Day 8 - Baratang Island - Visiting Limestone Caves and Mud Volcano - The Final Day of Visit
Yesterday our tour operator had told us that tomorrow we have to start for Baratang Island very early at 3 am. Start at 3 AM, such a godforsaken time. That too when actual travel time on google is just about 3 hrs?
Despite our reservations, we gave up and got ready to move for Baratang at dot 0300. The car arrived slightly late and our journey started at 0330. As we progressed on this road trip we asked the driver, why we had to leave so early? His answer solved the puzzle.
During this Journey, we have to pass through thick Jungle which is inhabited Jarawa, once a fierce cannibal tribe. The Forest gate at Jirkatang opens at about 7 in the morning for traffic to pass to and from North Andaman.
The vehicles have to line up prior to the gate opening not because the gate is open for a short time. It is because most of the vehicles that are carrying tourists to Lime Stone Caves and Mud Volcano at Baratang island through Middle Strait have to make the return trip in the day light (before forest gates close) back to Port Blair and thus there is great hurry to pass this gate as soon as it opens.
Even after listening to this input from our driver we were still not convinced. Ok, so what, why one has to leave so early? We could have started at 0500, etc. We were in this state of mind till we reached the forest gate at Jirkatang at about 0530 and were shocked to find a large number of vehicles lined up before us in the queue. When did all these people start, at 0200 or thereabout?
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| Long Queue of Vehicles |
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| And so many vehicles behind us |
Our driver put our vehicle in the queue. There was nothing else but to wait. Since the queue had large no of vehicles in this morning hour, there was demand for Tea and thus there were many stalls selling Tea, etc. After having a cup of tea, I decided to venture towards the gate and see what all is there.
As I ventured near the gate I was surprised to see reasonably good toilet complex (another vital need in the early morning hour) and two three eateries which were full of people. After this small walking trip, I returned to our car as there were signs of the gate opening.
Once the gates opened, all the vehicles started off in the same queue (generally no one overtakes others in this forest stretch). After an uneventful journey through Jarawa Lands, we reached Middle Strait RO-RO Terminal by about 0800.
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| Two Cute Birds at Middle Strait Jetty |
Waiting for RO - RO boat
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| The Strait |
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| Mangrove Forest along the Shores |
Taking an RO- RO boat we reached other side of the strait. Once there, we took a speed boat to go to Lime Stone Caves. The boat traveled through this strait which has Mangroves on the either side. The journey was fun. At the finish of the journey, the boats enter a thick growth of Mangroves and one gets a feeling of going through a channel under a cave of Mangroves.
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| Travelling Through Mangrove Forest Canopy |
At the discharge point, the guide took us on a walk of about one and a half kilometer, reminding us to finish the trip quickly (they ask you to complete the trip in ridiculously short time but they also know it will take at least one hour to do the trip even after brisk walking). After a quick walk of about 15 - 20 minutes, we reached the caves.
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| Walking Down to Lime Stone Caves |
Entering them through a narrow pass between two limestone rocks we got into the cave. There were unique rock formations from the roof of the cave and also from the bottom up from the base of the cave. Sometimes these kinds of structures also met creating a column.
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| Almost There |
The caves do not have lights hence the guide uses his torch. There were different formations and the guide kept telling us various names of these formations based on how they looked like. It was a different experience. The Lime Stone rock formations were very interesting.
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| Here on - Various Rock FOrmations inside the Caves |
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| Yours Truly inside the Cave |
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| All about Lime Stone Caves |
It may be noted that people with difficulty in walking would find rushing to caves difficult, though there is a need to take the repeated reminders of the guide to "hurry up" with a pinch of salt. After visiting Lime Stone Caves we returned to Middle Strait Jetty by the same speed boat with fun on the way with speed boat doing real high speed.
Once we were back to Jetty, it was then a turn of a road trip to Mud Volcano, a unique geographical phenomenon where mud seeps out of the earth. Once out of the vehicle at the entry point, it is a walk of about 500 meters to the site of Volcano.
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| Heading towards Mud Volcano |
If the visitors go there with a mental image of Volcano Spewing lava with a plum, etc, they would be disappointed (some of our group were) but the Mud volcano is worth visiting for a different sight. In an enclosed area fenced off by a simple fence, we get to see mud spewing out very softly from some holes and soon cooling down. It is said that Mud Volcanos are indicative of Hydro Carbon deposits under that place.
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| Mud Volcano |
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| One More |
After this visit, it was time to have Lunch in one of the few small eateries on the Jetty and then the trip back to Port Blair after crossing the Strait by the same RO-RO boat which keeps sailing between two shores. After a three hour Journey, we reached Port Blair. Since we had some day light still available, we roamed around the Aberdeen Bazar area (The main bazaar of Port Blair). Post this visit we returned to our Hotel.
All that was left was to pack and sleep. Next day we had our return flights to go back home.
P.S. We visited Andamans in Jan 2017 and the Blog is getting over in the month of Sept 17. I have taken a long time but that was due to various preoccupations. I did not want to abandon this blog because abandoning meant two things. First, I would not be able to make those who can not visit Andamans for some reasons take a virtual tour of Andaman and Second, I would not be able to aid those who want to go there and are looking for information about the trip.
W
