Last day in Paradise...

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Port Blair

2nd October

Okay, today is a tough day. By sometime, it has been crystallising inside my head that today is Gandhi Jayanti and most probably most of the sites would be shut. We made a try for the Ross Islands and yes, that was operational. So off we went to the first British settlement and the Jap Invasion. Tickets to the island: Rs 75 return, from the Water Sport's Complex Jetty. Entrance fee: Rs 10 per person.

The most amazing site on this island were the Ficus trees which grew all around, over, through, under and inside the brick structures. I have never seen trees like that. It almost felt that they have grown on top of these structures. And when you went looking for these complex forms, within these broken, devastated, ravaged walls, you find clumps of shy deers and peacocks, running away from ever present tourists. Lanes in broken stones took us away from the main tourist tracks, allowing only momentary intersections. Those tracks circle round the island, dipping down into beaches, exposing the frontier lines that would have seen battle ships approaching. Ramparts and bunkers lined the path - talking about a more violent past. Framed between the tree branches were picture postcard views of turquoise blue waters and green trees and white surf.

Okay, the prison was shut. So no light and sound show for me.

Next day was goodbye paradise.

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