Andaman: an adventure in the tropical paradise..

Clean white sand beaches, azure blue waters, tall green trees and very little population.. We were really looking forward to this little paradise in middle of Bay of Bengal.. More importantly we were looking forward to the scuba diving course we had booked.. Little did we expect that we'll be greeted by cloudy skies, torrential rains, choppy seas, canceled boats, planes getting lost in storms and a very bad stomach infection.. I'll come to all that later... Plan was to spend a few days in Port Blair, go little towards Northern Andaman and finally to Havelock Island and do the open water scuba course. The trip started with a delayed flight from Delhi. We landed in Port Blair as the sun was just setting. As soon as we stepped out of the plane we were welcomed by rain. It wasn't heavy and passed quickly. I hoped that this was a passing shower and we would get the sun and sand that we had come for. We had booked the stay and tours in port Blair from Delhi itself so our driver was waiting for us when we landed. The travel agency used was Andaman Excursions. The driver dropped us at our hotel, J Hotel. It was a small but clean hotel in the middle of the main market, Aberdeen Bazaar. The room we got had very dim lighting and the AC was not working. Our travel agent intervened and got us upgraded to a better room. In the evening we set out in search of vegetation food. Not far from our hotel was Anapurna restaurant, one of the very few good options available. the empty streets of the Aberdeeen Bazaar.. The food in Andaman is expensive but the taste is good everywhere. Next day we left at 4am. It had been raining at night. Again my fingers were crossed. The destination was Baratang, which is the gateway to north Andaman. To reach there one has to pass through restricted forests which are inhabited by a local tribe called Jarawa. This tribe is still untouched by civilization and lives off the land. They are not very appreciative of outsiders encroaching their space. So government allows passage through the forest only in conveys which are allowed to go at 6am and 8am everyday. After a 1.5 hr journey from Port Blair we reached the check post at the beginning of the forest. There was a huge line of cars and buses. We filled the permit form and got our ids checked. At 6am the convey stated. We drove through thick forests with huge trees towering over the road. Stopping and clicking photos is not allowed. For the first half an hour i searched the forests very keenly hoping to catch glimpse of the tribals. I had read that Jarawa were of Negroid origin and had red eyes. After some time the sleep took over and I slept rest of the way. After the forests ended there was a jetty and a car parking. From here the tourists can catch a boat to Baratang. The big boats can also transport the cars across. Our driver had already arranged the tickets. first view of the blue waters and more importantly no rain.. After a 10mins boat ride, we reached the Baratang jetty. There is a counter there which sells the tickets for the speed boat ride to see the Mangroves and Limestone caves. As soon as the ferry docks, the drivers of the taxis run to take the ticket. After some wait we got the tickets and boarded the speed boat. The ride was for 30-40mins. The sun was out and water & skies were at their bluest best..

After some time we slowed down and entered a dense mangrove cluster. There were roots everywhere and just enough space for 2 boats to cross each other. The boat dropped us in the middle of the mangroves. From here we had a to walk 1.2kms to the limestone caves. the walk was through dense tropical forests with gigantic trees all around. and tall bamboo bushes.. it was hot and it is advisable to carry water along. after half an hour or so we reached the caves there were tall limestone walls with big enough opening for to walk through them the stalactite and stalagmites had formed various shaped. some looked like conches other like faces of humans. one was shaped like head of Lord Ganesh. after some photos we walked back through the jungles.. and reached the mangroves. the roots in the trees are so badly jumbled that impossible to figure out which tree a root belongs to. this time we had to walk through a raised platform going through mangroves and meet the boats outside it.. as we started back, we could see black clouds coming in. it started raining, as we reached the Baratang jetty. when the ferry docked, we ran in to take a sheltered place. then we took the next ferry to the other side where our car was parked. it was really pouring hard by then.. as ferry reached the other side, the rain stopped and we dint get rain rest of the way. the journey from Baratang through the reserve forests is also in convoys. the first one is at 12 noon and the second one at 2pm. We reached back till 11:30 and took the 12pm convoy. the journey was uneventful and we slept most of the time. by the time we reached Port Blair, we were damn hungry and immediately went to Annapurna. after that we rested a bit in the hotel. In the evening we went to see the light and sound show at the Cellular Jail. we reached a bit early which was good because by the time the entry started, there was long line. bus loads of people were being dropped for the show. As we were among the first few to enter, we got good front row seats. there are 2 shows in the evening, one in Hindi and other in English. On Sundays the shows are only in Hindi and so are dialogues spoken by Britishers in the voice over. the show covers the history of the island specifically that of the jail and recounts the tortures carried out by the British on its prisoners. clicking photos is not allowed during the show so i took some at the end.. next day i woke up at 5am to capture the sunrise. previous day when asked my travel agent about the best vantage point, he himself offered to send the driven in the morning. the driver was there at 5 sharp. he took me on the road running along the sea to a place which has a good view of the sunrise and benches to view it from. Unfortunately there were clouds which