Well - here I am in Chennai - totally chaotic it is too. The flight was great as I had fluked a very cheap upgrade - I have never been so pampered, which is why it was a bit of a culture shock once I had gone through the arrival gate. Just heaving with people - even at 5 am . I started to work my way down the individual airlines to get a flight to Port Blair and with each desk my heart sunk further and further as I was getting the same response - all booked up until the end of the month. I got to the end of the line and then I started again - this time I played the 'my daughter is stuck on the island with no money " card, and had a little more success in that they actually looked up on the computer to see how booked up it really was. There was a flight just about to go with Air India and they thought they might be able to get me on that so they rushed me through the mob, I got my bags security checked, only to find the flight was fully booked after all. However, I have now paid for my ticket and they assured me that I would be able to get on the flight tomorrow morning, leaving at 5 am - even though my ticket says not valid after the 21st June, which is a slight worry.
A taxi took me to the nearest decent hotel and that was as experience in itself....Hundreds of people on mopeds with sari clad ladies clinging on the back for dear life, carts being pulled by oxes, fruit sellers everywhere, men and women just lying on the pavements, cows roaming freely and all the time the blaring of cars hooters. My taxi driver was on a death wish and I had my eyes closed most of the time! I am about to go exploring but don't know how to post photos as this is different from my computer at home. Hopefully when I catch up with Jay she will be able to help me on that one.