Papu Mashi the nomad: May 2016

LAKSHADWEEP

Tiny specks of islands scattered in the Arabian sea. In a google map with the satellite mode, it is clear that there are ridges on the plain smooth Indian continental shelf extending right upto the equator almost as a straight line. Where ever the ridge tip peeps out of the sea, an island with lush coconut trees appear. Can these tiny ridges above the sea level be a beautiful picture at close quarters? I travelled to Lakshadweep recently and fell in love with the island. “Lakshadweep” means hundreds of islands. It is a short flight of one and half hour in a small “propeller plane” from Kochi Airport to Agatti. I took the window seat to get a birds’ eye view of the approaching island. I had thought that the island was just big enough for a runway. But that is not the case. Agatti Island is a long strip of land, straight as an arrow, with a small airport and runway built on one end of this strip of land. The rest of the long island has a thriving village with houses , shops, schools colleges, hospitals and boat jetties. From the air, the visual was just spectacular. A line of deep green (formed mainly by coconut trees and Casuarina trees) flanked by near white strip of sand, surrounded by an elliptical band of turquoise blue water, a white line of breaking waves bordering this ellipse , and all this embedded in the deep aquamarine blue sea like an exotic jewel.

Most of the passengers were tourists and a few were the locals who keep the connection with mainland India by this Air India flight. Another way of communication with the mainland is by ships. The tours of these islands are arranged by the SPORTS (Society for Promotion Of natuRe Tourism and Sports ) organization and are strictly regulated. This is because the eco system here is delicate and the best way to preserve it is to limit the human footprint. The airport is small and just big enough to cater to this small number of passengers that transit through it daily. Soon we had our bags and back packs with us and were on our way into the Agatti Island village. We were driven in a “Maruti Van” to a house where lunch was arranged for about 10 or 15 tourists. Then we were divided according to the islands that we had planned to visit and guided to the respective speed boats at the jetty. Some of us were travelling to Bangaram Island and some of us were scheduled for Kadmat island. Some of the major islands of this union territory are, Minicoy, Amini, Agatti, Kavaratti, Kadmat, Kiltan, Kalpeni, Chetlat, Bitra, Andrott and Bangaram. One requires special “permits” to visit each of these islands and some islands are out of bounds for tourists. The SPORTS organization arranged for a “permit” for me and two of my friends , for Kadmat. So we boarded the speed boat that would take us to Kadmat. Our fellow passengers were a French family of five and a Canadian couple. There were two long benches in the partially covered region of the boat and a few cane chairs at the stern. One of my friends chose to sit on the “Bow-rider” and I sat on a cane chair along with my other friend and the rest of us were comfortable on the two benches and the sides of the boat. We thought that the journey to Kadmat would take two hours. But it actually took four hours to reach the jetty at Kadmat. The initial two hours passed off well. The boat was speeding off from the green coconut tree groves and the white beach of Agatti Island . The boat passed over the coral strip of Agatti and soon the turquoise blue was far away and we were in the deep aquamarine blue sea. For a long time I enjoyed the deep blue around me and the gushing wind on my face. After about two hours I could see two long islands at a distance. I learnt later that we had passed Bangaram Islands. These islands soon disappeared from our line of sight and again I could see only the sea till the horizon. At this point my stomach started churning and I felt sea sick. I lay down on the bench and kept my gaze on the horizon in an effort to ease my uneasiness. That is when I felt the need for a better equipped motor boat. The head cover was too small and not good enough against the hot tropical afternoon sun and the toilet was rudimentary for the long four hour journey. Well I did endure the next two hours by dosing off.

We arrived at the Kadmat Island jetty at 5 O’clock in the evening. The people from the resort welcomed us with a drink--- green-coconut water. Our luggage was unloaded from the speed boat and we were guided to our individual cottages spread out on the white sand of the resort. The cottage allotted to me looked just like the cottage that I dreamt of as a child, the picture that I drew with crayons----red tiled roof with a tall coconut tree with swaying leaves arched over it. The picture was complete with a small boat parked next to the tree and of course the blue water seen in the background. The room was not grandly furnished but had all the necessities. There was a large bed with clean bed sheet and other clean white linen. The room had a small hanger for clothes and a small table. The attached bathroom was clean and neat with fresh flowing water available. The small square verandah had two cane chairs and a cane coffee table and a sea view to die for. The long French windows of the room opened on to the beach and the sea. This was my home for the next four days.

