23. TRAVELLING AIR INDIA

The cost of air ticket from New Delhi to Cedar Rapids by Air India was not the cheapest option but I still decided to buy it because this was the only airline which had a direct non-stop flight to Chicago. I logged on to www.expedia.co.in and booked the flight for our ensuing visit to USA. Aisle seats selected after carefully going through the lay out of the carrier on www.seatguru.com, payment made by credit card and print out of the itinerary taken, I even verified the details from the Air India site and took the print-out of the e-ticket. Now I was armed with all the details, ie, the e-ticket number, PNR number and the web reference number. Yippee, I am all set to go to USA now, I thought.

AIR INDIA PILOTS STRIKE WORK: A few months passed and as the date of departure was approaching, Air India pilots went on strike. I did not bother. They are used to going on strike at the drop of a hat and this being their fifth strike during the year will also pass off in a few days, I consoled myself. Days passed and so did weeks, but there were no signs of the strike being called off.

CANCELLATION OF TICKETS COSTS TOO MUCH: I considered cancelling my ticket and buying a fresh one from another air-line, but I was told that air India has not cancelled its flight and will, therefore,  charge Rs. 10,000 per ticket as cancellation charges if a passenger cancels it. Moreover, the cost of ticket in other airlines had already gone up now as the date of travel was just about a week ahead. I had no choice but to stick to Air India like an old faithful.

INABILITY OF AIR-INDIA TO SEND E-MAIL: A week ahead of the scheduled departure, I managed to get the toll-free number of Air India and miraculously managed to talk to a Customer Care Representative too.

“Is the flight to Chicago going as scheduled?” I asked her.

“Yes, it is going but it has been clubbed with flight no. AI XXX and will now stopover in Frankfurt for two hours”, she informed.

“In that case, it will reach Chicago  two hours later and even if it is not late, I may not be able to catch my next flight as emigration formalities will take place in Chicago and I will have to take delivery of my luggage and redeposit it,” I was alarmed.

“Please hold the line,” the Customer Care Executive put me on hold subjecting me to non-stop music for the next 15 minutes.

After fifteen minutes which felt like more than an hour, she got back and announced, “I have changed your flight from Chicago to Cedar Rapids. Now instead of 11.30am flight you are now booked for 14.45 hrs flight. Is that alright?”

“Ok. That sounds good. Can you now send me a fresh ticket by e-mail, please?” I asked.

“No. But that is not possible and why do you need it?”

“Surely, for showing on the counter at Chicago,” I said.

“No. That’s not required. You just go there and they will do the needful. You don’t require any paper ticket,” she was absolutely firm.

I still insisted, “What will I do there at Chicago Airport if they do not listen to me?”

“I don’t have the facility to send you any e-ticket,” and she hung up the phone.

A few hours later, I decided to check on the web-site of United Airlines the particulars of my new travel schedule and to my great satisfaction, our names were appearing there. “God bless her,” I muttered under the breath and took the print-out of the new ticket also. Needless to say, I was mighty pleased with my achievement.

MANIPULATION OF WEB CHECKED IN SEATS:  On the designated date, when we reached the Air India counter and Ms Monika Singh, the Assistant issued us the Boarding passes, I was astonished to see the seat numbers as 44G & 44H. But I have already web-checked in and my numbers are 20 E & 20F. Ms Monika Singh would not listen. According to her, the seat had already been given to one Mr Bhandari. “The web check in is only a suggestive process and it does not ensure that you will get that seat only,” she tried to explain but I refused to accept this logic. I also refused to accept seats in row number 44 as it is very close to the lavatories. When I demanded to see the Supervisor and there was none over there, she agreed to change my seats to row no 13. Although this row has Baby bassinets, I agreed to take these under protest preferring babies cries over foul smells of the lavatories. Anyway, what options did I have?

ISSUE OF WRONG BOARDING CARDS: Soon after leaving the counter, we realised that one of the Boarding Cards had been issued in the name of one Jaikri Bhandari and not in my husband’s name. Oh my God, we again rushed to the counter to obtain a fresh Boarding pass.

