Splendid blue is inspired by my latest discovery of my motherland
I could have just told people how my vacation was…. It was great! It was awesome! And blah blah blah …But I just did not want to describe it with a few sentences … that’s not me; probably, I could not do justice to what I experienced in a few excited words.
Day 1
5th August 2008
Destination: Chennai airport
Duration: 45 mins flying time
Chennai (Aka Mad for madras) one of the four metropolitan cities in India. This 350 year old city grew up under the huge influence of an English settlement of Fort Saint George,I hear, and with time absorbed the surrounding towns and villages. However, despite having a British influence, Chennai has been successful in retaining its traditional Tamil Hindu culture and have been able to provide a unique blend of foreign influence and Indian culture.
Ash( my sister)said Chennai!! I made a funny face and said oh the weather is horrible. It’s hot and humid. I couldn’t spend a minute. Climatic conditions of Chennai can be quite grueling. In Summer the temperature 37 °C - 21 ' C , believe me its way above that and add the Pollution not to scare my readers but the airport does have Air condition and is quite ok... I guess unless your stuck out side ;)
So we landed in Chennai around 10.00pm .. and had our connecting flight next morning at 5.00 am heading to Port Blair. We thought we would just catch up with one of Ash's old college friends who would keep us company for some time.
He was quite entertaining and kept talking about Rajni-Kanth, if you don’t know who he is then, I must say you are missing the most hilarious part of moving making,the stunts are fantabulous. People all over the state of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, worship him, when I say worship him, I really mean worship him.
Any way our time passed quite nicely on the outer benches which were in front of the airport … you could see people resting their tired bodies on the benches waiting for some one to arrive, probably some close relative, coming all the way for the Emirates bearing foreign gifts…. People in India I guess fancy gifts from abroad…. It’s a thing of pride I guess to have someone bring you a perfume or a swell velvet blanket that you can show of to your neighbors…. It always makes me smirk when people react to such gifts… but its fun I guess… it’s the whole idea if gifts that make people quite ecstatic.
So here we were on the bench waiting for our plane which bore the gift of taking u to a place we thought would be a great vacation spot .We had Fried Rice for dinner, mikie was kind enough to get us what ever he could find at that hour , I guess it was around 11.30 when we met him. We shared a few smokes, the passer by watched as we lit our cigarettes with a matches burrowed from a man two benches away sleeping , he woke up from deep sleep and was patient enough lend us a light.
So time passed by and it was time for Mikael to leave so we decided at last that we’ll just get in and probably find a quite corner for a power nap.
6th August
Destination still in Chennai ( blimey!! )
So its almost 2.30 am on the Wednesday Morning and we walk up the security guards checking tickets and as we approach them, one of the guys dressed in an ill fitted suit, wearing spectacles asked us where we were heading, and happily we chirped like early birds(we’re taking the Jetlite airlines to the Andaman islands yoo hoo !!) he gave a laugh like he said no you’re not an told us the flights were canceled... what! Canceled .. did i hear canceled ) I was gonna kill someone at that second
It was like a huge bomb on my head… I kept telling Ash that I could not believe what he was saying and I could not believe that we might have to actually turn around and go back to Bangalore… I wanted to scream and cry and laugh at the same time. I was dumbstruck with disbelief. We walked up to the jet lite counter the light were off , but there was a guy at the reservation counter thank god for us , sad for him , he was quite clueless when the guy in the suit confirmed if the flight was still on , and he again re-confirmed the same to us .. It was exactly like the bomb blasts in Bangalore which was more like teasers.
We had no choice but to call our travel agent, she took some time to wake up regain composure and understand what was going on. Ash had to explain the whole issue to her twice and she assured us that everything will be fine.
FYI only :There are two other airlines which fly to Port Blair, our very own Indian Airlines and of course ‘Simply fly Deccan. The airlines which got taken over by the King of good times “Kingfisher airlines”.
Any way we get the flight tickets changed and then the flight is delayed due to bad weather or something. We complete security checks etc and there we’re waiting for the flight. Then we settle in our seats and at last the flight takes off. Yay! 2.5 hours later BHAM!! we land with a thud…. I hate landings. But anyway its almost 10.00 I the morning we gladly find our way out of the hotel and the first thing is a guy with a red wind sheater… waiting for us with almost lazy look on his face… its none other than our good newly found friend “flyhigh Xave” . We are very happy to see a familiar face after some useless waiting time.
6th August
10.30 am
Xave gives us three Option of getting to “Wandoor” it’s about 1.5 hours from portblair Airport to wandoor (ANET research center) . So the options are simple
Cab 500, Auto (Indian tuk tuk ) 300 and Local bus 10 rupees. He he we go for the Auto and bargain our way out and settle for 250 Rs. The whole travel plan is how we can survive on minimal wastage of money, but then we treat ourselves to a auto ride after a log dreadful wait at the Chennai airport.
ANEt(Andaman and Nicobar Environmental Team): It was beautiful and nostalgic, just like my Gram’s house in Managalore. We talked excitedly of all the summers we have spent their.
As soon as you enter the 4 feet wide gate you see the beautiful big Cottage space Anet uses it like a sanctuary for Books which is on the first floor and below them it’s like a museum of different things ranging from the A& N tribes to the types of animal species you find. They also have a Television where you can watch some great documentary on herpetology.
Romulus Whitaker the Croc man as they call him was the one to set this place up before he returned to Uk. The famous herpetologist who has dedicated his life to saving the endangered species of the rainforest. Specially the King Cobra the prided and venomous of the south India.
