Hi everyone! I haven't been around much lately (too much work!) but I still love this site and I'll ...
Hi everyone! I haven't been around much lately (too much work!) but I still love this site and I'll be back as soon as I can!
Member since:05.03.2001
Reviews:21
Members who trust:21
Once upon a time, a Maldivian fisherman was sailing in the sea at night. On board he had a large clay pot full of drinking water, so once he got thirsty, he opened the pot ready to drink. But he never dared. What he saw inside was the moon itself, shining, bright and full. Thrilled, he quickly slammed down the lid to capture it inside, and being a good citizen, carried the precious pot to the Palace to present the treasure to the Sultan. (Everything of value, that comes from the sea, seemed to be considered the Sultan’s property in the Maldives till 1968, when the sultanate changed to a republic).
The Sultan, who the story describes to us as a learned man, laughed at the fisherman so, that he dropped the clay pot, breaking it on the ground. The water spilt upon the ground and evaporated, carrying away the fisherman’s moon and illusions. “What have you done, - whispered the poor fisherman. – You let the moon go.”
The story seems familiar. Haven’t you ever tried
to carry the moon home, in some form or another, and show it to your friends and loved ones, who laughed so that broke the clay pot and let the moon away? Moon carriers, poetry translators, poets, - we still try to carry our precious dreams to the others, and leave them unprotected, unnoticed, ready to vanish.
I always dream about the past. All my traveling is pure and simple past. I read guides and sites on places I went to, once, and am not likely to return the moment I want. But for this one time, let me dream about the future, about somewhere I’m going just now (June the 25th: Maldives. Flower of the Indies, be my dream coming true.
This opinion was born to be updated. I’ve never been there and if there is something to update, I will update when I return, but I’ve done my homework, and I am considerably well-prepared to answer all your questions about the Islands if you have any (answers, at time being, based on the pack of guides).
Maldives are 1,190 islands, consisting of 26 atoll formations, spread over an area of 1,000,000 square kilometers. One of the tourist sites describes them as “palm fringed islands with sparkling white beaches, turquoise lagoons, clear warm waters and coral reefs teeming with abundant varieties of marine flora and fauna.” In all the pictures, apart from the breathtaking view of the islands, you can see unbelievable fishes, taking an underwater stroll just in a meter from the divers.
Now I can’t dive. I have to learn right there. But they say snorkeling is very good as well, and they call Maldives the ideal place to learn it.
I am not at all an island person. I am a town animal, a visitor, a quick coffee drinker, my specialty are museum headaches (the ones you get after long hours in museums) and shoes spoiled by long town works. I am a stressed, not a relaxed, citizen (didn’t that originally mean someone who lives in the city?). But as honeymooners, we are granted an excursion to an uninhabited island for half a day. We are taken there to be left alone. And I am skeptical, as I always am as far as future is concerned (I am very romantic about my past). I say considering how lucky I usually am, a snake will bite me, or a shark will attack me, or I’ll break my arm and there’ll be nobody to help us for half a day… We are going to the Nika island. You can see pictures at http://www.hellomaldives.com/resorts/nika/ and http://www.mal-dives.com/nika/ . Nika is a dhivehi name for the “Banyan Tree’s”. The island has private beaches and is said to be the privatest thing you can imagine. You can’t see your neighbours, and it’s hard to visit them. Nice for a honeymoon, eh? We are taking lots of books and each other to fill the 8 days (7 nights) stay.
Maldives are almost on the Equator, and the temperatures fluctuate between a minimum 23 Degree Celsius and a maximum 32 Degree Celsius with the thermometer normally hovering round the 30 Degree mark. The day equals night all year round. The sun rises at 6 in the morning and sets at 6 in the evening. It’s usually sunny, although there is a special rainy season for us June-July visitors. The tropical showers are quick though, and then it’s sunny again.
As I’ve already mentioned, Maldives is a republic. Islam is the national religion, and the Maldivians do quite a lot to protect traditional Muslim fishermen villages from the intrusive foreign influence. You can go on an excursion, but you can’t stay long. According to the Lonely Planet, it is certainly not a place for backpackers who want to live as the natives do.
People speak Dhivehi, English and Arabic (you are supposed to have a good oral and written command of the three, with their different alphabets and all, at the age of 7).
Out of the islands they recommend to visit I especially liked the description of Fumulaki, “something of an anomaly in the Maldives”: an exceptionally fertile island, producing mangoes, oranges, pineapples and other fruits not grown elsewhere in the country, where the people are said to be bigger and healthier and live longer than the other islanders.
But I’m not going to visit this exceptional little spot or any others. I’m going to the Nika resort to take a rest and look at palms and swim with the tropical fish, and I’ll try to bring you the Maldivian moon in a pot, unreal as it could seem.
Sounds like a nice holiday destination.. It is somewhere I have never been... Lynn-Marie
MALDIVEDIVER 02.07.2003 23:20
I would love to see your update on Nika, I have the brochure of this island and it looks very different than the others it has shell shaped rooms with your own private area on the beach. Here’s waiting for your update.......
Regards Mary
sue.51 05.08.2001 17:48
My sister-in-law goes to the Maldives at least once a year without fail, she even managed to find a distant relative of her stepmother there - good op.
Sue
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