Traveling alone to the Andaman Islands, the night before was
all about apprehension, how will I manage. Wanderlust cum escape cum open water
diving trip it was supposed to be. 1 week long trip, and I came back with
stories, pictures, absence of any bad experience, phone numbers, visiting
cards, images…here is a glimpse.
“I earn more than a
lac per month. Earlier I used to drive in UAE, sheikhs and police are really
nice there. My son plans to do an MBA from Toronto, he will live with his Bua
there. I am from Punjab, but I speak good Bangla too.”
-
Uber Driver, Kolkata
“Am 25, I haven’t
stepped out of Port Blair ever. All my friends have gone ahead and settled in
cities. I am afraid to go so. How is the traffic like in Kokata and Delhi? I
have heard these cities are too unsafe.
Once a girl came with
her family here on a tour package, and my friend drove them around. She fell in
love with my driver friend. Now they are happily married and settled in Port
Blair.
Would you invite me to
your wedding? If you invite me, I will surely come to Delhi.”
-Cab driver, Port Blair
“I work for SBI, my husband works for Mahindra
IT. We are from Hyderabad.”
“Mumma you don’t say
work for SBI, you say work in SBI. Only people in IT say ‘work for’”
“Can you click our
family picture? What is the meaning of your name”
-IT couple with their 2 beautiful kids, Chidiya Tapu
“My father owns a
restaurant in Havelock. He came here 12 years back and has settled there only.
It is the best café in Havelock, Anju Coco. We are from Patparganj, Delhi.
Running a restaurant in Havelock is nice, but I miss the city life. I am going
to Delhi on a holiday. Here is my number, do call me if you need any help. I
also went to Little Andamans island recently. Would you like to see the pics? “
-Random good looking guy, Annapurna, Port Blair
“I did polytechnic in
mechanical and a year course in merchant navy. I earn 90,000 per month. You are
from Karol Bagh as well? Wow we are neighbours! Let me treat you with coffee
and breakfast then. Come we will meet
the captain, will show you around the boat.
Captain, ye guest mere
gaon ki hai!!”
- Crew manager, Green ocean Liner(Ferry)
“I work in TCS in
Kolkata, yeah we have the same office campus. I am travelling alone too. I am
from Bihar. I want to do water sports in Havelock. I will return today evening
only. See pictures of Ross island. I have changed 10 companies in last few
years. People ask me, why I left those 10 companies and doubt my resume. I tell
them that there must be something in me that 10 companies hired me. Let me buy
you popcorns”
-TCS guy, Green Ocean Liner
“I am from Kishanganj,
Bihar. I did hotel management and then got here. I work from 8-3 and then from
6-10. I hardly get any time off for myself, only couple of hours in evening. I
find managing Indian guests a pain, they complain too much. This resort is
meant for foreigners mainly. I can ask chef to make a special dish for you as
you are vegetarian. Do come back next year.”
-Waiter, Emerald Gecko, Havelock
“I work as an anchor
in homeshoppe18. My husband is a freelancer cameraman for BBC. We live in
Delhi. We try and travel as much as possible. Money isn’t really much of an issue,
it comes and goes. It’s a very good thing you are traveling alone and haven’t
had any bad experiences. If you have good energy, you will attract only good
people around you. Would you like a smoke?”
-Media couple, Emerald Gecko
“I am from Dehradoon,
did my engineering in food technology. I am living and working in Havelock now.
Am living here because of my husband, he is a scuba instructor here. You can
borrow my cycle for going around.”
-Bookings and Reservations lady, Emerald Gecko
“ I worked as a copywriter
for an ad agency in Chennai. I came here for holiday last November and haven’t
left since. I am a dive master now. Today I will go for my first deep dive.”
-Sitara, Andaman bubbles (Scuba diving school, Havelock)
“I had got a call from
IIT Delhi for MBA.
I studied
biotechnology for my B.tech. I was never interested in MBA, but I had applied
there because my girlfriend was in Delhi. But I didn’t join, because we broke
up.
Then I went to Gujarat
to do research on coral reefs there. This research work required me to learn
scuba diving. I want to do PHD in marine archaeology. But they don’t have that
course in India, so I just became a scuba instructor instead. I am glad she
broke up; I couldn’t have worked a 9-6 job after MBA. Now life is good.
-Tiago, Andaman bubbles
“ We are traveling to
do voluntary medical service in Kolkata hospitals. We could not find a single
person speaking good English in Kolkata. Do you speak English? Does this water
have crocodiles?
-Girlfriends, Germany
“Dude the kind of
money you can make in 3-4 years in US is shit crazy. Our friends are watching
IPL in their room. It is very difficult for us to live without Internet. Just
paid 300 for half an hour net service in the cyber café. Are you writing a
book? “
-Recently graduated kids, Bits Pilani at Havelock
“I am a fireman by
profession. Am traveling with my wife. What does your company make? Consumer
goods? Why couldn’t you take more than a week off for holiday. Your boss must
be a bad boss. I came to Havelock because it is one of the best sites in the
world to learn diving. Next I would go to Red sea for diving.
-Fireman, Czech Republic
“I left my house in
Kerela when I was 16. I did a diploma in Kerela massage and worked across
luxury hotels in tourist places in India. Most of my cousins/siblings are
earning well and settled in Dubai. My family doesn’t like me now.
I started scuba diving
7 years back, have been proposed by 3 girls so far – Spanish, Indian and
Polish, but I refused. Padma had come here on a holiday; she asked me what gift
I wanted for my birthday. I asked her to marry me. We had an underwater ring
ceremony.
-Scuba Instructor, Andaman bubbles
Now, what’s your
story?
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