Andamans in a Nutshell

I am stuck with a crumbly 20 hours account and will gradually get around to a more detailed posting on 'Everything you Wanted to Know About Travelling to the Andamans But Were Too Clueless to Google'.

We just had 8 days in all and that was about 22 days too short:) I recommend Havelock and Redskin and a whole bunch of other places I couldn’t visit to anybody who loves the sea and snorkelling and diving. If you can’t swim. It’s not worth it…really.

Up: The roads from Vizag to Chennai: Smooth!!!!!
Down: The stretch where traffic was diverted – apparently hay dries best on highways

Up: Air Deccan
Down : The In-flight pamphlet they have the temerity to call a menu.

Up: We congratulate ourselves on grabbing seats on the left side. You get the best views from there.
Down: The view is obscured by clouds and visibility is 2 inches from my nose.

Up: Gorgeous, gorgeous Andamans awaits
Down:As do we –for the blessed ferry.

Up: Havelock all the way!!!! Our islander tout is super efficient.
Down: Only two places on the island accept Credit Cards. Both are appropriately ultra-expensive.

Up:Havelock’s Beach No 7. Firangs and calendar perfect views abound.
Down:Havelock’s Radhanagar Beach. Bongs and squalling kids abound.

Up:Havelock Stay - Eco Huts, Wild Orchid, Bay View… Barefoot for its aesthetic appeal.
Down:Barefoot Jungle Resort: 4 grand for a night and cornflakes for breakfast?

Up:Cellular Jail by day
Down: Cellular Jail by Night. It rained and rained and rained - they restarted the show thrice.'

Up: Ross Island and RedSkin: The fall of the Raj and awesome snorkelling respectively
Down: Jolly Buoy: Mostly coz it was closed for 6 months.

Up:The New Lighthouse at Port Blair
Down: The Taj - a Seafood Buffet and only fish on the menu

Up: Mt. Harriet, the breathtaking, amazing panoramic view
Down: The leeches you carry along with you to the top

Up: Elephant Bay on Havelock…the best place to sight coral and this gigantic fish that freaked me out (it wasn 't a ray)
Down: The hike to Elephant Bay: 2 kms of mud till my kneecaps. No one told us not to try this in the wet season.

Andamans and Crashed Cars

After having driven 8000 kms cross country over the worst terrain possible, our car gets smashed 800 metres from our house. The irony of it!

Ah well, the dreaded “new-car-meets-with-its-first-accident” jinx has been lifted. Anyway, to cut a long story short, Insurance is covering it and we might just make the weekend drive to Chennai - A place I abhor and try my best to avoid. But a necessary evil. Flights to Port Blair operate from there.

Anand unfortunately couldn't extend his leave, Air tickets shot through the roof and basically it means we have so skip Car Nicobar and Greater Andamans -

Our Andamans Schedule as of now - tentative to weather conditions, Air Deccan Delays, and general red tapism.
23 Sept Leave Vizag/Stay Vijayawada or Nellore
24 Sept Arrive in Chennai
25 Sept Air Deccan (2500X2) to Port Blair Cellular Jail (By Day and Night)
26 Sept Port Blair:: Corbyn Cove (sunrise), Chidya Tapu(sunset)
27 Sept Havelock and Neil Island
28 Sept Havelock and Neil Island
29 Sept Port Blair:: Mt Harriet
30 Sept Wandanoor/Jolly Bouy or Red Skin Island
01 Oct Jolly Bouy or Red Skin Island/Ross Island/Barren Island
02 Oct Baratang:: Mud Volcano/Limestone Caves
03 Oct Leave Port B/Arrive Chennai
04 Oct Leave Chennai/Arrive Vizag

A Hyd Break

We are becoming fairly proficient at long distance drives...this one was not much, barely 680 kms with the golden quadelateral covering a fair chunk of the way. We have got it down pat. No stopping for lunch, much on sandwiches on the wheel or take turns driving. At the most a loo break or a quick cup of coffee. We did Hyd to Vizag within 9 hours. Super 'cept we reached Hyd and subsequently got lost, took us two hours to find Bollaram in Secdb, mostly coz all the directions we got were contradicting. Phew! But good fun, just not sure if a 2 day vacation does justice for 2 days of driving (back and forth). Next stop Andamans and this time we leave the car behind. After the Coorg roadtrip, I had the most bizarre dreams - all seen through a windscreen in a fast blur. It's not pleasant getting dizzy in dreams. Looking forward to a 'sea' change:)

Vizag to Coorg -

I actually toyed with the idea of converting my '3000km road trip' diary into an online format - but hey even I can't read that drivel. I am still in the process of updating this...a few more days to go :) Btw Coorg-Mercara is gorgeous but best experienced post rains. It was far from cool but it was still fairly lush so we got our diesel’s worth.

