.....Sand Dunes to Sand Bank.....!!!!

....last year Nov winters Rajasthan mesmerised us and the visit to one of our own desert trail Thar desert and its dunes were captivating  !!....this year yesterday's AMDC trip  added a new dimension to our sandy experience. Yes ,the Sand Bank trip of Udhafinolhu off the Thulagiri Resort Island was exciting and a different experience altoghether. The 5.30am reporting at MarryBrowne was a sleepy encounter but happened to be very near to my apartment(named "Indian Ocean Heights" by me) and car parking was no problem underneath a streetside tree. Nanu & Doel having been put earller to bed the penultimate day were fresh as figs & were armed with sand toys ,float and jackets and sunglass.The 66 strong party & ten kids drifted slowly into the main sea on time.Kudabandos & Bandos Island Resort fell to our Rt.& Lt.respectively & Thulagiri Resort was visible to the lt after nearly 1hr of swift sail on a bright sunny but windy day...as we approached the turquoise waters near the Udhafinolhu sand bank......the weather turned cooler & lot more windy & the sea choppy....! to our utter chagrin we learnt that since the reef was shallow & rocky there will be a Dinghy transfer....!!!! flashes of Dinghy ride with whole family in June to Maafushi & Biyadhoo for full 2hrs amidst overcast conditions in high seas overclouded my consciousness....!!!....a cursory glance & I could feel what Archana was feeling.....!!!! but we were the first among equals to be transhipped to the sand bank & could feel the cool waters with our bare hands while on the dinghy. The dinghy ride though uneventful was short but were multiple in order to fetch the entire group. The canopy of two were cool relaxing with basic amenities, and a sumptuous breakfast with water body and sport al around it was a memorable day....sand banks are a unique geographical locations and are ever shifting yearly,the lack of vegetation makes these temporary landmass lead to heavy gusts of wind leading to tempering of the Indian Ocean Sun in as much that the canopy within temperatures were too cool forcing me to erect a leeward side canopy of sheets where the gusty winds and the sun rays provided ambient temperature....!!!..this time with Doel shaking of  her fears of the sea ,both Archana & myself were pleasantly surprised to see her interaction with her friends in the reef. with archana,nanu in a raft the sand bank experience augmented by a good lunch was fabulous and reminded me as to what this part of the globe could offer in terms of remoteness & solitude which we all pray & long while in sojourn in big cities.....!!!!!  














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