Where are we today? Malé, Maldives
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| Look who found our picnic table that was hidden by trees. More about why we were hiding our midday snack in today’s blog. |
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| I named him (or her) Malé cat, even though he lives on another of the Maldives. |
Today marks the start of the altered itinerary in which we bypass the Suez Canal, the Middle East, and Europe in favor of going around Africa. It’s obviously safer given current issues, but it’s still a little sad to miss Petra, Istanbul, Ephesus, Athens, India, and other stops. The revised schedule includes some amazing places, too, so I am focusing on that.
Of course, it is Ramadan right now. Moslems have been a significant minority in several places we have visited, and we have tried to be respectful of this special time for Moslems. The people of Malé are almost exclusively adherents of Sunni Islam, and Ramadan has more of an effect on local life here.
Moslems in the Maldives must be Sunni. If you move here to work and you are not a Sunni Moslem, you cannot become a citizen. Additionally, you must not assemble to worship or discuss your faith openly. All people of Malé must teach their children the Sunni Islam faith. Since 2014, leaving Sunni Islam has been punishable by death in the Maldives.
During Ramadan, you must not drink anything, including water, in public during the day. There is one thing about Malé, though. It is hot! I was struggling to stay hydrated. So, I confess that I took some swigs from my water bottle, hopefully discreetly. The ship crew set up a water station at the tender pier with strategically placed curtains to disguise it. You had to drink the water at the station and dispose of the paper cup immediately.
The women were all conservatively covered. Their outfits ranged from jeans or slacks with long sleeved blouses and headscarves to full burkas.
Lest it sound like Malé is all rules and no fun, the island itself is beautiful. The city is one of the most densely populated in the world, and the buildings are a fascinating mix of brightly colored old houses, old markets, mosques, and modern skyscrapers.
Some friends and we walked about 25-30 minutes to catch a ferry to a smaller island with great snorkeling. The very things that made our path interesting also made it hard to snap pictures. We passed the main fish and fruit market and a lot of smaller, secondary markets. People were moving interesting wares in and out of shops, so we had to dodge them. The old pavers of the sidewalks were uneven due to the natural settling of sandy soil. Motorcycles were weaving in and out of traffic. Sometimes, an intersection would be lined by motorcycles that you had to squeeze through. It was all a happy, industrious, and noisy mix. It took a lot of concentration to navigate.
Before we found the ferry stop, we happened upon a monument to the people lost in the 2004 Tsunami.
After we ferried across, we found the recommended beach. It had a couple of picnic tables and only one or two lounge chairs. That worked in our favor as there were few swimmers around to scare away the beautiful fish. The snorkling was amazing, as promised. There were so many different kinds and shapes of coral close to the shore. The water was on the warm side and ultra relaxing.
While we were looking for the beach, fishermen pulled a cart with barrels of tuna on it. We congratulated them on their catch.
Fish was the only protein that people in the Maldives had in the past. As you can imagine, their cuisine revolves around fish, especially tuna.
While in the water, we all heard the Moslem call to prayer. I think that it came from the island’s mosque, but it must be broadcast to every nook of the island.
I didn’t know much about the Maldives before this trip, so I enjoyed learning more about the culture.
Have a great Easter weekend!
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