An overcast afternoon and clear waters that rise and fall during the 40-minute boat ride from Baratang to the Limestone Caves makes us want to drop our hands in the water and sample the warmth of the turquoise waves. Just as we are about to, we are reminded of a battered board at the jetty; ‘Beware of saltwater crocodiles'.
It all started with a bus journey to Baratang from Port Blair much earlier in the day — 6.30 a.m. to be precise. Starting off this early to the island, 100 km off Port Blair, seems a tad unnecessary because we reach the toll gate that leads to the Reserve Forest by 7.45 a.m., and we are allowed to cross the next 49 km only in a convoy, and the next one isn't till 9 a.m.
Soon, a bouquet of flavours engulfs our senses and we look around to spot three tea shops thronged by people who've just arrived. Hot vadas, puris and bajjis are fried and plated in old newspapers while coffee and tea served in miniscule plastic cups disappear in seconds. A smug old goat wanders around demanding food and manages to get its fill. A crowd spots a temple on a nearby hillock and disappears for a few seconds, only to return with generous smears of vermillion and ash on the foreheads.
Finally, at 9 a.m., the pilot with the red flag mounts his bike. We rush back into the bus and our journey resumes. The forest is vast, thick and silent but for a few bird calls. We pass through fallen trees, gurgling streams and rustling leaves, and before we know it, we've crossed the jungle only to be ushered into a car ferry, heading towards Baratang (Nilambur Jetty) from Middle Strait, a 15-minute ride where islands jutting out of the water paint the area in various shades of green.
At Nilambur Jetty, we are welcomed by tender coconuts and milky kulfis that we indulge in, until a speed boat is prepared to take us to the Limestone Caves. Getting in and throwing on a life jacket (that looked suspiciously frail), we prepare ourselves for a long ride.
The mangroves on either side of the water are bottle-green and make the boat ride seem like an adventure in the Amazon. Their spidery legs seem to crawl closer every minute, and half-an-hour later, we move right through a canopy, where murky waters lap up against the mud, pushing us towards a wooden jetty. We have reached Nayadera, and the Limestone Caves are two km ahead.
The ‘Mangrove Canopy Walk' is interesting, with its trees labelled (Jungle Mango) and paths well cut-out. Suddenly, the trees are gone, and we're in the fields, with buffaloes rolling lazily on the mud. For a moment, we are disoriented. The guide explains that eight families live in Nayadera, and engage in farming — technically in the middle of nowhere!
We finally reach the ancient caves, and we poke through narrow gaps and jump over large boulders. The image is impressive — chandelier-like limestone rocks dangle from the ceiling like the inside of a carnivore's mouth while others sprout from the sides, covered in golden shimmer. Look up, and you see small gaps where the water has seeped through to trickle down and form the wavy patterns. It is dark and only a section of the caves is open for view. “That is Ganesh, there is a tiger,” says the guide, giving forms to the patterns on the rocks. As we walk back under the afternoon light, we are greeted by the locals and a vivacious pup.
In Baratang, we spot Palla's fish eagle moving in wide circles over the jetty and the white-collared kingfisher (an endemic species), and dawdle back on to the ferry to Middle Strait. On the way back to Port Blair, we watch the forest give way to plains, where buildings dot both sides at different heights. The moon is already out around 5 p.m., a silver disc against a light blue sky. Slowly, the blue turns many shades darker before a silvery light illuminates the sky, the many ponds and their water…
