make sure you plan a minimum of a 10 day trip. it costs a lot, but it is so worth it....
and for those of you who are wondering why i'm not in any of the pics i uploaded, thats because basking in the sun all day at Red Skin, has charred me beyond recognition. and i don't want anyone to see me like that....

Trip to the Andamans- day 4- 17th May

As i said, couldn't get up in the morning at all.. but today was one of the most important attractions, and i've been wanting to go there since we started planning this trip. Red Skin Island. it was part of the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park. and it was one of the best islands for coral sighting, and snorkeling. the weather was bright and sunny, making it perfect for snorkeling.so dragged myself out of bed, and got dressed. we reached the place just in time. we took a half hour's ferry ride to the island. and from the ferry, a fibre glass motor boat took us to the shore. and before we got to the shore, we got to see corals through the fibre bottom of the boat. it was awesome. we missed seeing this back at North Bay Island, but the sun was shining, and the view of the ocean floor was crystal clear.





the colour of the water was proof to the marine life underneath. it was a beautiful blue- green.
it took me a while to convince my dad, to let me go into the water. he was worried that my fever would go worse, and even yet, that i might go snorkeling. well, i intended to anyway. and my dad wasnt sure how safe it was. i don't even know how to swim. well, i still went into the water. it was icy cold, against my feverish body. still i went in. now reef walking was prohibited. so those who can't swim, were supposed to hold on to a rope that took us into the deep waters, for support. this way, we can remain suspended in the water, hold on to the rope for safety and support.
we went in, and a lot of people had already begun to snorkel. although i was very brave, when i first set foot in the water, now that i've actually come to it, i got a little scared. so i nudged my bro to try it first. he put on the snorkeling gear, and for try outs, the guide, immersed my bro's head slightly into the water, so that he might get used to breathing with his mouth. bro was a little taken aback, got scared, when the water pressure, started hurting his ears.. and being startled, he drank a little sea water, and was out of breath. so he panicked and backed out. ok. now i was scared. but there was this girl next to me, in the water, who was telling her mom, that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. and this gave me back my lost courage. and i went for it. the guide put the gear on my. and when i say 'gear' it isnt to complex or anything.. it's just a pair of eye goggles,so you can see without salt water irritating your eye.. a nose block, so even if instinctively you should breathe through the nose, no water will get in.. and a tube for breathing through the mouth. this tube will always be out on the surface, for air. plus, we weren't going deep under water. we were just swimming on the surface of the water, and just immersing our head in to see the corals.
and although i too panicked with the difference in pressure under water.. i soon got used to it..
the view under water was amazing.. i saw shoals of fishes swim beneath me, colours that i cant even find on the color chart.. it was simply amazing, and no words can actually describe the sight, and do justice to the feeling. so i'll just leave it to you to try it out for yourselves.
well, i got back triumphantly, and earned the title of being the only one in my entire family to have done that.
the rest of the afternoon was spent in trying to dry out my clothes.. you see, i wasn't prepared to get into the water today, because of the fever. but after getting here, i couldn't hold back the excitement. so the jean i was wearing was completely wet. low waist again.
TRAVELLER'S TIP # 3: ALWAYS CARRY EXTRA CLOTHING WHEN GOING TO BEACHES. EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT IN THE MOOD, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO BE PREPARED.
so i had to stand out in the sun, hoping that my jean would dry out. and the wet clothes won't help my fever at all..
after that, we ate our packed lunch. the island was very small. and there was nothing,no shops, not even drinking water to be found there. so we had our lunches packed from the restaurant.
plus, it was a national reserve. so no plastics and no littering either.
we ate. and explored the place a bit. it was so nice..
let me show you..

