Seasickness and what followed

Taking respite from heat

So a bunch of eleven people landed in this hot oven with no promise of even one cool breeze. We rushed to a hotel for rooms and booked several with only fans. After a few minutes of hot air circulation, some of us decided to upgrade them with air conditioning. My cousin (with whom I shared the room) and I were already broke, so we decided to stay put in searing hell. Meanwhile, I was texting a friend back home, who thought I was building character by travelling cheap (well, thanks to NASA too, in that regard). So some consolation for slumming down!

Therapeutic sea

We rested for a while and went out for food. After about an hour’s siesta, we headed towards the beach. I remembered the first time I had come to Murdeshwar as a kid with my family. I must have been about 11 years old. And my first experience of an ocean – a colossal water body! I was overwhelmed! And I had the best time playing with the waves. I love water, by the way. My aunt recollects the way I used to play in a tub of water and such a happy kid I used to be playing so, every time we talk. Did I mention that I just love water?  Well, I think life would be an anguishing experience without two things - music and water. Whoever said, “After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music” must have travelled a mile in the sea and then heard Mozart play. Really, the waters have such calming effe… I can just go on. However, no amount of verbal/written glorification will be enough for what it truly is.                                                               

 

The Pool Party - 1

Anyway, it seemed like a haphazardly organized pool party at the beach, with an exception of temple two steps away (hence no drinks served!); lots to eat, lots of people from all walks of life, the host providing various engagements to its guests – from a motorboat ride to a quiet walk to a memorable picture of an evening to a beautiful sun setting at its floor and the moon causing high tides.

The Pool Party - 2

 As the first star shone, the kids went out of the huge pool, then their mothers, then the old blokes who perhaps felt they had seen it all, the playful youth and then the hungry bunch. We walked towards the town seeing off those few couples who walked on – perhaps finding love, perhaps sorting out a fight…

Before gorging on a platter, some of us walked in for blessing from Murdeshwar, while my cousin and I strolled the market. The sea shell spinoffs flooded every shop, but nothing exotic. We finished the paperwork required for next day’s activity and headed for food, by which time hunger had fallen flat. Santy briefed us on the next day. We retired to the bed fishy-eyed (if you know what I mean)!

A quiet evening

Enter sunshi..errr… rain?! Yeah, so I should have got the hint that the day was not meant to be like I had imagined – tailor made. It was cloudy, slightly breezy too. By the time rain stopped and we had had breakfast, our departure was delayed by an hour. And more paperwork, once we were at the diving instructor’s office! So we signed a no-liability-to-instructor-in-case-of-adversities document and lightened the moment joking and passed another hour while the sun played peek-a-boo!

Instructions from Gabor

Now that was some news and we left for Nethrani Island (otherwise known as Pigeon Island), about 12 nautical miles from the shore, an hour and a half ride. All enthused, we got on to the boat with one of the instructors – Gabor; a Hungarian PADI licensed scuba diver with a six year stint in India. That’s pretty much where I started feeling dizzy in my head and fizzy in my stomach! I could NOT believe it! I was seasick! For the next 5400 seconds, I could not lift my head up and I could not open my eyes. The only cherished moment was when I (vaguely) spotted a blue grey dolphin doing the dance! Apart from that, I hated it! 

Mukesh with scuba gear set to dive

Mukesh diving

I was jealous of all the people who dived into the sea and basked in the sun, when we had reached Nethrani Island. I felt so weak and declared an atrocious trip and an even more atrocious Mother Nature for having made me seasick! But of course, when you are with NASA, you can’t just give up. Santy and Vinay just didn’t let me lie on my bottom and rest in misery for all my life. So I meekly walked up to another boat for the scuba gear and was almost ready for the dive. Then again, my life can’t be so smooth or the world will lose its tenuous balance! I have anxiety as a medical condition and the thought of shortness of breath can kill me. I forgot to breathe through the mouth and hence couldn’t put on the mask which covered the eyes and the nose. So Dhirendra Rawat, one of the instructors (PADI licensed too) suggested practicing snorkeling before I could try scuba diving again. Really, all you need to do is just remember to breathe through your mouth. And breathe deep and just relax. That’s what I did after much more light headedness on the boat, a little more envy seeing the divers and swearing in the sea that I was meant to neither snorkel nor scuba dive.  

Superrr!

And through the dive I had the one of the most beautiful experiences, which to be recounted needs either Mozart’s music or just another scuba dive with you, next season (starts Oct/Nov – for a budget trip get in touch with NASA)! The harmony with which all the colors come together to provide a visual treat is something I will marvel at for days to come. About 30 feet down the surface, I saw blue tang (Finding Nemo’s Dory), sea cucumber (I even held the soft flabby thing!), (cutely mouthing) honeycomb moray eel, butterfly fish, ember parrotfish and just schools of fish passing us by so smoothly. Honestly, we could learn a thing or two to improve our traffic situation here on land!  

A snapshot of the magnificence

After about 35 short minutes, I was on the sea surface with a ringing in my ears. However, it didn’t seem to matter much. I was indulged in Mother Nature’s brilliance. It had overwhelmed me, at the same time calmed me down. I was seasick on our way back too. That didn’t seem to matter much either! I couldn’t stop smiling and I spotted a bunch of blue-grey dolphin again, not vaguely this time round!

Back from a mission accomplished

While in the tempo-traveler with Vinay’s singing soothing the ears and the happy fish floating in the minds, I said to myself I couldn’t have asked for a better first time scuba experience. Hell, I couldn’t have had a better first time scuba experience! 

Of course, thanks Suhas, Santy, Sowmya, Vinay, Mukesh, Venky, Vikas, Mahesh, Nataraj and Jagz for a wonderful company (not necessarily in that order)!