CHANGE IN THE TIME OF DEPARTURE WITHOUT NOTICE: The aircraft was scheduled to take off at 1.05am but everywhere it showed ETD as 2pm and finally it took off at 2.45pm. These are small issues and should not be allowed to spoil my mood, I told myself. In the aircraft, I located the irritant Mr Bhandari who had a fixed sly smile on his face all through. During the flight, I kept wondering who he was and why was he given such a preferential treatment.

AIR INDIA’S INEFFICIENCY FOLLOWS ME TO CHICAGO TOO: Embroiled in my thoughts, soon we reached Frankfurt and then Chicago. Immigration process over, luggage collected and re-deposited for Cedar Rapids, we stood in front of the United Airlines counter to collect our Boarding card. And a new tale of woes started here.

“What is your ticket number?” the girl on the counter demanded.

I gave her the e-ticket no, the web reference no, the PNR no., but she became more and terser. “What is your ticket number? I don’t have any booking for you,” she was rude to say the least.

“But I have booked on this airline only”, I was panicky and cursed the Air India Call Centre girl under my breath.

“What do I do now?” I tried to be as polite as possible.

“Go back to Air India…Next please!” she simply dismissed me.

I looked around for the Air India counter and approached them with the problem. She looked around, tapped some keys on her computer and gave me a printout containing the Ticket number, encircled it for the convenience of all and handed it over to me explaining that Air India in Delhi had not carried out all the changes while changing the flights on phone.

I rushed back to United Airlines counter who finally gave me the boarding pass. “Thank God!” I said and grabbed the cards.

AIR INDIA STILL STINGS: Once again at the UA boarding point, as the girl on the entry point swiped the boarding pass, her computer made one shrieking sound and she asked us to fall out of the queue. Later, after all the passengers had boarded the aircraft, she shouted brusquely, “Who sent you here? You are not on our list of passengers.” It was time for me to lose my cool now. I almost barked back at her, “What do you mean, who sent me here? I have a valid ticket and I am a valid passenger. Here! Look at it. How would I have got the Boarding pass if I didn’t have the ticket?” She looked at me defiantly but I stared back and then she blinked and started tapping on her computer keys, did some jugglery here and there and gave me clearance to go in and board the plane. In the melee’, she forgot to give me the card for carrying the hand-baggage in the air-craft.

Once again, as we approached the entrance to the plane, the attendant started asking for the ticket, “Where is the ticket? You don’t have the ticket.” I was getting exasperated now. “Now, which ticket?” I said. We were the last passengers with real fears that we may not be able to board the plane. At this time, the beautiful air-hostess of United Airlines, waved her hand like a magic wand at the porter and beckoned us to walk in with a smile.

Hers was the sweetest smile I had ever seen during the entire journey from New Delhi to Cedar Rapids. Somebody has rightly said, all is well that ends well.

(Based on real life experience)

*****

22. HAVELOCK ISLAND (ANDAMAN & NICOBAR), INDIA

This is the eighth of the ten blogs covering this incredible trip.

Havelock Island

Havelock Island, no doubt, is Andaman & Nicobar Islands’ most sought-after destination. This is an island with the best beaches in Asia, the only island where foreign tourists are allowed to stay overnight and a place which must not be missed at any cost. We purposely planned our visit to this island to the last day so that we could end our trip to this beautiful part of our country with the best memories still lingering in our minds.

Crystal clear water, white beach.

And yes, it did happen like that! This turned out to be a fantastic visit not only in terms of the travel to the island and in enjoying its beauty but also in terms of getting a strong tan and sunburns despite profuse use of sun blockers. Yes, the memories lasted quite long with skin still peeling off. Well….well…well! That was only in a lighter vein. The fact is that this was actually a fabulous visit.

Cool feel of waves

While planning for the visit to this island, we were told that the tickets for the cruise have to be booked in advance. So we went to the office of "Makruzz", a company which runs a stylish catamaran to ferry passengers to this island. This is supposed to be the best and the fastest vessel in the island which starts daily from the Phoenix Bay Jetty in the morning.

There were three types of return tariffs for the cruise, Royal (Rs. 2200 pax), Deluxe ( Rs. 1600 pax) and Premium (Rs. 1400 pax). The lower cabin was supposed to be having “No View” of the sea,   second one was on the upper deck with a view and yet another one, the best in the cruise with great view etc.  Thinking that we are going to the best place during our visit, to the best beach and by the best vessel, we decided to pamper ourselves and booked the top of the line class only to realise later that we would have been equally well off in the Deluxe Class too. Anyway, no regrets!!!