Trip to the Andamans- day 3 -16th May

Today, we were going to Havelock Island.. this island is about 54 Kms by sea from Port Blair. It takes about 4 hrs by ship to get there, so it's a total of 8hrs journey, to and fro.
and we had to get up pretty early.. well, it's all a part of the trip, and you can't complain too much about missing a few hours of sleep, when there's so much to be seen..
So, we all got up at 4:00, and left the hotel by 5:00. when we reached the harbor, it was 5:20. i told you, everything in that place, wasn't too far away..and these 20 minutes, was the most we traveled by road.









it was so beautiful, the sun was just rising. and keeping the last 2 days in mind, i was imagining another ferry ride. and 4 hrs on a ferry wasn't so much fun. it was so cramped, and wet. it was quite a surprise, when our driver, and guide, took us to this ship, M.V. Ramanujam. it was so exciting, this trip. i mean, i get to travel by air, land, and sea!
well, we got in, and there were beautiful couches, and seats. we took a couch near the entrance, on the first floor. except for my dad, the rest of us have never been on a ship before, so it was a new experience. my dad, has sea sickness, and it's always a problem, when he travels on anything that's not solid ground. it was the same when we flew to port blair, and it's the same every time we take a boat ride. so he took an Avomin ( that prevents you from throwing up), and lay down in his seat all day. and my mom kept him company, in case he should need help. my brother and i on the other hand, went exploring the place. i mean, we had 4 hrs at hand, and nothing much to do. so we went on to the top deck. ours was a relatively small ship, so it had just 2 decks for passengers. we were on the top one. the top most deck held the bridge ( captain's command room) and a lot of viewing space. it was super cooool! all that wind that rushing up on your face, blowing your hair flying so poetically, it was a completely new feeling. when the ship took sail, there were a lot of co-passengers on the top deck. but as time wore off, they got bored of standing, and went below to their seats. but me and my bro just couldn't get enough. we found places to sit and enjoy the view.















there is something so lovely about traveling by sea. first of all, there's no one, no life around you. all i could see was a trail of islands on both sides. but apart from that, there's no one. and it gives you the sense of being alone, although you know that there are a lot of people aboard the same ship. then, there's this feeling of self- awareness. all thoughts go blank. and there's this sudden emptiness. and it's a silence that is most welcome. i'm not talking about the silence on the outside. trust me, a ship is quite noisy. even if the engines were quiet, the sounds of the ship's bow hitting the waves won't stop. although that's not counted as noise, it's still a sound. so that doesn't count for silence. the silence that i'm talking about, is the silence within. when you have nothing to think about, when there's no talking going on inside your head, that's silence. and for a talkative person like me, it's very rare.and i loved this silence. i could see the waves rise up, and be hit by the ship, breaking it down into white foam. i could see the dark green islands, floating on the blue sea. the sky was clear and bright, unlike the past 2 days. the warmth of the sun, against the chillness of the breeze, was so soothing. the ship sailed gracefully, like an English Lady, wearing a lace frilled dress ,walking across a blue marbled ballroom. [and just in case you dint understand, ship= english lady, foam=white frills, sea= blue marble].
the view that sailed past us, wanted me to be a writer, a painter, or maybe even God!
God! that guy sure has some taste. it's true that man has created outstanding creations of his own. but it's these natural god made ones, that evoke most inspiration.
the silence, and sheer simple beauty, makes you loose interest in talking. i just sat there speechless. and i sat there for the entire journey. i just dint have the heart to miss all this, and go back to my seat. i was thinking, that this place, was a great place to write a book. because, here, there are no distractions, and you think clearly.
well, we were even given a chance to go see the bridge. we went in and saw the ship's captain, first, and second officers at work, with maps, and navigational instruments. and this was the first time that i saw the helm (ship's steering wheel). we spoke with the second officer. it seems that he's been aboard the vessel for the past 3 months. and he says that life's a bit dull aboard the ship, and you begin to miss land, and home a lot.
well, we reached Havelock island at 10:00 am. we had a van waiting for us, and we drove straight to the Radhanagar beach, which was the main attraction of the island. it was a 14 km ride to the beach. it was refreshing to see so much greenery. but the place, although it was a tourist attraction, was very remote. there was a shack near the beach, or should i say the only shack. and you don't walk in and have lunch. you order, go to the beach and have fun, and only then will your lunch be ready. it was almost home-like. just the feeling. not the food. well, that's for later. anyways, we had a tender coconut before we went into the beach.. it was so sweet and heavenly.. i did notice, that the coconuts in the Havelock, were like those in Hawaii.. not that i've been to hawaii.. i'd love to go thr sometime..*sigh*...they were black, as opposed to the brown ones in india.. and they were huge.. the size of the coconut in havelock, after the fibre being removed, was as big as the indian ones with the fibre. thats big, and thats a lot of water to drink. so much, that i dint feel hungry for a long time...
well, the beach, in all, was a little dissapointing.. just that it was lush green, and the view of the beach while standing in the water was amazing..

