Andaman Islands

In the Andaman islands, I didn't have to settle a single dispute involving a stolen pencil/eraser/pen/5-rupee coin/rubber ball.

There was no hitting/scratching/biting/hair pulling/calling another kid's mother certain Tamil words that I mercifully can't understand.

Instead, it was all bliss and...

Actually, by the time we found a good beach and it stopped raining, it was time to return home. That's what you get from an impromptu, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants and just-take-off-without-clear-destination mindset! All the merrier.

Havelock Island, peaceful and verdant with the ubiquitous water buffalo.

The memorable day when what was supposed to be a half-hour saunter to the ocean turned into a six-hour-long hike. Ten minutes after embarking, it began to rain, and then didn't stop all day. Anne blames me, but I blame the misleading map! We learned that soggy books do eventually dry out.

For the equivalent of two dollars per day, the simple accommodations with ocean vista. What more is there to life than a mattress, a mosquito net, and a fan? Hilariously spartan but very comfortable.

For some reason Anne took all these food pictures and now I need to come up with a caption. The fish was mouthwatering and a welcome change from our continental fare. But--psst, don't tell anyone--the rest of it is getting a little old.

My travel friend, Anne, is at Rising Star for three months as a dance instructor representing Promethean Spark. Her spontaneity and penchant for the unexpected made the trip fun in many ways. 

She insisted on taking a bazillion of what she called her cheesy teenager snapshots. But I'm glad for the memory: the face of supreme relaxation!