We board the bus for the jetty

For the cruise, we were required to report at a particular point from where a bus would take us to the Phoenix Bay Jetty. We reached there at 8am sharp, to be taken to the jetty office by bus which was barely five minutes’ walk. Then there was a proper check-in process, almost like a visa and passport kind of thing. A systematic queue thereafter and we were ushered in and taken to our exclusive Royal Class.

Makruzz Vessel

For the first time in the islands, we experienced a vessel which was of almost international standards. The vessel was 37m long and had good interiors unlike what we had been experiencing so far in the boats and indigenous vessels. It was air-conditioned and had a public announcement system, a utility shop and food and beverages on board. The display of safety equipment available in the vessel was quite comforting for non-swimmers like us.

Once seated comfortably, the concierge came to check about our beverages and snacks. Only then did we realise that they give only pre-mixed extra sweet tea/coffee. Both of us being off sugar just cannot relish the taste of sweet tea anymore. So we enjoyed the potato chips and a hot samosa. We had an exclusive cabin for four and since no-one was foolish enough to part with extra money as we did, we were the only two passengers in the cabin. But even privacy was at stake what with other passengers barging in frequently to have a look at it or to take photos from there, only to be pushed out by the security chaps time and again creating avoidable bad blood.

At Vijay Nagar Beach

After about an hour, vessel Makruzz reached Havelock Island. That it is beautiful, there is no doubt about it. We just loafed around the place to get a hang of it and enjoying tender coconut water. By the time, we decided to proceed further, all the cabs had disappeared. Most people had perhaps already booked one in advance. And when we started looking around, only three-wheelers were available, an option not worth considering.

The beautiful tall trees adorn the sea-side.

We realised that in the limited time available to us, we had to visit Hathi Tapoo (Elephant Beach), Vijay Nagar Beach and Radha Nagar beach, one of the 7 best beaches of Asia. With great difficulty, we managed to find out a cab which agreed to take us to Radha Nagar beach via Vijay Nagar Beach at exorbitant rates. There was not enough time to go to Hathi Tapoo which is known for scuba diving and snorkelling. So in our wisdom that we are anyway not going in for snorkelling and scuba diving, we decided to give it a go by and opted for Vijay Nagar beach which turned out to be a damp squib. There was only one family and the beach was dirty to say the least.

Are we in India or in Bahamas?

This disappointment with Vijay Nagar Beach was more than made up as we reached Radha Nagar Beach navigating app. 10 km of the narrow road meandering through thick green forests enveloping both sides. Wow! What a place! Unusually tall lush green trees, pristine white beach, azure blue sky, turquoise water changing to emerald green in the distance, the experience was a real treat to our eyes. It left us absolutely awestruck. Are we in India or in Bahamas?

It all feels like a dream now....

The white bikini babes trying to get a tan as quickly as possible on one side and hordes of brown Indians diving in deep blue waters unmindful of the tanning effect on the other side, it was a study in contrast, the only common bond being that each one was happy doing what s/he was doing. So we also decided to do what we could do best and took a lot of photographs of the beach and the sea waves.

Helping Kingfisher to come out of red..:-)

Soon it was time to leave and have our lunch somewhere before we board the catamaran at 3pm. We chose to go to “Sea Shell” and had a delicious lunch preceded by fish tikka and beer. Sitting under the canopy made of bamboo and palm leaves with warm sea breeze touching us softly, we did not want the lunch to end. But as is their wont, all good things have to come to an end and we had no choice but to get up and go.

sHe sEllS sEa shEllS oN tHe SeA sHoRe :-)

Before leaving Sea-Shell, we decided to take a stroll around the hotel and were once again enamoured by the beauty, the peace, the tranquillity of the place. Sitting on the beach after a sumptuous lunch and experiencing the sound of waves and cool sea breeze was an unprecedented feeling. How we wished that we had planned to stay at least overnight in this place. But as it was getting late for our return journey, we had no option but to leave the place with the resolve to return here with a few days’ stay factored in our visit. Any takers to accompany us? 