completely ruined the view.. i waited for more than 40mins but the clouds dint move and i wasn't even sure if the sun had already risen or not. Disappointed, i started back for the hotel. I had seen a spot on the way from where i could get a good view of the sea. i stopped there to click photos of the waves crashing against the rocks.. To my pleasant surprise the clouds drifted a bit and there was the sun.. and this happened right when it was just rising.. Content, i came back and slept. we had gotten only 2 days booking in this hotel, so we had booked in another hotel for a day. at 12 we checked out and shifted to Fortune Bay Hotel.. this was a much better property with an awesome view. the hotel claims that the view from their premises is the one which is printed on the Rs.20 note. i let you judge for yourself. the lighthouse... in the evening we went to see the sunset at Chidiya Taapu. its actually not an island as the name says. its the southernmost tip of Andaman where there is a small beach called Munda Pahar beach. the iron throne is mine!!! sadly we dint get much of the sunset.. there were clouds blocking the view.. the beach and the clouds.. next day we had booked a Makruzz catamaran for Havelock. Catamarans ran twice a day and took less time than the government ferries which ran every 2-3hours. when we woke up the weather wasn't too good. it was cloudy and by the time we checked out and reached the jetty, it had started drizzling. cars were not allowed inside he jetty. the passengers had to take a shuttle bus. when we were waiting for the bus, we overheard the drivers talking about sea being very rough and the catamaran might not be able to make the journey. we had booked a 3 day diving course in Havelock and any delay would have not left us enough time to complete it. we waited for the shuttle bus to come.. time seemed to have stopped.. the scheduled departure for the boat passed but still no shuttle.. had we missed the last shuttle and had the boat left without us?? or the boat was actually getting cancelled?? the winds were getting stronger.. finally the bus came and we bid good bye to our driver. it dropped us and the luggage at a waiting area were we checked-in. the boat was ready to be loaded but the sky in the background dint look very encouraging.. slowly everyone boarded and we started towards Havelock.. finally!! now diving was on.. after 10 minutes, the ride started getting bumpy.. the waves started getting bigger and bigger and the boat was rocking left to right.. many people vomited, i was not feeling too well myself. after few minutes the captain came announced that going forward was not safe and that we were turning back. another half an hour of bouncing and pitching we reached back. stepping out of the boat and setting foot on land was a big big relief.. it took me a few minutes to get re-accustomed to solid land beneath my feet. the sky looked worse than the morning.. i called up the travel agent and asked if he could get us any hotel accommodation. at once he offered to come to the jetty and pick us up. i really appreciated this as we had concluded our deal with him and he din't have to personally come to help us now. he also advised us to take the 3pm government ferry to Havelock. it was a bigger and heavier boat and could stand against the waves better. we decided to take the chance and he booked us on the ferry. we had a around 4-5hours to pass. he promptly offered to leave the driver with us. we visited the anthropology museum and the local handicrafts museum. the museums were boring but the handicrafts museum had a wonderful shop with lots of local handicrafts (if you love shopping).. after lunch at Annapurna (again!!), we reached the jetty again. the weather had cleared up a bit and we were hoping this boat will not get cancelled. after a long wait, the ferry arrived and we boarded. many people on the boat were our co-passengers from morning's cancelled catamaran. the boat started. till it was in the channel near the island, the ride was smooth. as it entered the open sea, the pitching and rolling started. but the ride was not as bumpy as in the catamaran and it seemed we will make it this time. the whole way i was praying for weather to improve. the movement was causing sea sickness and food inside my stomach was trying very hard to go against gravity. i resisted stubbornly and tried very hard to focus on Linkin Park playing in my ears. it did help. after 2.5hours of discomfort and distress, the ride became very smooth. we could see land nearby.. soon we reached the Havelock jetty and i thanked all the gods for the completion of the journey and in the right destination. the stomach dint share my enthusiasm and was paining. Later i ended up with a severe stomach infection. the sun was setting as we reached Havelock.. we had booked the stay at dive india itself where we were doing the diving course. the accommodation was a very basic tent with a bathroom and a bed. after the boat journey, it dint matter. we just crashed in. next day morning, we began the diving course. first day was just snorkeling and tests to check if we had done the theory properly. it was still windy and the waves were strong. so the snorkeling lesson dint go as smoothly it was supposed to go. me and my wife kept getting pushed in different directions and the instructor had a tough time keeping us near him to give instructions. ultimately we did manage to float properly and use the fins to move around. after that he showed us how to set up our scuba equipment. rest of the day we spent lazing around the beach, enjoying the scenery. the blue-green waters.. the white sand beaches the tall green trees in the evening we slept early. next day i had to report at 7am for the first diving lesson. in the morning the instructors took us to a site where water was about 15 feet deep. we were told to go into the water and wear our equipment. i dont know swimming too well and have never been in more than 6ft of water. being in open sea with strong waves pushing me and feet not touching the ground was scary. once i was focusing on my equipment and when i looked up