Sharks!


Sharks!

The Maldives are infested with sharks.  White tipped sharks and black tipped sharks patrol the lagoon around Paradise Island; stealth, silent, dangerous.  Ok, so the biggest are only about four feet long, with the average size about two feet long.  Just the same, there are many and we saw them during our dives as well.   It can be a bit unnerving and I must admit, I wasn’t up to snorkelling in a skimpy bathing suit.  Why do I feel so safe is a wetsuit and scuba gear?  Cognitive distortion for sure.

The water in the Maldives is the most unbelievable aquamarine colour you can imagine. The colour is really, quite hard to believe, so clear, so aqua, so calm. White coral beach sand and palm trees paint the picture for you.  The oceans are abundant with huge schools of fish, dolphins, ocotopus, turtles, mantas and lovely coral.  The islands are idealic from an aesthetic point of view. However, functionally, the Maldives capital, Male, is seriously overcrowded and although we didn’t actually visit Male, the island’s beauty is marred by solid blocks of apartments. 

The Maldives is a Muslim country and Islam is highly protected.  At the airport, large signs warn passengers and arrivals that bringing in religious “idols” is absolutely forbidden.  Carefully, slowly, Bill removed his crucifix from his neck and stored it in my jewelry case.  Islam is the religion of the nation and any other religious practice or influence is strictly prohibited. 

 Alcohol cannot be brought into the country, nor can it be purchased in the Maldives, except through the resorts.  This restriction was thus causing some consternation from me and our VSO friends and fellow Canadians, Shaun and Trina who travelled to the Maldives with us.  However, good red wine was available for purchase in restaurants and in the lounge, so we were able to relax and enjoy our stay. No Muslim can serve alcohol, so all waiters serving alcohol are working residents from other countries such as India, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia.

Diversion is not one of the islands strong points. There is not much to do on the islands unless you are a diver. We dove, and dove and dove. Bill was trying to hit his 200th dive, but came up short with 198 dives. We rested, read and swam.  The very hot sun improved Bill’s tan and the hot sun bleached out his hair to blonde, pleasing him immensely.  Pride in his new look has created a new habit of him stipping his head back and shaking it in order to feel his blonde locks swing.  We ate sensibly and drank with temperance.  Lovely rest.

 

 

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