well, the beach was strewn with coral bits.. not like the beach in North Bay Island... this was comparatively sparingly strewn. the water wasn't visibly colourful here.. or maybe it was too cloudy to be seen.. but the.. the waves were better than elsewhere, and totally it reminded me of the Marina beach back home.
well that was it.. we stayed in the water for sometime.. and then went back to the shack.. it was called the 'shore restaurant', though it was anything but a restaurant. the food wasnt too good.. but we were famished anyway... ate, and then drove straight back to the harbor. boarded, and started home. the journey back home was slower, and rougher than the journey here. that was because, in the morning, we were traveling with the wind. so it was faster and smoother. but now, we were going against the wind. so we were slowed with the wind resistance, and the ride a little rough. so much, that the captain, came out of his cabin, and personally asked us to go back to our seats, and not come outside..
so i dint get to sit in the top deck, and i missed it.. but couldn't sit in my seat for long.. so went out to the balcony, to the ship's rear. it was nice.. totally, enjoyed the ship journey, best of all, in this trip.
we reached Port Blair at 7:00 pm.
went back to the hotel, and only after that did i realise, that all the rocking on the ship, has tired me, even though it wasnt uncomfy at all. so after we got back, i got sick. sick meaning, had a fever all night. and severe body ache, that i couldn't get up next morning at all..

Trip to the Andamans : day 2 - 15th May

i slept pretty badly last night.. well, not because it was uncomfortable or anything... just that it was a new place, and it takes time to get accustomed to it.. the ceiling was full of glow stickers, those of the universe. there were galaxies, black holes, lots of stars, a few planets... it was nice.. plus, i have this problem with watching scary movies.. i never forget them.. i saw the movie 'dark water' recently, and all night kept imagining water to pour out the ceiling , or a ghostly face look at me through the mirror in the bathroom. to add to it all, i had a nightmare that i missed a practical exam, and was being scolded by everyone i knew...
i woke up in the morning having a very sore throat. change in the water, food and climate always does this to me. couldn't even swallow my saliva.first thing that i heard on waking up was my mom ordering coffee for us. after a few minutes she put down the phone with a startled look. she told me that the guy on the other end, said that the kitchens do not open till 6:30, and politely told us to call after that.and when she asked him what time it was now, he said it was 5:30! we both looked out of the window, it was pretty bright. considering the weather and the rains, it could have well been past 7. but then we also realised, that we were far more eastern than the Indian subcontinent. naturally it would dawn here sooner than it did back home. also since it was a part of the Indian Union territories, it kept the IST without changing it, although geographically it usually dawned earlier.