Bye bye SeaShell...we'll come again.

*****

21. CHATHAM SAW MILLS, PORT BLAIR (ANDAMAN & NICOBAR), INDIA

This is the seventh of the ten blogs covering this incredible trip.

The main gate of Chatham Saw Mill

When I was told about Chatham Saw Mill, I wondered what is there to see in a saw mill. There must be a few machine, some logs of wood and intolerable sound of saw machines. After visiting the place, I realised what an important place this mill was and how much history it must have witnessed over the years. 

A 100m bridge connects the mill with Port Blair

Chatham Saw Mills is one of the oldest saw mills in Asia and it is huge. It cuts wood of all types into various sizes and pieces and is the main supplier of wood for all the local requirements. The mill which is the back-bone of the wood industry in these islands is owned by the Forest Deptt. and bears testimony to the contribution of the British towards putting industries in place. We can't simply criticise them for their ruling our country ignoring their contribution to our land.

Elephants were used to push the heavy logs around

Chatham Saw Mill is connected to Port Blair by a 100 m long bridge. The history of Chatham Island dates back to the year 1789 as this was the first landing place for Lt. Archibald Blair who reached here in his vessel Viper in the year 1789 in search of a land mass for British settlement. As the “Viper” crashed near a small island now named after it as Viper Island, Lt. Archibald Blair set his foot on Chatham Island which is very close to Viper Island before he identified Port Blair as the place for housing the convicts in a jail.

Chatham Saw Mill was started by the British in the year 1883 with second hand imported machinery to process and cut locally available wood for using in the construction of various buildings including the Cellular Jail in Port Blair and development of the administrative and residential set up of the British at the Ross Island.

During World War II, the Japanese bombarded the factory on 10^th March, 1942 for over an hour destroying the factory, the machines and taking the lives of hundreds of workers. The mill lay crippled during the next three years and was revived only in the year 1946 when the Japanese left and the British returned.

Outside the Forest Museum in Chatham Saw Mill

There is a Forest Museum within the compound which is a storehouse of information on Andaman & Nicobar Islands displaying almost all the possible data about the history, geography, flora and fauna available in these islands apart from various types of wood available here.

Outside the Forest Museum

On display in the museum, are a number of wooden handicrafts and furniture made in the area showcasing the skills of the locals. The sections of the various tree trunks displayed looked absolutely gorgeous. 

Some of the tree trunks were unbelievably large in diameter. The natural designs within the wood were exotic. 

The museum also provided detailed information about various types of corals in this area.

Pillar of the Planet

There is a Memorial called PILLAR OF THE PLANET in the mill’s premises which came into existence in March 2009 to commemorate 125 years of Forestry in the Island. 

The Mill's building is mostly made of wood and one could go to the place provided you do not go too close to the saw machines.

Photography within the Mill is not permitted denying me an opportunity to capture the activity in my camera.

During the British rule, the timber processed here was supplied to western countries and sent even to US. 

Section of a tree trunk on display in the museum

The beautiful crimson walls of the Buckingham Palace are made of the local Padauk wood processed in this ancient saw mill. 

How I wish I could carry this lovely wood from here to build the doors and windows of my house in Delhi. Unfortunately, you cannot do so. What a pity! 

                                                                                                                                                   *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * *  *  *  * 

20. JOLLY BUOY ISLAND (ANDAMAN & NICOBAR), INDIA

This is the sixth of the ten blogs covering this trip.

Jolly Buoy Island as seen from the ferry

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF JOLLY BUOY ISLAND  

Even before I reached Port Blair, almost everyone advised me to visit Jolly Buoy Island. What is so special about it, I wondered. I was told that it is a part of Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park which is a unique project in the world. The marine park is spread out in open sea, creeks and 151 islands over an area of app. 280 sq kms. Jolly Buoy is one of these 151 islands.

The ecological wealth under these waters needs to be protected

My question “Why a Marine Park?” was answered amply by the bill-board at the Wandoor Jetty  which stated the purpose of the project, to conserve the unique bio-diversity found in this area, to provide protection to flora and fauna, to protect, preserve and manage the  natural breeding grounds and   habitats of marine life particularly which is rare and endangered , to promote scientific study and research, to create awareness amongst masses about the fragile marine eco- systems and their significance and to promote eco-tourism. Well, well, well, it all sounds pretty heavy. No?  In nutshell, in simple English, let’s say the Govt. of India is trying to take care of variety of fish and corals in this area.

