Postcards from Paradise

It wasn't a bad start: while leisurely enjoying a peaceful cup of tea and chocolate croissant in the airport I noticed it was exactly ten years ago to the day that we flew in to Hawaii on honeymoon.  Which made the fact that we couldn't holiday the week before over our actual anniversary because of the Don's teaching commitments feel quite irrelevant.

And just like flying to Hawaii, landing on the mainland was only the first step.  This time the second leg was a whole lot shorter and more exciting, though heading straight in to a thundercloud is far more concerning in a twelve-seater sea-plane whose pilot is in flip flops and learned to fly on ice in Canada, than it is in a larger aircraft.

The sea-plane terminal (and airport runway in the background)

Male

Approaching our island on Baa Atoll

Our floating island terminal -
waiting for the dhoni to take us to shore

Not a bad view from our bed...

...or from our front door. 

Our three friendly neighbourhood
black-tipped sharks.

Enjoying some Kaffee und Kuchen

Feeding the rays at sunset

An early morning heron

The breakfast view

One afternoon we had neighbouring Robinson Island, which was basically just a large sandbar, all to ourselves.

These wee crabs were everywhere, and they were totally fascinating.  I could have watched them duck back in to their shells the minute they felt our footsteps, then slowly creep back out again, for hours. Kids would have loved them...

A storm came in while we were on the island, though it didn't actually rain till we were back on the dhoni heading home.  And as always, half an hour after the heavens opened it was clear again for a glorious sunset.

We also tried our hand at loads of watersports, but obviously didn't take many photos.  Well, when I finally find some place that will develop my old-fashioned waterproof disposable camera I might be able to post some photos of the gorgeous reef fish we saw, and the Manta that we swam with, and the dolphins that we saw from the catamaran, and the canoeing and paddle-boarding round the island that we did...  But for now you'll just need to make do with watching us waterski:

Third attempt and I was up, which I didn't think was too bad...

...until the Don did it with his first attempt.
Especially since he did it after the wind had picked up.

I would post the video of me that the Don took, but it's like nine minutes long or something (and who'd enjoy watching that except for our kids?!), which was as much water skiing at a time that my aching back could stand.  I didn't stop because I fell though.... at least not that first time ;)

Anyway, I had out wind-surfed the Don the day before so was happy to hand him the laurel for water skiing.  Actually, the best comment of the holiday by far I think was when the Maldivian water-sports guy that had pretty much done everything with us, turned round to the Don in the speedboat while I was water skiing and said "She's quite sporty, yeah?" 

?!?!?! 

I'm surprised I didn't hear the Don's guffaws from the water.  I think climbing our stairs numerous times a day is enough exercise for me.

Then with aching arms, despite the massage, it was time to say goodbye.

Robinson Island on the left

The string of reefs that make up the outer ring of Baa Atoll

Back towards the seaplane terminal, airport and Male.

And what post from me would be complete without the science bit?

The Maldives consists of approximately 1,190 coral islands grouped in a double chain of 27 atolls.  These are spread over roughly 90,000 square kilometres stretching over a distance of 800 kilometres north to south, though only 298 sq km are above water level (which makes the country 99.9% water and dry land effectively smaller than Andorra).

But totally worth visiting.

The population of the Maldives has increased dramatically in the last few decades.  However with a population of approximately 360,000, the country still remains one of the smallest independent nations in the world.  Maldivians are devout Muslims and 100% of the population are Sunni Muslims, and actually, under the 2008 constitution it's impossible to be a citizen of the Maldives if you are a non-Muslim.

A deep island mentality also permeates the country, so much so that people's first loyalty is to their own small island before their atoll or even their country as a whole.  The most obvious dichotomy in lifestyle in the Maldives is between people in the capital Male and those 'in the atolls' - the term used by everyone to denote 'islanders' or anyone who lives outside the immediate area of bustling modernity that is Male.  Male has a total area of 5.8 square kilometres and with more than 150,000 people living on the island is one of the most densely populated places on earth.