Maybe it is not even relevant anymore. That paradise seems like a million years ago already.
BUT.... maybe if I write something about it, it will bring that all crashing back to me.
While we were there, I took very extensive notes (as I always do).
I cataloged nearly every minute, every move, every meal.
The notes filled nearly 30 pages of my little pocket moleskine so I wont bother dictate all of them.
I will just give a vague outline, some photos and some excerpts from the notebook here and there (*which will appear in italics).
THE MALDIVES PAPERS - APRIL 2011
April 26th 2011
I passed my driving test, got my Qatari DL, taught a class on camera and audio, and then headed for the airport. We made it through in a breeze and hit the plane for a late night flight.
"I made a deal (to keep the trip relatively romantic) that I would not fart once we reached the Maldives. The penalty per fart was a yoga class that I would have to attend with Lauren. I loathe the idea of yoga classes so I took advantage of the plane ride to pass as much gas as possible. Something about planes.... not sure if its the air pressure, obnoxious food, or just the sheer excitement of looking around with judging eyes as I silently blame others for my foulness..... makes the idea of flatulence incredible and daring."
I watched an Indian film, had an awkward conversation/lie session with a stewardess, and with an hour until landing, glared out of the window to see the crystal clear water rippling below us. We floated above a cluster of tiny islands as we glided through a spattering of pillowy, white clouds.
April 27th, 2011
We made it to Male (pronounced Mah-Lee) around 8am, got on a speed boat, and headed for Furanafushi. On the boat with us was a woman, her mother, a young child and a tiny baby in his mother's arms.
"I couldn't help but think, if this boat were to capsize..... would I save Lauren or the baby? Luckily, I did not have to make that decision."
We made to the island and were greeted with waves and smiles from the resort staff. We were driven to our villa in a golf cart. Once we arrived, we fell in love. We had a gorgeous villa, a nice pool and an uninhibited view of the waves crashing in on the edge of the island right in our "backyard".
We ate, went snorkeling, swam in the pool, took a nap, and then went out to dinner at a restaurant on the beach.
"Stuffed and staggering we walked back to the villa to drink wine and whiskey by the sea. The sound of crashing waves was the score to this writing. Lauren giggled often as she read Richard Hell's 'Go Now'. A beautiful end to a beautiful first day in paradise."
April 28th, 2011
We woke up early, had a huge breakfast, spent about an hour coating ourselves with sun block, and headed for the dock to go on a reef snorkeling trip.
"We climbed on to an elf shoe shaped boat and laughed as the young chinese couples boarded wearing wet tube socks and ill fitting bathing suits. I guess some cultural differences will just never be understood."
We snorkeled on a reef for about an hour and we saw thousands of fish that you can only see there OR on Nat Geo. It was incredible. I shot loads of videos underwater using the flipcam (editing that now.... coming soon). We even saw some shark, clown fish, and a giant moray eel.
When we got back to the villa, I jumped into the pool with little to no hesitation.
We laid down for another afternoon nap and woke up around 5pm. Just in time to head down to the beach bar for drinks as the sun set.
Oh yeah.... and also SHARK FEEDING TIME!!!!
We had our share of whiskey and mojiitos and headed for a dinner on the beach. We feasted on fresh seafood and more wine.
Once we got home, we passed out with smiles that were bigger than the island itself.
April 29th, 2011
We slept in til nearly 11am, finished off our 4th bottle of sunblock, and headed out to snorkel from the beach on the far side of the island.
The sea was rough and made it very difficult to enjoy the swim. We headed back in, laid on the beach, and finally decided to hit the pool.
We had a few drinks by the pool and then hit the gift shop to pick up a book called "Fish of the Maldives". I had a blast identifying as many as I could. We fell asleep and woke up as the sun was setting.
We rushed to the very end of the island to take some photos of the sun set.
A giant black raincloud blocked out nearly all of the suns glowing orange light so we headed for "Maldivian Night" at the other end of the island just as a light dropping of rain came down.
We arrived to a buffet of loads of dishes that I couldn't even begin to identify. We ate 5 courses, drank wine and whiskey, and enjoyed the music of a local Maldivian band.
The night ended with us staggering home laughing at the lizards that crossed the path in front of us.
April 30th, 2011
The trip was drawing to a close. We packed our bags, headed for the welcome center, checked out, and with a few hours to spare, hit the bar for some last food and drinks. We played cards (Lauren whipped me 5 out of 8 times) and enjoyed the scene for one last time.
We got back on our boat and headed for the airport.
We boarded our plane to Sri Lanka and before we knew it, we were there.
The Columbo Airport is a nightmare. No one knows anything. Especially not the staff.
We walked out of the arrivals and to the departures to check in for our connecting flight.
"We scanned our bags and separated for the standard frisk. BUT this was no ordinary pat down. The first move caught me totally off guard. The uniformed guard groped my chest. I mean GROPED. Like a 14 year old boy would do to the first girl willing to let him. Like testing the ripeness of a cantaloupe. If it were a cartoon, it would be accompanied by a "Honk, Honk" and a wolf characters eyes popping out of the sockets and steam coming out of his ears. I was shocked and appalled but most of all confused. I walked away feeling dirty and cheap."
We got on our plane and flew luxuriously in business class back to Doha. We sipped champagne, ate fancy foods, and watched a beautiful lightning storm in the distance.
The trip was over but the memory will live on.
Maldives.... I'll see you again, I am sure of it.
That is my favorite photo of all time !!
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