Havelock Island
Trip Start
Jul 02, 2008
1
31
60
Trip End
Jun 19, 2009
Where I stayed
Island Vinnie's
Havelock Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
I spent my last night in Sri Lanka in Negombo, a beach city just north of Colombo, the capital. The airport is so far north in the city that it is actually easier and cheaper to get to the airport from Negombo. And there really isn't anything thrilling to do in Colombo, even for one day.
So I arrived back in Chennai and since I had a 5:50 AM flight to the Andaman Islands the next day I decided to find a hotel near the airport. It wasn't too bad actually, just nothing to do in the neighborhood, so I pretty much stayed in the room and read.
What was supposed to be a 2 hour flight to Port Blair in the Andaman Islands was one I will never forget. Everything was going exceptionally well until we arrived in the islands. Well, I should say we arrived above the islands. You see, we couldn't land. We circled the airport/island for about 45 minutes. Finally the circling stopped but we started heading back into the sea. The pilot finally got on the intercom and said that there's no parking spot for us at the airport. There are already 2 planes there so there is no room for us. And we don't have enough fuel to keep circling and waiting for one plane to move. We're heading back to Chennai.
I should explain that the Port Blair airport is a simple one small building airport with one runway and a small parking area for the planes that supposedly only fits 2 planes. Well, I and many other passengers were livid. Where is the logic here? Why not land the plane and wait on the runway until one of the planes leaves? This airport only has 3 or 4 flights coming in and out per day so it's not like we're going to be in the way. And there are no passenger gates...they just roll a staircase up to the plane and we walk into the airport from the runway. You want to fly back to Chennai another 2 hours just to have to fly us all back wasting 4 hours of fuel? Ridiculous!
So we arrived back in Chennai and we didn't even get off the plane. They started refueling and we waited awhile and they finally decided to send us right back to the islands. I guess our parking spot was available now.
We landed in Port Blair around 1:15 PM but the ferry that will take me to the smaller island where I'm staying and diving leaves at 2:00. I made it to the ferry with 2 whole minutes to spare!! I was so happy I didn't have to stay in Port Blair for the night. At this point I could finally laugh about the whole situation, but I don't think I'll ever understand the reasoning behind the airport's decision to send us back to Chennai.
I'll be in touch soon with diving updates. So far the diving is really good, my instructors are fabulous, and I'm loving it!
peace,
Jen
Comments
Somewhere over the Rainbow
do ya think if I click my heels three times I can wake up and find myself there with you?
Aquilla