i realized i was very very far from the group and being swept towards deeper sea. my heart almost leaped to my mouth. i dint know how to swim so i was helplessly floating in the waves which were taking me away from the group. thankfully the instructor noticed and he swam to me and pulled me back to the group. then we all held the anchorline of the boat. there were 6 of us and 2 instructors. the instructors briefed us on how we would be descending down till the ocean floor and what all exercises we would be doing. we held the line and descended. now i was totally inside the water and it was more scary. i was breathing heavily. the instructor could make out my fear by the amount of bubbles that were coming out of my regulator. he helped me settle on the ocean floor and made sure i was ok. staying down on the ocean floor was not easy. if i took as big breath, the oxygen in my lungs made me rise up towards the surface. i had to completely breath out and then control how much i was inhaling/exhaling. and doing that when i was that scared was almost impossible. holding on to rocks or each other we somehow managed to sit on our knees on the ocean floor. then we did the exercises like taking out our mask & regulator, retrieving it and clearing the water after putting them back. the turbulence in the sea was stilling the white sand on the floor and making the water muddy and so the visibility wasn't that good. our moving around on the floor was stirring up more sand and adding to the problem. soon visibility got really bad and i could only see the person right next to me. one time i drifted a little away and only thing i could see was milky water all around. i got so claustrophobic, that i decided i couldn't go on. when the instructor found me, i told him i wanted to go up. thankfully he dint understand my signal otherwise my scuba diving days would have ended before they began. after 1 more exercise we came up. i was pretty shaken and almost on the verge of quitting. we reached the dive school by 12 and i was so tired that i immediately fell asleep. later in afternoon, we met our friends Shamik & Nadya who were also in Andaman for diving. infact they were also staying in dive india and had recommended the place to us. there were many local restaurants around. it was difficult to find a place which dint smell of fish but we managed to do so. food in Havelock was good like it was in Port Blair.
through out the day i was thinking about the experience underwater. next day was the actual diving. when i was so scared at 15ft depth, how would i manage at 50ft which we would be doing later. but this is what i am here to do. after so much struggle in reaching Havelock, i couldn't quit now. the fear dint go but i decided to try one more time...
next morning again i got up early and left for diving. we went to a dive site named Peel. the waters there were very calmer and it was less scary. also i was now determined to complete the dive. again we went down and did some more exercises. determination was overcoming fear and i was getting more comfortable inside the water. i was also getting better control over my breathing and buoyancy. after an hour we came up and got back on the boat. next dive was at a dive site called Lighthouse. we suited up again and went down. this dive had less exercises and more sight seeing. we saw lots of sea life including our friend Nemo (clown fish). although i was still struggling with breathing and buoyancy, i enjoyed exploring the new world around me. this wasn't scary at all!! i can do this!!! soon the oxygen in the tank became low and we were forced to come out. this time we had gone to a depth of 30-35ft underwater. it was an amazing experience.. after coming back, i took my wife to a small shack near our dive school for lunch. this was recommended by Shamik and indeed the food was very good. it was a proper home cooked meal and after days of having restaurant food, we really relished it .. in the evening we hired a scooty and went for a ride down the road. after a few kms we reached the Kala Pathhar beach. this was an almost empty beach with a few coconut water vendors. we spent some time strolling along the beach in the white sand, collecting the coral and shells washed onshore. the locals strictly forbid picking up anything from water or shore. they say that even the dead coral lying on the beach serve a purpose and removing then disturbs the ecosystem. as it started getting dark, we returned to dive india. earlier in the morning my wife had booked us for a kerala massage for 8pm. sharp at 8, we reached the following place the massage was relaxing but a bit disorienting. the whole body felt weirdly light. after a quick dinner at the jetty we came back. next day was the last day of diving. i was to do my certification dives. again got up early and left for the dive. sun rising through the trees.. the first dive was at ***** and the second at The Wall. today i was somehow not able to control my buoyancy. Twice i almost floated to the surface but managed to turn back and come down. The Wall as the name suggests is a huge rift in the ocean floor which falls vertically down. the whole wall is teeming with coral and fish life. also you could just sit in one place and see shoals of fish moving around. at regular intervals the bigger predators swim through eating the smaller fish. this was just awesome. how i wish i could do underwater photography. our instructor did have an underwater camera and he clicked a few videos and images of us. #### video from gopro ######## your truly.. the depth in last dive was over 50ft. this is the maximum depth an open water diver is certified to go. the last dive seemed to get over pretty fast (even though we were underwater for an hour). after coming back to the dive school, i started bidding good bye to the lovely island. next day we took the government boat to Port Blair. This time we dint take a risk with the catamaran. the sea was calm now and the ride was less dramatic. we could even stand outside.. from Port Blair, we took the flight to delhi and thus ended a thrilling yet thoroughly enjoyable trip..