Swimming with the sharks

Actor Ramesh Aravind recounts the excitement of snorkelling during a storm For someone who hates retail therapy or restful holidays, an action-packed break is the best antidote to stress. Actor-director Ramesh Aravind ensures that his holidays centre around some outdoor activity. I'd hate it if my kids had to go someplace and watch television to occupy themselves, he says. He rates his recent visit to the Andamans as really special because it began as a huge disappointment but ended in high drama. What we first saw was an island ravaged by the tsunami. I spent an entire day, walking the shore and feeling depressed. I was sure the holiday was a disaster. The next day, we did something that changed my view of the world. We went snorkelling and we saw a spectacular world underwater, he says. The underwater adventure not only changed his mood, it also turned him, overnight, into a fan of the sport. The best part is that anyone can snorkel. You are taken through a basic routine before you wear your gear and take the plunge. After that, it's just you and the spectacular sea. Swimming with jellyfish would have been adventure enough but fate had other plans in store for him, says Ramesh. So fascinated was he by his new-found passion for snorkelling that he convinced the tour operator to take him on a dive though he was warned of a rough sea and stormy weather. A massive storm broke. My wife has never prayed so much in her whole life as she did that day. We were lucky we came up in one piece, says the actor. A keen traveller, Ramesh has seen almost all of India and most of the world. China's next on my list. I also want to go scuba diving in Indonesia. Are the weather gods, listening?