INDIA HAVELOCK ANDAMAN ISLANDS

FROM THE DIARY

HAVELOCK

A pretty do nothing day today. I woke up early to the sound of banging on our roof - coconuts being dropped from the main palm tree above us. A guy was up the tree, knocking them down. It was quite interesting to watch him climb up and down with rope round his feet and waist, to shimmy up the tree.

Later on I heard a distant rumbling and looked out from our hut at the weather really closing in. The wind had really picked up and soon enough it started raining.

A few of us had all come out at the same time and we all went down to the beach and stared for a while at the once still waves crashing on the shore, quite different to how the sea on this side of the island usually is.

Normally the sea is quite a way out, and all the rocks are sticking out, making the journey to ankle deep water quite tricky. On reaching this water, its usually quite a few meter more to reach deeper water.

Today though, there is hardly any beach, the water was much colder than usual and the colour is a much more intense blue-dark green. Fantastic. The clouds are also really intense, dark to the north, heavy and black, while in the south, clear and calm.

This is an amazing storm.

Its been about four hours since it started and its still rumbling and sheet lightning all around us. Its pouring rain, but I'm quite nice and dry in my hammock again.

Its getting heavier and heavier and louder and louder, and the whole of the camp has changed colour. Through the palm tress, its become a grey colour, misty with rain, but the leaves on the palms and the grass have become greener and more vibrant.

Although this means that there is nothing to do, no swimming, no sunning etc I am really excited in this storm. Its giving me a really happy feeling to sit here and watch everything explode around me.

The rain seems to be slowing down a little, but it will soon be back I guess. Weather updates in blue ink!

Yesterday a big group of us went to beach number 7 where around the corner from it is a lagoon, where apparantly there is an ok reef. After the long walk there down the beach we all settled ours selves (more rumbling, less rain) down and a few went snorkelling. Apparently it wasn't that amazing, as it was quite overcast, so although I had hired flippers, I could'nt really be bothered to do it, I was enjoying myself too much wave diving!

The waves were quite strong, so we kept diving on top of them and being swept onto the shoreline, only to be sweptback into the sea....somtimes sideways, sometimes forward rolls, back onto another wave. It was quite funny, and the amount of and that I brought home with me was quite impressive, I must have looked like a completley different person, huge bum and big boobs - judging by the amount of sand that fell out!

While we were all on the beach we decided that we would all go to the Italian restaurant in the evening, as it was Anne-Charlotte's, last night. Plus we all wanted some GOOD FOOD. Anne-Charlotte and Betty walked down the beach to the restaurant and ordered pizzas (as you have to order the pizza base 5 hours in advance!) While I fell asleep in the sun and the boys played water cricket (?!) and raced cone shell crabs in an olympic style obsticle course(!?) When we got back to the camp, after de-sanding ourselves (rain has stopped) we had a little nap, then Mo and I jumped on the bike and had a beer each in a small bar near the restaurant before everyone else came. The journey there was quite exciting. it takes around 30 mins from here, and in the dark it was really hair raising! lots of ups and downs rounds and downs ups and rounds and downs and ups!

The dinner was beautiful. It is the only restaurant that I think can deal with such a big party of people on the island. We have tried eating with 2 other people and its always taken FOREVER to get the food, and when it comes, if it all comes at the same time, half of it is cold! Despite it being a little frustrating, it really makes you learn how to relax!. But the Italian restaurant was good. The pastas did come before the pizzas but not long before. Maurice ordered a pizza, while I had a BACON and mushroom tagilatelle pasta. YUMO. I was tempted to get a wine, but once the owner (from Italy) told us that it was an Indian sparkling wine I was put off the idea! It was a lovely evening 18 of us in total, all on one long table.

The chef of our camp has just come back rolling drunk. The owner of the camp is away, and has left the chef in charge. As soon as the owner left, he closed the kitchen, opened a bottle of whisky, got his wife and daughter over and put them in one of the huts, then, last night, just before we arrived back, Sharon heard a massive fight between the daughter and wife of the chef. Lots of (big roll of thunder) beating of the daughter and then an extremely drunk chef. (torrential rain, dark sky, more thunder)

Then they disappeared during the night (the chef was seen lying drunk on the road by some of our group (REALLY dark sky and HUGE wind) as we came back) and we have still not seen him (oh my god, so much rain its deafening) . There are two Swedish girls staying in our camp and they are in a camp where its leaking all over. so there has been no one (no electricity now) to put them in another hut.

Now the chef has just come back and should help, but he almost fell off the motorbike his friend dropped him off on, hes just far too drunk. Poor girls. (Wind has ripped menus away and its COLD!)

(This is insane)