I got up at 5:30 in the morning, all by myself, without a cup of coffee!!! things like this dont happen often...

went out to the balcony to see the bay..


it was so beautiful.. the wind was gentle and cold. i could smell the freshness in the breeze. the sight before me was so calm, graceful and pristine.. it was like love..
the tiny boats were leaving for their daily fishing trips..
but the gloom kept getting stronger.. i'm so getting used to this by now... unlike back home, where passing clouds gave nothing more than a 5 minute drizzle, here these clouds brought pretty heavy rain.. i come from a metro, where huge buildings block your view everywhere... but here, it wasnt lke that... here i could exactly see what happens before the rain starts pouring..
i'll try my best to put down what i saw.. difficult, but i'll still try..
I see a bay flanked b islands... a few boats stand scattered...a huge black cloud comes towards the shore with great speed and anger..As the Great Black( as i named the cloud!) comes towards the shore, i can see this fog, trailing with it...the fog slowly joins from the clods to the water, like little tornado streaks. these streaks, join together to form a veil, like that of a bride.. you can just vaguely see whats behind it.. this veil along with Great Black, moves towards the shore.



As it gains more speed and moisture, Great Black cannot hold it anymore...It looses control and breaks as rain.. and now instead of this fog, a sheet of rain moves with the Great Black. and trust me when i say, that this was amazing..!

The morning began well, but these frequent spells of Great Black, made the day gloomier. dad called our travel agent, and he changed the plan from Island tour to City tour. We all got dressed. Went down to the lobby. our driver waiting there for us, tells us that the plans been changed back to Island tours again. I dint have any change of clothes exactly... was a little upset about their way of informing us at the last minute.. but then what the hell! lets go!!!!!!
we saw 3 islands today..
Ross Island
Ross Island, erstwhile capital of the British penal settlement is names after the British surveyor Reginald Ross. This desolate island was transformed into a thriving township wen the British established a penal colony on the Andaman & Nicobar islands in the year 1858. Ross island became the natural choice for settlers, due to its commanding geographical location at the mouth of Port Blair harbor, it's plentiful supply of fresh water and the security is provided through the water separating it from Port Blair.









During those times the settlers went about their business of recreating a home away from home with vigour, so much so that the island earned the epithet of 'Paris of the East'. In rapid succession rose the Anglican Churches, homes for the British and Indian
officers, store houses, shops, printing press, hospital, post office, tennis courts, mineral water plant, swimming pool, a bakery, library and general stores.there was even a cemetery. an entire bazaar and three separate clubs were also constructed. in all, about 500 personnel including officers, troops,Indian merchants and families lived at Ross Island.
after almost a century of ruling the islands of Andaman & Nicobar from this tiny 'island citadel' the settlers were shaken by a massive earthquake on 26th june 1941. the majestic buildings damaged by the earthquake were a sign of events to follow. with the advance of the Japanese forces during WW2, there was also imminent danger to the british settled in the Andaman & Nicobar islands. thus the British started withdrawing to the mainland, and by 1942, Ross island was virtually deserted.
In May of that year, the Japanese forces occupied the islands of Andaman & Nicobar. under the Japanese control, the island was given a more military look. bunkers and small military installations were constructed by the Japanese, mainly out of the material extracted out of the existing structures. the Japanese control lasted for almost 3 years, till the British regained control at the end of the second world war. by this time, however, the seat of power had firmly established itself at Port Blair, and Ross Island could not achieve its old glory.

and enough with the history, the place was simply amazing.. to think that there were so many places in such a small island! plus, the rain made the entire place a combination of greens and browns.. so fresh, so beautiful and so old! you should see the trees in Ross island! they were not just growing on the ground, they were also growing on the buildings. it sort of made you wonder, whether the trees upheld the buildings or the other way around. and about the bakery. it is said that the bakery itself was constructed using the 19th century British architecture, and was fully equipped with the modern facilities of the time including a self contained cook house. it offered some of the best confectioneries, breads, buns and croissants!!! yummmm! and there was this lovely pond with a lot of ducks in it.. and the place itself had a lot of deer and peacocks running around. it was so nice to see these out of a cage!
come to think of it, i'm a really weird person. i like ruins a lot more than i like normal, and complete buildings. because when you see wreckage, and ruins, it makes you wonder how they might have originally been in their days of glory... they are so mysteriously beautiful!

