Where In The World Wednesday: The Maldives

Wow, it's Wednesday already, so that means it's time for Where In The World Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Classy in Philadelphia. Why don't you take part too? All you have to do is post a picture (or many like I do!) of someplace in the world. Don't forget to use the WITWW button in your post, and to visit Classy in Philadelphia later to post a comment on her WITWW, so that other participants can visit your blog too.


Today, I am going to brag unashamedly tell you about the best holiday I ever had.... in the paradise that is the Maldives. It is impossible to describe the beauty of this archipelago nation, that is made up of 1,200 white coral sand islands, each ringed with turquoise shallow waters and sitting in the deep azure blue of the Indian Ocean. Just before starting new jobs back in February 2007, B and I spent a blissfully relaxing fortnight on the tiny island of Fihalhohi, in the South Male atoll.

North side beach on Fihalhohi

South side

South side
 

Island buildings

We splashed out and stayed in a water bungalow, which is built on stilts over the lagoon of the island....

Water bungalows

Our bungalow, #47

View back to the island from our bungalow

The warm waters of the Maldives are absolutely teeming with tropical fish, turtles, sharks and sting rays. We spent hours snorkelling every day, and saw so many beautiful sea creatures. Unfortunately, the coral reefs have been bleached by the El Nino effect, and there was much damage from the tsumani that struck the islands with horrific consequences on Boxing Day, 2004. Slowly, though, the corals are beginning to recover and we did see some bright red and purple coloured ones.
 
The highlight of the trip was the chance to try some introductory dives. I was nervous as hell the first time we went down, and clung onto the instructor for the whole 45 minutes we were down there....his hand had turned a lovely shade of purple by the time we resurfaced! My main problem was getting my buoyancy right, as, blubber makes you float and I do have more than my fair share of that! On the first dive, the instructor placed some extra weights on the top of my air tank, right behind my neck...that meant that at around 10 metres, I was pushed by the weights into a downward roll that I couldn't seem to get out of.... luckily he managed to move the weights underwater, and I could control my depth more easily. Once I'd calmed down and was finning along beside him, I could appreciate the lion fish, octopuses (octopi?) and moray eels that were to be seen in abundance at 12 metres. And my second dive was brilliant...
 

 

Learning to dive

 
Every evening, we'd watch the sun go down at the Blue Lagoon Bar at the west end of the island. Cocktail in hand, we saw some magnificent sunsets.....
 

 

  

While we were at dinner, the housekeeping staff would fold back the bed sheet (it was way too hot and humid to sleep under anything more) into beautiful shapes.....

  

 
Sadly, if global warming continues, the Maldives could sink beneath the ocean within 100 years. The Maldives government is doing all it can to fight the sea, but the fate of the country is ultimately a global responsibility. If we lose the Maldives, it would indeed be Paradise Lost.....