Check this out : http://behlabhishek.wordpress.com/2008/08/03/worlds-biggest-crocodile-report-by-rom-nik-whitaker/
Anyway we think of checking out the place first, all I have on my mind is a shower and then some nice hot tea… but all my plans as usually go the other way around around. So we have tea first and then some nice simple lunch and off we go exploring. Shower can wait I think to myself. We got introduce to Naveen who was the official cook, a young, very shy with a sweet smile boy from jarkahd Montoo the care taker the first one to arrive in Anet after it was purchase by Mr. Whittaker, we meet "Ague" the brave survivor of the tsunami (I believe he survived for almost 15 days in the water with broken shoulder and some how escaped death.) , we meet John Saw who is the sweetest looking man quite & very pleasant manner.
After the introductions , Xave shows us a Boat which they have been working on. he sounds quite excited about the whole thing and thinks of colors he can pain the boat and how beautiful it will looks while it make its debut sail. Then we enter the mangrove or let me says what’s left of it.
It’s an unbelievable site and guess what theirs more in store for Ash and I. So we walk across this muddy mangrove which was destroyed during the Tsunami, approximately 4 years back, it made the world news, I guess just like 9/11, but this was purely mother nature’s doing, like she was teaching us a lesson for destroying her with man made inventions, the topic of discussion between Xave and I was quite intense and Ash was busy being awed by the sight and trying her photography skills. I kept chatting up Xave who again is a quite guy , but always laughing about something, like he is constantly watch a comedy show on TV or something , I gaze at the surroundings in wonderment , at tall uprooted trees , I’m not kidding you but I had never see such a sight in all my life.
We spent a good amount of time near the beach and made plans for next day while we also regretted the fact that we did not have smoke nor beer to wile away some time and cherish the quite we were experiencing. We spent time climbing rocks, some I could not climb, and realizing the fact that I was the least fit person in the group, which kind of made me think of doing something about my fitness, and I made a mental note to ensure I come back and start a fitness routine and try to last out the plan this time at least.
I cringe at the thought of getting of back to normal life, work, parents, and dreadful conversations of marriage and how time was running out. I shook my self off all those thought and tried to enjoy the present. Probably got a head rush of what I saw. It was getting dark so we walked lazily back to Anet. A day well spent
So we sit around for sometime and check out the library and have some more tea.Its time for a nice bath and guess what Ash and I are shit scared. Its pitch dark trees all around. To get to the hut is about a 100 m walk across a narrow path. And only a torch to accompany us. We are safe in our room and in record time.
Time for a shower I feel icky and sweaty. So I tell ash to stand out while I take a shower, alert like an owl looking everywhere in the bathroom searching for creatures which might jump out and surprise me to death. I almost laugh at what is happening to Ash outside, who just has a torch with her. She makes conversations and we talk about how scared we’re. We repeat the same thing while she takes a shower, its chilled water so I hear her squeal when she makes contact with water. Anyway its time for some more chai (tea). So of we go again all scared making our way back to the dining room. We glide as if flying in the air , or the next thing I know I might be shitting in my pants , and a reptile staring at my face. I shit you not that place was infested with Vipers!!
We meet Hari at the dining table, and he is a herpetologist as well. Thanks reptile world. Hari is in his own world most of the times I hear, hailing from derahdun up north another beautiful hill station, but he is from kerala another southern state famous for its back waters. We bombard him with questions like eager children waiting to hear a scary story all wide eyed and huddled together. And then Bham! he says “I have some snakes in my room would you like to see them ?“ my heart starts beating faster and I say , are you kidding me!! but ash wants to see it and he smiles at us and how horrified we’re thinking about harmless creature (snakes) anyway this is what he gets fist a dirty brown 5 ft long “Pit wiper” he lays it down and it moves like a belly dancer , and I shit you not it creeps me out , I have goose bums ,I show it to zave and he laughs at us .
Then comes the the small baby pit wiper and a baby wolf snake in a two small food boxes, with holes on top. One is a dangerous venomous snake and the other is not. So zave get the wolf snake out and starts petting it gently , I’m just a spectator in this whole drama. Ash is close to zave and wants to do the same , the snake takes the liberty of hissing and then going for the kill , at Xavei hand and we all laugh as we comically imagine how the snake might break its fangs , anyway ash gets a chance now to pet it , she does well , and then I summon up my courage to start petting it , I try once and as it creeps up my hand give me the willey's when i think of it now , I ask xave to take it back and then I go for it again , the snakes tries to bite my finger the middle one and I scream , and scare ash as well .
We see another snake called the Bronze back , its quite interesting to watch hari and Xave handles the snake , but I have had enough , I regret that I have not taken any pics, So we sit our self's to dinner which is simple dal rice and some sabji (a typical Indian meal of lentils , vegi's ). Its yum and we’re happy and tired, scared, awed all at the same time. We get back to the hut and off we go to bed, three things I remember, 1. Scary dream, 2.hurting my knee and 3. I wake up in Ash’s bed phew!!....
7th August:
Destination: from Wandoor to Have lock island
We have breakfast chill for a while, read some books and then head out to the island. Its almost a 2 Km trek to the bus stop. Bus fair is 10 Rs, to get to the port Blair Jetty. 195rs or 275 rs for the ferry which will take you to have lock. We got the 275 one and decided to sit on top of the ferry instead of inside. I would probably puke with all the swaying of the boat.
So we find our selves a nice little corner and put our back packs down. It’s an nice place to watch the waves as the crash into each other and to the boat. We look at the beautiful blueness of the water. A splendid navy blue and loads of white foam, like a bucket full of water mixed with detergent. It’s a slow ferry and Wala!! 3.5 hours later we’re in the beautiful island of Have lock. I make a wish that I could stay here forever.
The rest is history … All I say to my readers is .. if you're passionate about traveling .. then keep in mind that “A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.” Go figure.......
some pics from have lock
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