A
person gets used to being alone but break it just for a day and you have to get
used to it again, all over from the beginning ~ R Bach
Isolated, untouched and far from the
madding crowd…the beaches is where we spent our max time, clearly looking to
escape the world- couldn’t have asked for a better haven. Beach view villas,
sun shimmering off the waters, coconut trees swaying in the breeze. An eternal
love affair with nature, where harmony was alive in larger than life size.
Laid back, not partying (other than some few spontaneous one’s we chanced
upon) Andaman n Nicobars are a world class eco friendly destination. Spread
across 500 some islands dotted like a pearl neckpiece in the Bay of Bengal,
showing off hilly green topography, crystal clear water and silvery sand
beaches. Our flight reached us to Port Blair a cosmopolitan harbor town, where,
we snorkeled and spotted coral reefs of Wandoor. The magic of nature is so
alive and dancing in this part of the world, that it lures you, to come
discover it more.
It rained through
the first half of our trip, but the rest of the days we had glorious sunshine
from 530am onwards. I don’t have the faintest clue why people say one must not
watch the sun setting, ever, but here, in Andaman if you miss it, it’s like
missing natures sublime miracle.
The sun sets red and
heavy, in a perfect blazing circle, dropping in slo-mo into the waters, the sky
colours are so indescribable and spectacular! Glorious nature. And once the
pyrotechnics get over, the stars came out one by one, the sky becomes diamond
crusted shimmer. Such a must visit destination for the weary soul to bond with
nature, once again.
I generally try to keep my distance from
the usual touristy locales to avoid the hustling. So, true to form, our sea
fare was pre booked and we didn't see no jostle to buy our tickets to
make our way to Havelock from Port Blair. The boat ride had options
of air conditioned
push back seats or sitting in the open deck allowing the sea breeze to embrace
us completely. The waters of Bay of Bengal are a deep deep indigo, a color one
seldom associates with ocean waters and India. Infact the waters very often turned
turquoise as we moved closer to the islands. Our appetite for the beach and the
swimming ahead certainly whetted, if the weather Gods didn’t play temperamental...
Once at Havelock we made our way to Beach
5 ( by some quirky Brit identification system, all beaches in this part are
numbered!) – and that was the beginning of an idyllic travel through Gods
nature. Picture postcard perfect locales. The waters stayed low (mostly), one
could walk in quite a bit, crystal clear, allowed you to gaze right upto your
feet below. It was heavenly to swim in such calm waters. We treaded water,
lazed and gazed around at the coconut, palm fringed beach
- wondrous experience.
One of those sun
filled mornings, I put myself to some use, saw the first light creeping in the
sky, everything looked ethereal n silent. Not a soul stirred in sight. The
beach, the sands, the waterline at the horizon everything had a washed up look.
I sat there with my notebook and my camera on one such washed up rock allowing
the water to lap at my feet gently, didn’t take a single picture, didn’t write
a single word. It all happened inside the mind and heart and soul. I have no
words to describe the sheer magic of that moment. Tinged copper water, bathed
every part of the isle golden, can never forget it. There onwards dawned peace
with myself, totally calm, without any war inside my head.
Beach#7 has been described by many as 1 of
the most beautiful beaches on earth, there is no doubt on that, it takes your
breath away. We walked on soft white sand along side the mangroves, found a
spot in the shade of the palms to sit down for the day with loungers and sun
deck chairs some distance away, if we wanted to be among the other guests on
the beach. And all we did often was sit in quiet and take it all in. Just be.
The water here has many shades- the white of the surf, its green at the shallow
end, turquoise a lil further up and majestic indigo at the deep end. Never seen
such colours before in nature. Beach 7 (Coral Island) is dotted with mangroves
(some call them the jungles) providing sylvan surroundings for
the adventurous traveler to spot the deer, peacock and many variety
of exotic birds.
Breakfast was always late and more often
than not on the beach, nursing a fragile head, but that never stopped us from
washing down bottomless brunches, with bunkam banter, countless sangria
pitchers... 2012 reflected many promises
Days merged into each other, with better
time spent on the sands and water. Evenings spent at a local pub with an
eclectic crowd of varying nationalities. We had hired a bike, were free to move
about at our own pace and
free will, through country roads tarred and non tarred. The landscape was
dotted with thatched roof homes, cattle in the front yard, fields of green
smelling of soil n grains in the sun with rains having washed it the previous
night. The hay for the cattle pitched up like a mound, small ponds with water
lilies, locals on mopeds n bicylces traversing long journeys. Cliché it may
seem, but all these clichés came alive for me - lost in a different forever
One day I ventured into the high seas with
the local fishermen in their country boat fitted with a diesel engine. Barring
the fumes from the engine which are not quite conducive to existence, and the
boat feeling like a paper boat on the waters rocking and lurching roughly, it
was some experience; when the engine was cut off, and the boat swayed gently in
the deep waters, while they threw their fishing nets to capture the days catch.
This encroachment risks exposing the
Jarawa to diseases to which they have no immunity, and creating a dependency on
outsiders. Poachers steal the game the Jarawa rely on, and there are reports of
sexual exploitation of Jarawa women. Unfortunately Tourism is also a threat to
the Jarawa, with tour operators driving tourists along the road through the
reserve every day in the hope of ‘spotting’ members of the tribe. Despite
prohibitions, tourists often stop to make contact with the Jarawa. When will
India learn its lessons? These are an integral parts of our DNA, we need to
safeguard and protect such tribes, and not use them for exhibiting merely
because the tourists have the muscle power of money.
A word of caution to all those who depend hugely on their connectivity. The islands are not very conducive to mobile phone connectivity. The network always played havoc no matter which auto roaming operator one chose, so for calls the best and most reliable solution would be the STD booth or the hotel phones.
My ask ... soak it in, when at Andaman,
but, allow it to remain, untouched for generations to know the magic of nature
here.
