2011 Andaman Style

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One of the most beautiful nights at the farm, one can hardly call it quiet when so much life is leaping out of the water, or crawling into the house (crabs, not cockroaches).
This new year was again brought in with two marine biologists who've been documenting the evolution of the island over the past couple of new year celebrations.
The photographs should speak for themselves 😊)

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Photos

New Year
From Left to right is Vardhan - a marine biologist researching coral reefs of the islands, then is me, then Elrika - another marine biologist researching Dugongs (the mythical mermaids) around the islands and mom

Dr Elrika Dugong
I just call her that...she's making fun of how lazy all the puffer fish around the island are in the photograph, and how edible all the big crabs scrambling around are

Balcony Point Sit-out
This was built by the farm boys with full credit to my manager as the architect and designer. He used shells as mosaic tile flooring by stamping it into the soil. Not one rupee was spent to build this beautiful structure. It's a sit-out and changing room at Balcony Point, named so for it's magnificent view of the sea from here

Change-room
A tiny changing room where the floors are naturally tiled with shells stamped into mud is for those who wish to change into and out of their swimsuits or kayak gear

hut - tribal style
Isn't it amazing!!!

stairway to heaven
These are roughly cut shell-stairs again built by the boys at the farm that lead from the hut to the sea

stairs2
The same stairs leading down to the sea

stairs3
We usually carry out kayaks up and down these as the soil around this parts of the coastline is reasonably solid

secret shell beach
A random beach of just shell stands without any explanation at this point of out coastline

take off point
From here we set off in our kayaks for our mangrove tours, or just some fun on the water. This time, i used it to inaugurate my new carbon-kevlar paddle

wild orchids
A couple of wild orchids we collected from our own trees. Lots more to collect

harvest
That's arecanut being dried in front of 'Gol-Ghar' the highest point of the island

mom's odd feet
While walking back from the secret beach below balcony point the strap of mom's new crocs broke. Leaving her limping for three steps, till she discovered a bata slipper of exactly her size and coincidentally the correct foot lying right there along the coastline brought in by the high tide.
Everything does happen for a reason, believe it man

bata Vs crocs
the blue bata slipper ultimately won the "comfy yet reliable" contest

Pepper season
In focus is the black pepper readying for harvest...but not yet. In the background is our storehouse above a rainwater cistern. This year it has filled well, let's hope it doesn't empty as fast as last year though

Lady Kutti THIEF!!!
Kutti means female dog in Hindi. She was named that by the farm boys, although i had originally named her dawood and her bother ibrahim, but that was not to be. So kutti is stealing a bit of mom's malai behind her back

Tommy the terror
Known for his watchdog skills he terrorizes the mother of his three children also into giving up her loot for him

Is it ready?
That's Elrika tasting the pepper as we leave for the boat. It passed, gladly

beating the retreat
Vardhan and Elrika being rowed away from the island by Chotu-Lal, leaving mom and me behind :(

Comments

[Karthik]

nice...
Hey, your blog offers a nice window into the andaman & nicobars. Keep writing! I write too about my home in arunachal, you can check it out! www.anetherworld.blogspot.com cheers!

[Hotel Travelia]

Good
Too close to Nature ! Great one !