sea,sand,sun &surf--- sea la vie

It had really been  a long time no sea...  so took  a jaunt to the magical archipelago of Andaman with a gang of gorgeous girls.The trip  kicked off on a wrong foot because of goof up by an  Air India staff at Delhi who mislabelled my baggage and dropped it at Vizag and I land in Port Blair with just a hand bag ...  But it definitely wrapped up with a baggage of pristine , enthralling, pellucid, tranquil and adventurous memories....

Portblair is a melting pot of diverse cultures of mainly W Bengal, Tamil, Telugu and Bihar ,the islands inhabited by indigenous tribes of Jarawa, Onges, Shamponi, Sentinelese are totally isolated and secluded. They still live in the iron age in the far away islands.

The main attraction of Portblair is the colonial prison , the Cellular jai, which is a sevenwinged three storeyed architectural marvel and painful reminder of the atrocities and brutality our freedom fighters have gone through,the light and sound show raises goosebumps and moisten the eyes.

Corvin Cobys beach is the busy humdrum beach in the city,and about 15 km away is the beautiful Wandoor beach which has the longest shore line and pristine ,untouched waters surging and shoving the shores. . Munda pahar beach in Chidya Tapu is a spectacular  sun set point in PortBlair, the beach is lined by the doddering  remains of giant trees which were uprooted in 2004 when Tsunami pummelled the island , entry in the water is prohibited here because of danger of crocodile s .other place worth seeing in PortBlair is the Ross island which we however missed as it was closed because of the President's visit to Andaman the same day which indeed was a bit of grinch.

Another place worth a visit is the Samudrika museum which gives a detail account of the diverse aquamarine life, flora fauna, tribes of Andaman n Nicobar. The mammoth corals and shells displayed are gobsmacking.

 The next leg of the tour lands us in the Havlock island( swaraj dweep) ,which is about ninety minutes ferry ride from PortBlair, the main places in this small island are the Radha nagar beach, Kalapathar beach and the Elephant beach..

Radhanagar beach is the seventh best beach of world ,one of the best blue flag beaches of Asia, I love to play with words but am really short of words to describe the splendour of the mesmerizing beach...the sun set here is a spectacle which can not be shrugged off ever from the memories, the beach is lined by tall lush green coconut trees , ,palm and areca nut trees. The breeze soughing through the verdant palm foliage ,  sonorous turquoise waves, shimmery white sand , air redolent with an uncanny freshness , the lapis bue sky above and watching  the orange fire ball going down into the sea, splashing molten copper across the horizon was the most unforgettable tranquil part of the trip.  The nerve endings are rekindled and rejuvenated . Strolling on the clear water, shuffling through shells and sands,  watching the twinkling light dancing  over it and the plenitude of sea creatures swaying on the shore.. the snails, crabs, fishes , star fishes, sea cucumber and small dead corals of varying shapes is a sight to behold and shell - I - brate and the spectacle scored in heart and soul for ever.

Kalapathar beach is another beautiful emerald beach and the waves lashing and lapping with turbulence. All the beaches are immaculate, unexploited, untouched . and have small markets selling the trinkets and souvenir you carry back home and palate teasing snacks are readily available .

 Our second day at Havelock unleashed our pent up adrenaline, a boat ride of half an hour takes us to the hub of water sports activities...the Elephant beach which is a paradise for adventure aficianado s, it has plenitude of exciting activities to par take in ranging from parasailing, under sea walking, snorkeling, jet skeing  and scuba. The vast expanse of eclectic  picturesque Andaman sea of Bay of Bengal with myriad shades ranging from black ,sapphire, emerald ,turquoise to crystal clear is a treasure trove of fishes,coral reefs and diverse marine life.

I have always always been fearful of water, a simple boat ride in Ganges was challenging let alone doing sports activities, I considered them totally out of my league, but a quaint  courage and boldness  overwhelmed, I was reminded of Katrina kaif s dialogue in ' ZNMD' where she tells Hrithik roshan to seize the day,usurp the opportunity and live the moment..." Bas saans lete raho"....while cajoling him for scuba diving .  Getting on in years, I thought this was a one time opportunity to experience the thrill. And whoa!  I find myself high above the waters having a bird's eye view of the endless waters, the parasailing was totally enjoyable, this was followed by snorkeling and scuba diving, it was a surreal moment , watching the colurful  stunning corals, resplendent fishes ,so close amid the teal waters, a magical manifestation of natures ability to create,thread and balance various life forms in space and time.Coral reef ecosystem is intricate, aesthetic and diverse.

 a dazzling sight ,though after about fifteen minutes felt a bit claustrophobic but the experience was thrilling and pinned to memory. Watching the exquisite landscape, stunning natural magnificence, Elephant beach is truly an adrenaline fuelled playfield for unleashing the thrill over and under the mysterious sea.It was unlike me doing such extraordinary daring thing,

The last leg of our trip takes us to the tiny Neil island ( Shahid dweep) , it has three main beaches namely Bharatpur, Sitapur and Lakshmanpur. Bharatpur beach  has pellucid turquoise waters with spangling sands and an appealing  market selling mainly pearls ,knick knacks and shell items,One can indulge in water sports here as well .

 Lakshmanpur is famous for the natural bridge also called Howrah bridge, it is beautiful huge arch made up of jutting coral  rocks and a hollow within ,formed over a period of thousand years by lapping of waves. Reaching here is possible only after a tedious walk over Rocky sharp outcrops of corals strewn all over, the shores are enriched with marine life .

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The ride through the Neil island is rejuvenating. It is a  beautiful boulevard lined by dense rainforests , hugged by  mangroves and dotted by  verdant dense banana trees , coconut  and variety of tall erect palms . However most attractive tree bieng the towering Sea Mahua,and Diddu trees which are in plenty. Padok is the state tree ,tallest amongst all and most expensive furniture carved out of it. And you can indulge in lipsmacking sea food specially array of prawns,crabs,lobsters and fishes,making it  no less than a delectable culinary sojourn .

 The last day at Neil takes us to Sitapur beach to watch the crack of dawn ,the vantage sight for catching the rising sun.It is a disarmingly silent beach except for the lashing of waves and thud of falling coconut s. with sparkling brown sand and teal blue waters. You find a soltary shack selling masala tea and coconut water. As the clock ticks 5 ,magic unfolds , the horizon is painted in various hues of red , spangling the waves in pink and peach, and gradually as the blazing sun rises  crimson , ochre ,golden hues bathe the ocean and suffuse brightness all over. This palette of vibrant colours has a magnetic spell and leaves one bessoted with the tranquil celestial phenomenon.

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So after six days of bedraggling in pristine azure waters, strolling along  the endless silvery shores, squelching through fine sands , driving through picturesque forests,  tryst with magical coral reef,  staggering vibrant tapestry of rich aqua  marine life  and witnessing  captivating golden hours, enraptured  _we leave the idyllic traveller s retreat, the land of milk and honey,  an eternal paradise of beauty  with tons of tan and loads of sea struck memories.