22nd Feb (Vizag to Hyd)
• The closer you get to Hyd, the farther away you get acc to the signboards. The irony of it.
• Was floored by the most amazing structure (all bang in the middle of never-ending paddy fields) purportedly schooling India’s future engineers. One was inspired by the Sydney Opera House, I kid you not. The nearest decent theatre is 70 kms away - WOHA, I was never this enthusiastic about an education.

23rd Feb (Vizag to Hyd)
Chilled out with grandparents and forced 'em to consume cheesy pizzas which my grandpa secretly loves though he would never admit it being a staunch (and vocal) sambhar supporter.

24th Feb (Hyd to Mysore)
• Definitely the Reliance Pump stops and their massive A1 eateries. You can bathe there for 15 bucks. Being fairly clean skipped the privilege and stuck to the food - yum and dirt cheap :: HUGE Dosas for 10 bucks!
• NH7 runs through Bangalore, man what a cesspool, spend more than an hour trying to wriggle our way through the largest congestion of dinky cars I have ever seen.

25th Feb (Mysore)
Discover Nalpak and the yummiest coffee we have had so far. Pepe's (that's my friend's sis) authentic Coorgi wedding is mostly underway and OUR CAR is to be the bridal car. Sniff...what an honour. Everyone now knows us as the Vizag folk with 'that' car. The bride looks gorgeous!

HURRAH FOR COORGI WEDDINGS
Coorgi weddings are the way to go - amazing clothes, amazing food and booze unlimited - home made wine, home made Irish cream., fudge, cakes, no priest, most of the food cooked by family members..(there is even a veggie cutting ceremony).and best of all the actual ceremony lasts barely a few minutes. Oh and the elder who conducts the ceremony takes into consideration divorce as well...now that is progressive. Sorta a verbal pre-nup.

26th Feb (Mysore- Kodava/Coorg)
• Attend the wedding. Coorgies are marital folk and the boy's side have to swipe at three plantain stems with a single stroke of the sword to 'take away' the bride.
• Had to skip the lunch (WOE is me) mostly because it is accompanied by booze and we will be driving. Say our fond farewell to our friends, their folks and the pork-mutton-chicken-akki roti buffet.
• The 120 kms drive to Coorg is fabulous - spend some time hunting for the Coffee board plantation in obscure Chettali (20 kms from the capital Medikeri/Mercara and blessed with the most scenic routes in all of Coorg).
• If you know ANYBODY in the government, swing the deal and stay at the coffee board resthouse, it is fab even if the dining room smells of mothballs. We were the only ones there.

27th Feb (Coorg)
• The elephants at Dubare Elephant Training Camp are snoozing in the forest (cannot disturb em). Get duped by the boatman who ferries us across - he had shooed us away from the bridge of rocks that can get us across for no fee.
• While trying to decipher the Kannada roadsigns we stumble onto a lovely Cauvery enclosed island called NISARDHAMA (Hanging Bridge Pic below). Btw it is very very difficult to get grub outside the capital…and were compelled to head to the super snooty ORANGE COUNTY in desperation.
• They charge 8000 bucks for a night’s stay. JEEEEEEEZ - for fake Tudor cottages and a pool (??!!). It looks a bit llike a lego township but it is quaint and the grub decent (Mumbai rates).


28th Feb (Coorg - Mercara)
• The capital Madikeri (or Mercara) is where most tourists go which is why we wisely stayed away.
• The view from Raja’s is stunning, apparently you can see Kerala from there. In the olden days, you could also see mangled bodies – the Raja gave his enemies the ol’ heave-ho routine from here.
• Take a look at the parched Abbey Falls – a windfall for the guy who owns the coffee estate. He charges 20 bucks for parking, the falls are free. Btw in Kodava Abbey means falls so we saw Fall Falls ;P
• There are no tourism offices in Mercara, at least none that we could spot. The Coorg Trail office in Mercara is a treat – they book you into homestays, village stays, organise treks...
• ODing on Coorgi food we settle for Tao’s Chinese which is surprisingly good.


Ist March
• Shift base to Kutta – near the Nagarhole Tiger Sanctury. We are staying at Faith Cinchona Coffee estates, our hosts Maya and Prabhu Utthaya are adorable. Maya is the second woman I have seen in Coorg wearing a sari the Kodava way – mostly for our benefit. We wanted an authentic homestay

Snapshots

The Road from Sidapur-Chetali