The beach was nearly a private beach, with just a few tourists housed at the resort. The four days were wonderful slow paced idyllic days. All I did was eat, sleep and walk on the sand , splash about the crystal clear water and enjoy natures’ colors. Kadmat island is a long strip of land and the resort area is the narrowest. So one can view the sun rise on one beach, and see the sunset on the other beach that is just a few meters apart. Well I suppose we were living on the beach because the cottages were built on this beautiful off white sand. I walked barefoot all day long. The sand was clean. Each time I entered the dining hall or my room I washed the sand off my feet at the fresh water taps that was evenly distributed all around the resort. I watched the golden–red sun rise in the mornings with its dancing reflection in the clear sea. I watched the sun set in the evening , again with dancing reflection of the setting orange sun in the clear water. During the day I collected vividly colored and gorgeously patterned shells , snails , mussels, oysters and bleached coral pieces as I walked along the beach. The two shades of blue sea spread out in front of me was simply something to die for. When the sky was not clear but scattered with fluffy cumulus clouds, I marveled at the fantastic light scatterings from the setting sun. The afternoons were hot, but relaxing on a hammock tied between two coconut trees , in the shade of long palm leaves with just a slight breeze was nice . Lunch was a good hearty fare of fish, meat, vegetables, dal, yogurt ,sweets and ice-cream. With an over full stomach the only “activity” I could pursue was an afternoon nap on a hammock. After the afternoon nap I would splash about in the sea, rinse myself in fresh water in the bathroom and then head for the dining room for tea, biscuits and other interesting “tit-bit” prepared by the enthusiastic cook. Then in a short while it was time to gaze at the sunset , the colored sky, and the sea. Soon the sky would be dark and the stars would be visible. By this time the resort staff had laid out the tables for dinner on the beach. What more could one ask for. Dinner on the beach, under starry skies!! At a distance the lights of Amini island (out of bounds for tourists) twinkled. We lolled about the beach , chatted with friends and fellow tourists late into the evening before retiring for the night.

For the young and restless people there were many possible activities. There were experts at the resort to guide and steer one safely through all the activities. One could choose to snorkel or scuba dive, go kayaking , take a tour in a glass bottomed boat, go for banana boat rides , scooter rides and water skiing. I did a bit of kayaking. The kayak was a molded plastic piece with two seats. I occupied one seat and my guide sat in the other. I paddled randomly for a while and then let my guide do all the paddling and steering. I enjoyed the turquoise blue sea around me , the coconut tree covered long strip island in front of me and the clear blue sky above me. One afternoon I took a ride in the glass bottomed boat. I had two other couples with me and the local boat-man. The local man steered the boat over the vast coral sea bed and we peered through the glass bottom to see the corals and brightly colored fishes. We saw the blue tipped corals, the yellow tipped corals, the brain coral and the potato coral. We even spotted a large turtle swimming around . The best way to see the corals and fishes is to snorkel. I didn’t attempt this, but the others did and they were mesmerized by this wonderful world beneath the sea. The next afternoon I ventured out into the village. An “auto-rickshaw” took three of us for a tour of the village. There is one concrete road that runs from the north end of the island to the south end . It is approximately eleven kilometers from north end to south end. The long strip island is slightly broad towards the north end. This is where most of the population reside and the concrete road branches into three or four narrower roads. We were taken around the coconut factory. Beginning with the breaking of the coconut, we saw all the machinery that helps in the production of desiccated coconut, the production of oil ,making of large bundles of coir and mats and carpets. The auto- rickshaw driver took us to the main jetty where heavy and essential goods are loaded and unloaded. He proudly showed us the light house, the Calicut University branch campus and other public spaces like large fresh water tanks for bathing. The people of the Lakshadweep islands have lived here for many generations and have survived well because of fresh water found underground. The language that locals spoke sounded like that spoken on mainland Kerela but the language is actually “Jaseri” , explained the driver. It is a mixture of Arabic, Tamil, Malayalam and Telegu.

During my stay here at the island I enjoyed the friendly interactions with the other tourists and the local employees at the resort. There was enough time and inclination during meals and also between meals to chat with the fellow tourists . I got a glimpse into their lives and enjoyed their experiences of this journey. The Canadian man who came with us to Kadmat, was well versed with fishing techniques because that is his hobby. He has caught many fishes in his country. So he tried fishing in the Arabian sea. He spent a few hours but had to return empty handed. While two Korean tourists tried night fishing, for the first time in their life, and brought back quite a catch. The fishes were grilled in the kitchen and served to all of us. Dame luck favors some!! The tourists who has stayed at Bangaram Islands before coming to Kadmat were lucky enough to see dolphins during the travel from Bangaram to Kadmat.. Among these lucky travelers was a retired school teacher from Mumbai, who excitedly described this lot of dolphins that was travelling with their boat as “a class of dolphins”. The French teenager among us said that this island was like a dream and her tanned skin would be proof later that she had actually been to a real beautiful place on this earth. Then there was this “army man” who was holidaying with his wife. He was tall , well built and exuded a lot of energy. He liked the absolute raw, unspoilt and pristine nature of stay on Bangaram. They lived in tents, cooked on bonfires , fresh water was dear and most of the washing requirements was carried out with salty sea water.

All good things have to end sometime. So it was time to return to the mainland and back to routine life. We left Kadmat very early in the morning , before sunrise, on a speed-boat. This time I sat on the “bow-rider” all the way till Agatti Island. This time the journey time was three hours and I enjoyed every moment, with the wind splashing my face and the sun’s slanting rays on by back. I spotted a few dolphins and many flying fishes. Soon we boarded the flight to Kochi, leaving the exotic jewel behind.