India outside the Peninsula

The place is picturesque. Truly, heaven on earth must look and feel something like this. Completely cut off from everyone and everything except my traveling companions, which in this case were my parents and my imp of a brother. The only other constant companions- the perfect breeze(that caresses your face and makes you feel like spending the entire day outdoors), white sand, blue sea water, sun(only deserted us for a very brief period) and predictably loads and loads of sea-food ...and a number of other things ..but the picture is clear enough.

Certain points about the place :

Name: The current name is derived from 'Handuman' (origins-The Ramayana). Ptolemy(renowned roman geographer) called it "Angdaman Islands" meaning 'Islands of good fortune' and T T Sing(a Buddhist monk) called it "Lo-jen-kuo" meaning the 'Land of the Naked'.

Personally, I think both the Ramayana and Ptolemy had a hand in deciding the final name...Doesn't take too much thinking figuring that one out...but an observation nevertheless...:\
  
Tribes: The only ones I saw were are members of the Jarawa tribe. I was lucky to have missed out the elder members of the aforementioned tribe who seem to have a grudge against basic clothing. This confuses me. Because clearly, they can get them if they wish to but they don't ...how long before they realize that it's only a means to protect one's body from heat/cold and dirt ...Who knows?? Couldn't get their picture because the government has imposed a ban on it.Going against the law here can easily and quickly land you behind the bars (coz the tribal people either snatch your camera if your vehicle is stationary or they note down your vehicle's number and report to the authorities who are really strict). Smart ...they are.

And why should we photograph them? After all, they too are humans and how would we like it if we were to be photographed as though we belong to the museum? Atleast, I would not like it at all.

      I did snorkeling...twice...Saw hordes of indistinctive and dull colored fishes, a beautiful blue one with yellow stripes and a blue colored star fish-like creature the first time. I think I saw a clownfish ... couldn't double check (it was too fast for me :P). The second place had more variety of corals -finger, brain corals....etc. Also saw sea-anemones...thankfully I didn't get too close.
But the  most exquisite feeling of all was floating on the surface of the water above those corals. :D

Another experience I am unlikely to forget - standing in the very cells where the British (brainy monsters!!) kept the Indian prisoners in the most inhumane conditions possible(or not thought to be possible). They were asked to work and produce a quantity of oil which was beyond the normal capacity of the bullocks they used for the same task.

View from the roof of one of the wings of the cellular jail

Interesting fact about the cellular jail : The seven wings of the jail were constructed like the seven spokes of a wheel with a tower in place of the axle from where a guard could keep an eagle's eye on all the wings. Plus the front side of one wing faced the backside of the other wing. So zero communication between the inmates of the cells in different wings. Cunning.



Surprisingly, we had no food issues unlike what we were told..."All you are going to get is non-veg, and that too mainly sea-food.You'll have lots of trouble....blah blah..." People just don't realize the pace with which the tourist industry is growing.

The only down side was the effect of sea water on my hair which became really frizzy and and sang(and did) free fallin' in chorus.