Catching the Tern's trail

Supposed to be another expedition in the wilderness and beaches, my journey in Andaman and Nicobar islands turned out to be much more. History, architecture, museums of Port Blair followed by the arguably best beaches of Asia at Havelock islands were a sumptuous treat to my soul and body. Eyes on the uninvolved lives of "Jarawas" and fingers on the social network does question where we are coming from and where we are heading. The answer, then, was Neil.

Filched off en voyage to Neil island, I spent the next few days in a modest hut with the courteous fishermen. The ephemeral isolation with no network coverage eventually seemed perpetual happiness. Beautiful beaches with links to Ramayana had a noble air about them. Next day was the diving day. A bit curious, a bit nervous, I dived into the ocean with anxiety. Scuba Diving to deep crevasses, the beauty and the darkness, the silence and the struggle of each pounding heart to see another moment made me appreciate every breath and beat that passed by. Life, indeed, meant that spark in the eye for the next spectacle of mother nature.

Jaunting around the tranquil land on a bicycle, just when i thought i had seen all the colours of this painting, Guddu (thence my friend) along with his schoolmates showed me the way to the cocooned wonder, owing to the Tsunami wreckage. The trek en route amidst the forest embraced me with the chitter-chatter, pitter-patter and the hisses of all kinds. Every individual’s unhurried way of doing things added to the serenity of the picturesque beauty. Upon reaching the hidden mollusc of this shelly island, I condoled the lenses that missed this wonder of the island. The landscape with its craftily destructed flora did add to Tsunami’s artwork in an otherwise villainous resume. Humming birds, buzzing bees, crawling crabs and the chipper buds alleviated the melancholy verdure of the heavenly hell. Snorkelling the unknown waters, I explored the magnificent treasures of the ocean viz. reefs, octopus and the daffy clownfish. I can’t thank guys enough for the “khubh bhaalo” experience, climbing a coconut tree. It is a lot easier said than done. Returning to my palatial hut, I knocked off the day with a few "Arracks". Bidding adieu to the land of seemingly effortless lives, I went on to turn another page in my journey.