Travel Lakshadweep
Hundred Thousand Islands
New Earthworm found in the Andaman and Nicobar islands
Jan 15th
The new species of earthworm found in the Andaman and Nicobar islands has been named Moniligaster ivaniosi, after the name of the college where the researchers are from – Mar Ivanios, in Thiruvananthapuram. Samples collected from Port Blair by CSIR Emeritus scientist Oommen V. Oommen and Assistant Professor K. Ramachandran were identified by Jaya Manazhy and Aja Manazhy, senior research scholars in the Department of Zoology of the college, under the guidance of K. Vijayakumaran Nair.
More than 15 species of Moniligaster have been reported from India. Right now, the specimen of the new species has been deposited at the Zoological Survey of India, Kozhikode. It has special characteristics such as a black line running along the middle region and three pairs of genital apertures. The species is most probably endemic to the Andaman and Nicobar islands.
India’s Own Cruise Liner – Amet Majesty
Jun 23rd
The country’s first indigenous cruise liner is here! Flagging off from the east coast port of Chennai, it can accommodate about a thousand passengers. The liner is called Amet Majesty. It will be travelling to and offering packages to Thailand, Maldives, Sri Lanka and a few Indian ports, including Port Blair in the Andamans. There will be separate plans for trips to ports on the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.
The cruise liner has good amenities that you find in luxury cruises. Take a stroll down to the dance bars or swim in the pools. You can relax in the luxury restaurants and spas. You can pamper yourself on the Amet Majesty. The liner gives scope for over 200 professionals to train aboard it.
Aboard The World’s Largest Floating Library!
May 27th
Visiting mv Logos Hope was a grand experience for Terence and me. We left with great expectations in our heart: Hope was advertised as the largest floating library in the world. And, it definitely is! Six hundred and ten square metres of book space. I had gone onboard Hope’s sister vessel, Doulos, when it called on Cochin in 2004. But this is a bigger, wider ship.
We picked up our tickets and waited in line to step onto the gangplank. A security person and a crewmember greeted us and welcomed us aboard the huge ship. At the entrance itself there was a ship-like seating area and a wall-mounted screen where we were shown a three-minute video about the vessel. We walked down the large wood-panelled floors into the book fair area, and were struck by the neatly-stacked rows of books.
Mv Logos Hope is under the GBA ships banner, with their headquarters in Germany. They also have a base in the US. We spoke to Sarang Shin at the information desk. He has been onboard Hope for the last eight months. When I asked him how the work was, he was quite excited to add, “We are all volunteers on Hope, including the captain. We work with a two-year contract.” Sarang is from North Korea and has previous work experience on ships. Read the rest of this entry »
Miss Bikini International World 2011 in China
May 17th
Thai bikini beauties are damn excited! For the first time in its 36-year history, the Miss Bikini International World pageant will have a Thai contestant in it. The final round will be held in in July, Harbin, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, with a participation of 80 countries.
In order to choose the contestant from Thailand, the different rounds of the first Miss Thailand Beach International 2011 beauty pageant will be conducted in Bangkok, and the finals will be held in Phuket, on June 5.
Phuket is a major beach destination of the world. Such an event will surely boost the tourism appeal of the place.
Football Stadium In The Andamans
Mar 25th
Something that the Andamans have been missing till now – a football stadium – is gonna be soon a dream come true. The proposed stadium will have a seating capacity of 4,000 and is hoped to be completed by the middle of this year. The Andamans are known for adventure sports and seaside activities such as Scuba diving, rafting, boating and angling. This new venture will add another feature to Andamans tourism.
The football stadium will be located near Jawaharlal Nehru college complex and the building project is being funded by games international body (FIFA) through its Indian counterparts, All India Football Federation.
Disney Dream – Disney’s New Luxury Liner
Jan 27th
Disney Cruise Line’s all new Disney Dream, one of their ships launched in a decade, has room for all. Literally! It can hold up to 4,000 passengers. Disney Dream has various sailing options – it sails three, four and five-night cruises from Port Canaveral. There are stop-overs at Nassau in the Bahamas and Castaway Cay, the corporation’s private island in the Caribbean.
Everything on this cruise spells luxury, with sky-rocketing prices, what else can you expect? Read the rest of this entry »
All New Tourist Season In Lakshadweep!
Dec 2nd
Earlier this month, a load of tourists and locals of Lakshadweep were treated to renewed cruise ships. The ‘Mini Coy’, is a weekend holiday cruise ship to the islands that sails from New Mangalore port. Mangalore is only 144 nautical miles away from Lakshadweep and the journey takes 14 hours.
The cruise takes tourists to Kadmat island and returns the next day. This is the first weekend cruise of its kind to Lakshadweep, and had about 140 people on board.
Once on the island, tourists can go around for boating, sea swimming and shopping on the islands. Diving and snorkelling enthusiasts can hire yachts and equipment from agencies on the island. You can go walking on the serene beaches and visit local landmarks before getting back to your ship.
Indian Americans From Kerala To Be Honoured In NY
Nov 8th
A New York-based community organisation, Kerala Centre, will honour five Indian Americans from Kerala will be honoured for their outstanding achievements in their respective fields.
On November 13, Dr Madhu Bhaskaran, Medical Director of the Kidney Transplant Programme at North Shore University Hospital (New York); Captain Stanley George, New York City Police Department (NYPD); Ragy Thomas, Founder and CEO of Sprinklr (New Jersey) and Dr Vinod M. Menon, Associate Professor of Physics at Queens College and Graduate Centre of the City University of New York (CUNY) will be awarded at the special banquet.
This is an annual program that appreciates and honours American Keralites to their service to society and outstandign performances in their fields.
Oldest Student In India – 100 years old!
Oct 29th
Going to university sounds quite nice. Especially if you’re a hundred years old! Freedom fighter Bholaram Das, on his 100th birthday, told his family that he wants to do a PhD at the Guwahati University. As his subject he’s going to study how his native Bohori village helped in the spread of neo-Vaishnavism, especially in Assam. He currently has 10 grandchildren and a great-grandchild. And who else to guide him in his PhD than one of his granddaughters, a university professor!
He said that he feels he must work towards a PhD to satisfy his hunger for learning. He has an interesting history: Bholaram Das was jailed in 1930 for protesting against the British rule, at the age of 19; before joining the Congress Party in 1945 he studied law and commerce; and he has worked in the fields of law and education. He’s been a lawyer, a magistrate and a district court judge. He retired in 1971.
In the mean time, the authorities at the university feel that the presence of a 100-year-old student will encourage others to take up courses with them. Even youth in his family will be inspired by this endeavour.