Waiting for the vessel at Wandoor Jetty

VISIT TO THE ISLAND, A MAZE OF OFFICIAL REGULATIONS

Due to the importance of this area, the entry to the island is restricted.  Only 5 boats per day are allowed which carry 50 passengers each who are allowed to stay there only for 2.5 hours. A visitor to this area requires a permit from the Forest Deptt. Entry to Jolly Buoy Islands is allowed from December to May only. Monday is the weekly holiday.

The private tour operators conduct the tour in ferries. There is no commercial establishment on the island and no food or water is available there. Polythene bags and plastic water bottles are not permitted. The only conveniences available at the island are a make-shift wash-room and a Changing Room. 

The steps involved in going to Jolly Buoy Island are:

1. Obtain the Entry Permit from Forest Deptt., located in the office of Directorate of Tourism in Port Blair. The Permit Charges are Rs. 50 per person and a form need to be submitted along with the proof of identity. 

2. Get the Ferry Ticket from a Boat Operator who also sits in the same office. The Boat Charges are Rs. 550 per person which cover ferry charges, transportation charges from ferry to the beach as there is no jetty there, hiring charges for the glass-bottom boats for viewing under-water coral reefs and hiring charges for snorkelling equipment.

3. On the morning of the tour, get your lunch packed, and proceed to Humfryganj  (Wandoor),  a distance of about 30 km. You can take a Tourist Bus to the place or hire a cab,

4. Once at the Wandoor Jetty, take a thermos flask from the counter. One can carry water only in the water bottles provided by the Govt. by giving a security deposit of Rs. 100 per bottle which is refunded when you hand over the bottle on your way back.  Jute bags are also available in similar m

Coconuts are so green, so big and soooo fresh. Loving it!

WAITING FOR THE FERRY, THE FUN BEGINS NOW
The boat is late but no problem. Coconut water (Daab) is available in plenty @ Rs 20. The coconuts are really huge and absolutely fresh. Without realising their size, we buy two and hubby found it impossible to finish it. The hoggy that I am, I ended up having one and half and a tummy about to burst.  

MV Silver Wind, our passport to heaven

10.40am:  Vessel MV Silver Wind has been sighted. We all walk into the jetty. I suggest to co-passengers that we all stand in a queue and I am surprised that all comply. The boat-keepers are tying the vessel with the Jetty with the help of ropes in a very crude manner. Later, passengers were helped by the Boat-keepers to actually hop on to the boat.  

Meanwhile, a large family perhaps from Bihar tries to push their way by breaking the queue. I protest loudly and others also join me and we manage to bully them into waiting till everyone gets on to the ferry. But this adamant family refuses to go to the tail-end of the queue and waits impatiently at the entry point only, trying time and again to break the queue. If looks could kill, I would have been dead long ago.

Emerald is the mood of the day.

On the boat, there is a lot of noise. There is a group of tourists from Kolkata who are highly excited. The boat starts sailing through the emerald green waters. The scene on both sides is exotic and we are mesmerised by the divine beauty of the islands that we see. The dense Equatorial forests on the uninhabited islands on both sides, very tall trees reaching almost up to the sky, creepers climbing right up to the top, the sky with scattered clouds and the emerald green water; the nature is hypnotising us. The sound of the ferry and the loud noises made by the passengers are sounding absolutely out of place. We seem to be breaking the peace and disturbing the beauty of this exotic place. In about 40 minutes, the vessel switches off the engine. We are almost there, close to the Jolly Buoy Island.

In the boat with glass bottoms, trying to see coral reefs

JOLLY BUOY ISLAND IS NO LESS THAN JANNAT (HEAVEN).
Once near the island, we are asked to alight from the ferry to small boats which will take us to the island. Passengers start rushing and pushing around. Why are we such an impatient lot? Anyway, through a very crude contraption, we hop on to the boat which has a glass bottom and which takes us around to show the coral reefs. All are leaning over and straining their eyes to see the coral reefs of various colours and designs through the glass base. In 15 minutes, the trip is over and we are on the island.

