My Journey to Car Nicobar - Part 1

 

Prelude: 

 Let us have a time travel to the year 1991. Please remember those years where there were very few televisions were there in Karaikal. Our house had no television at that point of time, but school had one. DD National was the only channel available. The programmes we saw were very less.

First Luxury Bus Journey:

Sitting in the window side of the Thiruvalluvar Bus (The Luxury Bus of our days), crossing Karaikal, that too Northern side, it was my maiden journey. Going away from family or native place, was like I was travelling into a new world full of excitement. When the bus entered into Thindivanam bus stand, there was an Arun Ice cream parlor. I had never seen that before. All I knew was Ice Vandi, an ice cream vendor / hawker with a loud announcement - Iceuuuu, paal ice, semiya ice etc for 50 paise was a luxury. I was literally shocked to learn the ice cream with 4 or 5 colors (Casatta Slice) was Rs. 25. With heavy heart I gave him one of the two, One Hundred Rupee notes. It was the money my father gave me (hard earned and long saved money) supposed to be for six months till I reach home back for half yearly holidays. I never knew the pain of earning money or value of money those days. All I knew is a BIG portion of money is out of my hand. But for this ice cream I did not spend anything as all expenses were taken care of by school escort teachers.

We 4 girls and 8 boys are travelling from Karaikal to Car Nicobar on Migration during our 9th class. One Male and one female teacher were the escorts of the migration students from Karaikal to Car Nicobar, to stay there for a period of two years.

Mighty Madras:

We reached Madras (now Chennai) after a day long journey. It was my first visit to Madras. All we see in movies, of a villager looking as an extraordinary thing was true in my life too. It was literally breath-taking moments to see the buildings with greater heights (LIC building was the only tall building of those days). We stayed in a 3 or 4 floor lodge, near Harbour area. Our PT Sir (Anban Sir) was one of our escorts. When he pressed a button, the lift moved. I could not believe, we can move vertically. I thought we had entered into a magic world and PT Sir had the wand. Having travelled only in bus, not even seen a train, all things were giving me out of world experience and excitement.

Floating Heaven:

The next day we entered the ship, MV Nicobar. It was a brand new, fully air-conditioned Passenger ship. The ship was Gigantic, sophisticated, built in Poland. When we entered, it looked like another expensive hotel. But after few hours, ship started sailing, most of our friends were vomiting and started feeling drowsy. They were all sleeping till our ship journey ended at Port Blair. Only I among girls and Rajkumar among boys were awake through the entire journey. We got the food tokens, and we behaved like guards of our sleeping Beauties and Princes. As we both were roaming a lot, once got into the vision of The Captain. He asked about us. I proudly spoke about our school. He commented, usually Islanders go to Mainland to pursue education of better standard, but it’s reverse here. He gave us handful of chocolates to us as a token of appreciation for the Bold Decision.

Food Experience:

For lunch, we were given a token for full meals. As a part of the lunch, we also received a paper cup (Complementary dish, I guess!). I was wondering what to do with that paper cup. One crew member showed a machine and instructed me to place the cup before my favorite flavor. The word Pepsi, I had never heard or seen before. There were 6 flavors. I placed my cup before some flavor I don't remember. More than the liquid and its taste, the fact that, when the cup was placed on the machine, it gets automatically filled, surprising till its rim, but not overflowing, kept me astonished. I could not believe the magic. So I asked the crew person there, how I can get more cups. He said, the token for a cup of cool drink is Rs. 6. I paid Rs. 6 to get a cup, I placed it in another flavor. It also automatically fills it to brim but not over flowing. Again I could not not believe, ultimately I tried all the six flavors, the outcome is the same. Now I look back how childish I was, to accept or believe the latest technology which I never heard before.

All the three meals a day was a surprise for me. For dinner, we received vegetable fried rice one night and Vegetable noodles another night. Both Fried Rice and Noodles were very new dishes for me. I am hearing the names for the first time and taste was very much different than the regular food we were eating at home or school.

Exploring the Ship:

Life in ship would have become boring if I had not located the Library. The rule of the library was to deposit Rs. 100 and get two tokens; it was refundable before we leave the ship. I can take 2 books at a time. You know, I read The Tale of Two Cities and Sherlock Homes Stories. Both books were enough for me to keep in engaged, also the sofa and ambience was Luxurious with expensive furniture.

I roamed a lot, to keep myself away from unhygienic Bunk Class toilets and I was not comfortable in bunk class. Bunk class was the portion lies below the Plimsoll Line or Water line. The Plimsoll line is a reference mark located on a ship's hull that indicates the maximum depth to which the vessel may be safely immersed when loaded with cargo. So when I keep roaming in the Bunk area I could enjoy watching school of fishes through the glass windows. Once in our maiden ship journey, a shark accidentally struck and broke to thick glass. Kudos to the crew who gave alarm messages to stay away from that area. They explained the incident through speakers and kept us informed then and there. Immediately that area was taken into confinement and with hydraulic system that area was evacuated. In few hours the ship was brought back to normal condition. Though it was only few hours, it looked like our end of our life very soon felt Life saved.

There were different class of tickets – Bunk, located at the bottom of the ship (below water level) the least cost ones, a dormitory type stay place with common toilets and bathrooms. Cafeteria was different with a different menu. There was a Cinema Theatre with shops to buy cool drinks and snacks. The next level was second class cabin. The room had four beds (two lower and two upper) with an attached toilet and bath. Their cafeteria and menu were better than bunk class. The next level was Deluxe Cabin which had two beds (can be made as double bed), full furnished luxurious room with a television and a telephone. 

The ship also had a Hospital with qualifies doctors and nurses, enough first aid medicines and two beds for causality and two for patients under observation. Once, our classmate had breathing trouble. I was the one who stayed with her in the hospital area. The hospital was on par with any renowned multispecialty hospital.

The whole day, I kept exploring maximum features of the ship. The ship also had a helipad. One day some officials came and most of the sailors of the ship gathered to see a helicopter landing on the helipad, and many Men in White Uniform Marching and saluting the Officials. Though I had walked every nook and corner of the ship, as a small girl, I never knew the real meaning or value of the wonderful journey filled with unfathomable experiences, seeing a varieties of fishes, natural sceneries, climate, different lifestyles and much more till I saw the movie Titanic. Anyone can see Titanic as a movie screening a ship journey with a romantic couple onboard. For me each and every scene of the film reminds of my journey to Car Nicobar. For the benefit of readers to understand what bunk class is, its where Jack, the male protagonist travels. Deluxe Cabin is where Rose, the female protagonist travels.

After three days and two nights, we reached Port Blair, the Capital of Andaman Nicobar Islands.

 

.........to be continued.....