DAY 84 - MALE, MALDIVES - APRIL 21, 2010

AS WE WAITED IN THE LOUNGE FOR OUR TOUR TO BE CALLED WE COULDN’T HELP BUT NOTICE THE LARGE GROUP WITH STICKERS ORANGE 1 AND 2. THERE MUST HAVE BEEN 80 TO 100 PEOPLE GATHERED. OUR GROUP, IDENTIFIED AS SILVER 4, HAD ONLY 30. WE COULDN’T HELP BUT THINK WE HAD CHOOSEN THE WRONG TOUR, AS WE HAD THOUGHT ON SOME OF THE PREVIOUS TOURS.

THE LARGE GROUP WAS HEADED FOR THE “KUDA BANDOS RESORT ISLAND TOUR.” WE ON THE OTHER HAND WERE LINED UP FOR THE KUDA BANDOS ISLAND EXPERIENCE,” AN UNINHABITANT ISLAND IN THE CHAIN OF 1190 ISLANDS IN THE MALDIVES. BOTH TOURS REQUIRED BOAT TAXI RIDES OF AT LEAST FORTY-FIVE MINUTES BUT THEIR TOUR SOUNDED SO ELEGENT, THEY WERE GOING TO A RESORT.

OUR GROUP WAS CALLED AND WE HEADED FOR THE THIRD DECK AND BOARDED THE TENDER FOR OUR TRIP TO THE SHORE WHERE WE TRANSFERRED TO THE WATER TAXI. THE GROUP CERTAINLY SEEMED ENTHUSIASTIC AND YET WE HAD OUR DOUBTS. THE TAXI SLOWED AS WE APPROACHED A LARGE POOL OF DOLPHINS. EVERYONE MOVED FROM SIDE TO SIDE TRYING TO TAKE GOOD PHOTOS. I FOUND THE BEST THING TO DO WAS PLACE THE CAMERA ON THE “SPORT CONTINUOUS” SETTING. AS LONG AS YOU HOLD THE BUTTON DOWN IT WILL TAKE UP TO FORTY-FIVE PICTURES. I FIGURED I WAS BOUND TO CATCH THE LITTLE BUGGERS AT LEAST ONCE.

AS THE ISLAND CAME CLOSER THINGS BEGAN TO OPEN UP AND THE SURROUNDINGS WERE INVITING. AS WE EXITED THE BOAT AND WALKED TOWARD THE BEACH WE WERE MET BY WHAT SEEMED TO BE THE CUSTODIAN REQUESTING, MAKE THAT DEMANDING, $15 FOR EACH OF US BEFORE PROCEEDING TO THE BEACH CHAIRS. THE GUY WHO COLLECTED OUR TOUR TICKETS WHEN WE BOARDED DID NOT ACCOMPANY US TO THE ISLAND. HAD HE BEEN THERE I DON’T THINK WE WOULD HAVE HAD ANY PROBLEMS. AS IT TURNED OUT ONE OF THE PASSENGERS, IN A VERY STERN VOICE, TOLD HIM OUR TOUR PAID FOR OUR SPACE ON THE ISLAND, AND HE HAD BEEN ON THE ISLAND BEFORE AND THERE WAS NEVER A CHARGE.

THE BEACH CHAIRS WERE LIMITED AND GEORGIA LED THE WAY TO A COMFORTABLE SHADY SPOT NEAR THE WATER. ALTHOUGH WE ARE NOT THE SNORKELING TYPE OTHERS FOUND GREAT DELITE IN THEIR NEW ENVIRONMENT. WE ON THE OTHER HAND GOT READY TO ENTER THE CRYSTAL CLEAR WATER JUST A FEW FEET AWAY.

THE ISLAND WAS OURS, AT LEAST UNTIL THE NEXT BOAT ARRIVED, AND WE MADE GOOD USE OF IT. THE WATER WAS AS WARM AS ANY TROPICAL WATERS WE HAD EVERY ENCOUNTERED, THE BEACH SAND WAS WHITE AND SOFT AND ALTHOUGH THERE WAS SOME BROKEN CORAL AS WE ENTERED THE WATER IT WAS NOT A DETERRENT IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.

THE CLEAR WATER NEVER GOT ANY DEEPER THAN TWO FEET AND STRETCHED OUT ALMOST 125 FEET FROM SHORE BEFORE SUDDENLY DROPPING TO A DEPTH OF 20 FEET. IN A WORD IT WAS BEAUTIFUL, IN ANOTHER WORD IT WAS FABULOUS. A LONG TIME AGO I PICKED UP A FEW SCREEN SAVER SHOT OF THE MALDIVES FROM THE INTERNET SITE WEBSHOTS. NOW I HAVE MY OWN SHOTS.

GEORGIA AND I STAYED IN THE WATER ABOUT AN HOUR BEFORE HEADING TO THE BEACH CHAIRS WHERE WE CLOSED OUR EYES AND LISTENED TO THE WATER GENTLY HIT THE CORAL ROCKS TO OUR RIGHT. OCCASIONALLY THE NOISE FORM A LARGE JETLINER APPROACHING THE AIRPORT INTERRUPTED THE TRANQUILITY.

WE CAN SAY ONE THING, FOR A SMALL ISLAND IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, WE SAW SEVEN PLANES LAND IN LESS THAN TWO HOURS.

AS IN THE PAST, WHEN WE HAD DOUBTS ABOUT OUR CHOOSEN TOUR, WE MADE THE CORRECT CHOICE FROM THE VERY START. HOWEVER, AS IF TO SAY WE WERE WRONG, THE SHIPS POOL BECKONED SHORTLY AFTER LUNCH.

A SHORT NAP, NOT DINNER AND WORKING ON THE BLOG FINISHED OUT THE NIGHT. WE ANXIOUSLY AWAIT OUR TOUR TO THE TAJ MAHAL THIS SATURDAY.