You can stand under my umbrella

After a boozy night in Kolkata we're off to the Andaman Nicabar Islands.  After a few delays we arrive in Port Blair at our accommodation for the next 4 days.  We're staying at a 4 star B@B with only 3 rooms and we are looked after by Simhadre, a delightful chap who cooks great curries and provides hot tea on demand.

Simhadre - man of many culinary talents 

We start off on our first day with a walk around Port Blair.  The temperature is in the 30’s and it doesn’t take long before we are dripping.  Our first stop is at a Maritime museum where lots of Indian tourists are zooming around afraid that the exhibits are likely to be removed at any time. We stroll around enjoying the air conditioned displays just as the heavens open with a storm of biblical proportions bouncing water into the air. So we stay in the shelter of the museum until it passes.

Dodging the showers

Unusually, the Indians aren't taking selfies here

Heading out all life is on the street - cows wonder aimlessly amid the dodging traffic, goats lounge around and chickens peck at the roadside. 

Goa Bar - I thought you said Goat Baa

We lose our bearings a little so stop to cool off at a coffee shop but just get sat down under a fan the power goes off and within minutes the heat is back.  Fearful of more rain, I stop to buy an umbrella - just in case.  Clearly, this is a magic umbrella as we never get caught by the rain again on the holiday

Offerings for the temple

Another quiet day in Aberdeen Bazaar

We eventually make our way to Aberdeen Bazaar the place is heaving with shoppers a street sellers all trying to get the best deals on veggies for their tea.

 

In the market

By the time we hit the port we are boiling hot and shattered so we call an auto-rickshaw to take us to a hotel where we can have lunch and a cool beer.  Alcohol is hard to come by on the island so this is an oasis and we sup ice cold beer as the rain comes again. 

Red-whiskered Bulbuls

On the way home in a rickshaw we stop at the wine shop for supplies. We arrive at 2.55 to find the shop locked and the street deserted - by 3 o clock when the wine shop opens there is a throng of bar flies with John in the middle - it's the usual scrum and John manages to grab a few bottles before the fridge is emptied!

We have arranged a driver today to take us around the sites of Port Blair  starting with the Chatham Sawmill.  Established by the British the sawmill was at one time the largest in Asia.  When the Japanese occupied the Andamans in 1942 they built bunkers, some of which are  still intact.

For your information

The most impressive of the tourist attractions is the Circular Jail built by the British to hold Indian political prisoners. The treatment of the inmates was harrowingly violent and you can almost feel the fear as you walk around. At one end is the gallows with 3 nooses set up.  I would imagine the prisoners sentenced to death would see this as a relief from the torture and torment of the jail.

Many prisoners died after a 3 month hunger strike but interestingly it was the force feeding that killed them not the starvation.

Circular Jail - Now a National Monument to Indian Freedom Fighters

Flogging stand

Indians visit the Jail

After a super lunch we headed to Corbyn Cove where the locals are having a ball going out on the jet skis or hiring a seat on a speed boat.  Randomly, we come across Indian women soldiers playing the bagpipes. Rephrase that, trying to play bagpipes. I think that more practice is required.

The skirl of the pipes

My magic umbrella keeps the rain at bay

After a lovely day we sleep well whilst the heavens open and the rain over-night never stops.  Umbrella to the rescue and we awake to sunshine as we make our way to the ferry that takes us to Havelock island

Dockside - Port Blair

 Rad Hanagar beach is rated number 3 in the world and its easy to see why

Paradise

The Indian tourists really enjoy the beach and stopping only to take off their sandals, the women dive fully clothed into the warm, clear waters

Keep your cardigan on - it might get chilly in the sea

You don't want to be around when this guy dive-bombs

 We meet a couple of guys who are extremely well travelled and we swap stories of our travels.  Dean and Simon were great company.  They also ran up some monster bar bills!

Hull's finest

Amazingly, my umbrella works here too.  Before we arrived the weather had been mixed but we enjoy six days of sun and as we leave the clouds return.

Our last night

Kevin Keegan queues for the ferry

Our ferry awaits

We've got one more call before we fly home, at Sunderbans and our last chance to see a tiger.  Catch you soon.