Floral nostalgia in Pondicherry

My favorite flower

When I was a child, my father tried, with some limited success, to grow plants from his childhood in India. And so it was that bougainvillea became one of my favorite flowers. We had a small potted plant with deep red leaves, but in India (and many other semi-tropical climates) they grow in many shades and as big as small trees.

The above comes from a warm street in Pondicherry.

Tags: , , , , , ,

Like a lizard in the sun

Do you know my mother?

I am a lost little reptile of some sort, maybe a lizard, maybe a gecko, maybe a skink. I was found in Ghoom.

I’m not sure of my identity. I’ve tried contacting a herpetologist at an Indian university to identify me for myself, but no luck.

But I’m reasonably happy basking in the sun. And I’m completely unafraid of macro-focus photo shoots.

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Dreaming of sunsets over the sea

Rays of light on Radhanagar Beach, Havelock Island

I’ve been writing a travelogue and environmental essay. Which has me thinking of the Andamans, sand and diving.

Thankfully, I get back to the sea next week, if only for a little while. FYI, starting Monday, the blog will be on autopilot for a few days.

The sunset above was just too easy.

Tags: , , , , , ,

Unexplored Andamans: A scientist’s playground


Click a photo for a larger view

More often thought of as paradise for beach bums and scuba divers, the Andaman Islands are also a scientist’s playground, an alluring cache of uncharted island biodiversity. The archipelago lies about 1,200 kilometers from India in the middle of the Bay of Bengal.

Continue reading this entry » » »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Shy little bastard. Come out and play.

Not very funny for a clownfish.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Creatures of the Andaman deep

A full gallery of images from diving in the Andamans. All in one place. To accompany a story on India’s nascent diving industry, the unofficial headquarters of which is on Havelock Island, smack in the middle of the Bay of Bengal.

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

How do you like them clownfish?

From Anemone Reef, Havelock Island

I can't get enough

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,