Of sound of waves and bright blue skies

by the sea

We could just picture the place — blue skies, sandy white beaches, magnificent bird life and an overdose of seafood. With a warm smile of welcome, our taxi driver drove us to the resort with Hindi music blasting away in the car.

We checked into our hotel at Havelock Island and heard the sound of the waves lash against the shores. It was late in the evening and we decided to walk to the beach to catch a glimpse of the painted sunset. It was a beautiful sunset with the reflection of the sea back into the sky. As it got dark, we headed back to the restaurant. We walked up to the dining area and had to run through the menu, with our waiter dressed in a blue beach shirt ready to take our order. In a few minutes, we devoured the local food that
was served to us and with our bellies full, we headed back to our cottage.

In the morning, we headed down to the restaurant where we decided to skip the deep sea diving and snorkelling for a ride on two wheels, hired at the local garage near by. It was a beautiful stretch down the sea coast as we stopped at each beach, walked to the water and clicked away on our digital cameras. We were amidst tropical greenery with tall trees and dense forest on one side and clear blue water shimmering along the coast on the other. We rode to the Radhanagar Beach and walked through the trees that dwarfed us on the way in. In no time, we were in the water, swimming in waves and basking in the sun. Before we headed back, we went to one of the local beach shacks, ordered two large tender coconuts and the authentic coastal meals. Grilled fish, white rice, curry, salad and gravy were served to us with seasoned mango pickle. Not before long, it was dark and we walked to the restaurant and ordered the chef’s special. It included grilled fish with French fries, potato salad, a vegetable soup with freshly squeezed fruit juice.  

On our final day at Havelock Island, we walked down to the beach, one last time, and took a dip. The beach was calm and peaceful as we lay in the water. Collecting coral and shells took up the rest of the day.

Savouring the last minutes of our once-in-a-life-time experience, we bid adieu to the Andamans, to get back home.