North Bay Island



this was the next island that we went to... about a half hours ferry ride from the Ross Island during which we were provided with lunch ( you need to buy a lunch ticket for that), it dint exactly have a port for us to get off from the ferry directly to.. so to get to North Bay Island, you have to go by the ferry, and take a 3 minute fibre glass boat ride to the shore.. before being taken ashore, the boats take you around for some coral sighting. these fibre glass boats are normal boats, but the base is made up of fibre glass which allows you to see the corals without having to step in to the water..but since the weather was too cloudy, we couldn't see the corals. and you have to put your legs in the water, coz the boat doesn't get you till the shore.for people like my dad, who are panicky when it comes to travelling by air or water, brace yourselves. you don't have much choice! it stops a few feet from the sands coz the motor in the motor boats needs to be atleast in a4 foot deep water.. it was nice to step into the icy cold waters and walk on dead corals.. it was like having a very cozy foot massage..
and when i say beach, it wasn't exactly a sandy beach. rather it was a corally beach. the dead coral bits gets washed ashore, and the beach was strewn with corals.. it was nothing like i've ever seen before.. and the water wasn't rough at all.. the waves were mild, and hardly had any force.. snorkeling can be done, but in this weather, the guide himself doubted if the corals could be seen.. the weather was so romantic, and it was such a dreamy place... i just dint have any special 'somebody' to experience it with ;)

Viper Island
OK! this was a big disappointment. there wasn't much to see at all. just that it took us about an hour's ride on the ferry from the North Bay Island to get here, and on the way, we passed through the Port Blair harbor and saw some really cool ships. it seems that the Viper Island acted as a standby island to hold prisoners while the main Cellular jail was under construction. it had a few cells, and a court, to put the prisoners under trial before being put under custody.
and when i say 'island' it is to be understood that these were not flat masses of land floating in the water. these were mounds of land, irregular, and mostly climby. so we had to climb about 2 flights of stairs to get to the court. the views from the top were nice. but overall, not a great place to be. and if you must exclude it from your itinerary, don't feel too guilty about it. you did not miss much...

totally, it kept drizzling every half hour. it was pretty annoying, but wasn't delaying. at the end of the day, my jeans was soaking wet, heavy, mushy, and irritating. it was a low waist jean, and it was all i could do to keep it on me!
TRAVELLER'S TIP # 2: IF YOU KNOW IT'S GONNA RAIN, DON'T WEAR JEANS, ATLEAST NOT LOW-WAISTS!

Trip to the Andamans : Day 1-14th May

It's been such a long time since i blogged! sure is good to be back!
before i get to the topic, let me say this: i finished my engineering!!! i finished my exams and even got my final semester results! i am now a degree holder!!
May of this year must have been one of the most memorable months in my lifetime..
after what i cud say, and eternity, me and my little family took that much awaited trip to the Andamans..
for those who do not know, the Andaman and Nicobar islands are a part of the Indian subcontinent, and you do not require a passport to get there. we were a party of 4, dad, mom, me and bro.
to get to the Andamans, there is a regular flight and ship service everyday from Chennai. we choose the quicker of the two.
it was my first time on a plane. and for those who've already gone a million times on a plane, i don't have to get into the details, and for those who haven't, i'm gonna let it be a surprise.
i loved the plane ride, it was more than awesome! we took the Jet Airways to get to port blair, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar islands. The plane that i was in was a Boeing 747, white with deep blue, bearing a bold Indian flag.
Ok! faaainne!! i wanted to keep it a surprise for the first timers.. but i cant hold back my tongue!
the aerial views were simply amazing.. i got the window seat, and i couldn't take my eyes off the window...
as soon as it took-off, the aerial view of the city's buildings, road, and the sea shore was overwhelming. it was excitng.. a further 15 or 20 minutes later, all i could see outside the window was white clouds. it was actually a scary thought that if we should fall down right now, these clouds aren't going to hold us up! a further half hour later, this is what i saw. we were way over the cluds, and i had to look down to see the clouds scattered like bits of cotton on a blue floor. the horizon was simply the most beautiful thing i've ever seen.