In the Bahamas of India

As we alight on the island, our eyes are wide open with awe. The beach is pristine white. There are three colours on the horizon, pure white, emerald green and azure blue. I have never seen anything like this in my life. Only the photos of Bahamas that I have seen look like this. 

Wow, nature at its best!

This was our best effort to get into the water.

We do not know how to swim but neither does that elderly lady in salwar-suit. She plonks herself on the beach in water and is simply enjoying the feel of the cool water. Later, she admits that she did not know swimming either, but having come so far from Delhi, had decided to enjoy the feel of the water. “What if the waves had taken you away?” I cannot hide my inquisitiveness. “Dekhi jaati,” I admire her nonchalance. But we are the "Play Safe" types and do not venture into unnecessary dangers. "Jin khoja tin paaiyan, gehre paani paith. Main bauri boodan dari, rahi kinare baith." (Those who ventured into deep waters, got what they sought . Poor me, I was scared of drowning, so I kept sitting on the sea-shore.) 

On a jungle trail, in search of shade

We walk around in the water for some time enjoying the beauty of the beach and trying to capture it on the camera. But the sun is very hot. The smart ones have their umbrellas with them. So we start walking through the jungle in search of some shade and soon locate a nice canopy made of grass and bamboos.

Lunch time under the canopy of the island forest

It is already lunch time and this appears to be a good place to enjoy the cool breeze and nibble at our sandwiches with sips of Amul Lassi.

Post-lunch siesta

Lunch over, hubby decides to stretch on the narrow bench to take a short nap. Nap is not possible on such a narrow-curved bench, but he somehow manages to balance himself precariously there and has a semblance of lying down. 

Enjoying Amul lassi

Over-cautious that I am, I refuse to take any such chances and continue to enjoy my cool lassi under the canopy.

Can anybody  please tell me what  this animal is called. Komodo Dragon?

Sitting under the canopy, with the dense forest on one side and deep blue sea on the other side, we suddenly spot a huge lizard like animal. I don’t know what it is called but we captured it on our camera. Soon there was a lot of excitement and many people gathered around to look at it. Some said it is called "Komodo Dragon". Phew!!! It had such mean eyes.

The Glass bottomed boat that took us to deep seas for viewing coral reefs

Soon it is time to go back. MV Silver Wind has come to take us back. Again there is such a rush to get into the boats to reach the vessel. Why this Kolaveri Kolaveri di? Nobody will be left behind. But we are an impatient lot and have not learnt to wait. All rush towards the small boat and manage to climb on to the vessel through another make-shift contraption....a jugaad!  

A dolphin has disappeared here after creating all the stir on the vessel

Back in the vessel, there is a kind of lull for some time with all exhausted and sun-burnt passengers with eyes half shut. The beautiful green islands are not creating the same excitement any more. Soon somebody announces loudly, “Doalfeen.... Doalfeen …. ekhone”. And a whole lot of passengers are shaken out of their stupor and rush to that side of the vessel to have a look at the dolphin. The boat tilts heavily to that side and my heart misses a beat. “My watery grave is going to become a reality today,” I think.  Will the boat turn over? What are they doing?  The caretakers of the boat came shouting, “ Baith jaaiye…..  baith jaaiye …… apni seat pe laut jaiye …..  Boat palat jayegi.”  (Please sit down…go back to your seats. The boat can overturn).  But is anybody listening? They all want to see the “Boro maach” (big fish) and all the pleadings of the boatman go over deaf ears. I suddenly think of our Parliament where Speaker Ms. Meira Kumar keeps announcing, “Baith jaiye, baith jaiye” and nobody listens to her and a smile comes to my face. I am so amused by this thought that I stop thinking of life-boats. The reality of the moment is Dolphin. Nothing else matters. “Live in HERE and NOW” I tell myself.

Thank God! The dolphin disappeared and our dare-devil co-passengers returned to their seats mighty excited about their latest achievement of having seen a dolphin.  I took a sigh of relief as Wandoor Jetty was sighted at a distance.  Thus ended our trip to Jolly Buoy island, a place absolutely out of this world. 

                           *****