i could see nothing but the while clouds beneath me, and the clear blue sky before me... the sense of floating was nothing that i can describe with words.. the stilness was so calming... luckily there were no crying babies or coughing adults on board.. and i enjoyed every minute of the stilness and silence..
the weather for a week before our trip was full of rain and thunderstorms, and all flight services to the andamans were suspended.. mine was the first one going to port blair after a week... to see the bright blue sky after a long time, and to know that our long awaited trip isnt going to be cancelled, it was joy without bounds..
let me now show you an aerial view of the andaman islands before we landed at port blair.. it was simply breath taking.. the colour of the water was blue green, owing to the richness of corals there..after seeing the bland waters of the marina back at home, this was like falling into an oasis of icy cool water in the middle of a scorching desert! and i'm not even exaggerating! honestly!

it was about a 2 hr ride, most exciting two hrs... we landed at about a little past 12. before that, i have to tell you this... There are 572 islands in the territory, of which only some 38 are permanently inhabited. Most of the islands (about 550) are in the Andamans group, 26 of which are inhabited. The smaller Nicobars comprise some 22 main islands (10 inhabited).
i dint like the port blair airport at all...but i cant complain... i'm glad that we reached there...we already had reservations at Hotel Abhishekh, which was hardly 10 minutes from the airport. you see, everything in that island was just 10 minutes away! we had a hotel car and driver waiting for us. we got to the hotel, and my dad spoke with the hotel owner, Mr. Bhagat Singh Negi. he's been in touch with us since we reserved, and he's been letting us know of the weather conditions there now and then. this morning, before we left for the airport, he called us to tell us that the weather has improved greatly, and wished us a safe trip. good man. the first thing he said on seeing us was this: hello sir! you brought the sun out with you! great way to welcome a guest!!!
we checked in, and went to our rooms. me and mom were in one room, and dad and bro in another. we were given the keys and a bell boy took our bags. i ran ahead of everyone, and took the room with a view of the bay. it was beautiful. this is the view from our balcony...

before that, once i saw the balcony, i went rushing to open the door, and snapped my finger on one sharp edge of the lock, and my finger started bleeding..
TRAVELLER'S TIP #1: DO NOT GET TOO EXCITED, OR YOU'LL GET HURT!
a little later we had the travel agents come and talk to us, and our 5 day agenda was set. we were given an hour to refresh ourselves, have lunch and get down to the lobby.
we started at about 3:30, for a small city tour. we dint want to waste a minute of the day... there was so much to be seen. the first place that we went to was the science centre, but there was a power outage, so that was ruled out. next, we went to the Corbyn's Cove beach. ok! this was the funniest beach I've seen till now.. back at home, at the marina, you have to walk for atleast some 15 minutes on the beach to get to the water.. but here at the corbyn's cove, you step down from the car, take two steps, and voila! you are in the water!! i guess the water receedes or advances with the tide, and with the week long rain, it wasn't surprising to see the water come till the road. we spent some 20 minutes in the water.. and went next to the Gandhi park.
it was nice, to see lush greenery amidst a small pond, a big huge gandhi statue in gold.. we took a long and slow walk around the park. the climate was subtle, cool and drizzled a little now and then..it was so refreshing compared to the scorching heat of chennai..
after a hot cup of coffee in the park caffetaria, we next went to the most popular Cellular Jail.

there was a Light & Sound show in three languages, and the one we got to was in hindi. lucky us! neither of us knew too much of hindi. dad can speak, mom can read, but none of us knew pure hindi, as was spoken during the show..the show was based on a narrative by a peepal tree that has been there since the time of construction of the jail... this tree seems to have seen all the tortures that the prisoners and freedom fighters were put through...the show was pretty boring, especially because we dint understand, and also because there was this hindi family behind us, constantly eating, chattering, giggling, and completely irritating..
this got over in an hour, and we left. got back to the hotel, had dinner and slept like logs...