Male, Maldives
Anchored off shore
The Mariner is still anchored about 750 meters off the shore of Male. Total is a little cooler than yesterday. The high is supposed to be 29 and the low 28. Basically, that is 84. Now the humidity is the same, somewhere between 80% and 85%. According to my phone that means it will feel something like 32 (91F). We are going to brave it and take the tender into town about 10. I would say before it gets hot, but the low temperature last night was 28 (84F).
It doesn’t get cold or hot, it just stays hot. I am sure Harry V in Madison and Grace in Kansas City, are both thinking too bad for Nonno and Nonna, that it is hot all the time. Sorry guys you just have to wait a couple more months.
Well, we went shore. The sea around Male was choppy so the ride it was a little bumpy. It didn’t help that there are boats of all sizes speeding around the area. Apparently the best or only way to get to most of the islands that make up the Maldives in to take a water taxi.
The tender took us to Jetty No. 3 on Boduthakurufaanu Magu just opposite Republic Square. Republic Square is a park right at the waters edge. It was mostly surrounded by construction fencing as they are in the process of improving it. Boduthakurufaanu Magu is a busy port street. Honestly it is basically stopped traffic, or at least traffic moving occasionally. There are motor bikes moving through the traffic in a chaotic manner making getting across the street and into town difficult.
We walked though the “downtown” area. It is probably the colonial area because the streets are narrow and seem to follow no logical pattern. We are making our way to a pharmacy on google maps. We are accosted by several people hawking tours, special shopping excursions, and who knows what else. But we do make it the five or six blocks to the pharmacy. Unfortunately, they don’t carry the anti malarial drug. Why would they there isn’t any malarial condition in Male.
Looking at it later we were actually at a hospital at the intersection of Orchid Magu, Faamudheyri Magu and Dhamby Goalhi. That is just so you can confirm it on the map. It certainly did not look like a hospital of any type. Although they did have a security guard.
Disappointed we left by the door on Dhambu Goalhi and walk around the building to Orchid Magu where Mary saw a STO People’s Choice. (STO= State Trading Organization). Looked like a small Walmart. They had everything except clothing. It was new and modern. Totally unlike all the buildings and shops around it. They even had a pharmacy! No luck again, but I tried.
Mary bought a travel mug. We looked at other things, even some food items. They do label their food, fortunately, and in three different languages. One of them was English and it did say the product was made with Olean (Olestra). Well, we will be skiping buying anything here.
We walked down Husainee Goalhi back to Boduthakurufaanu Magu, hung a right and walked back towards Republic Square. We walked past the fish market, fishing harbor, a place that sold fishing tackle, a tobacco shop (no cigars), and the Maldives Monetary Authority building. We were on the wrong side of the street. Taking on just the motorcycles moving through the cars and trucks, we walked across the street to get on the water side of Boduthakurufaanu Magu.
We could see Jetty No. 3 about 500 meters ahead. We had been warned that there was no shade there and no place to sit. Just as we could begin to focus on it, we could see one of the tenders pulling away. It took about twenty minutes to get to the ship, and usually as one leaves the dock the other leaves the ship. So, it would be at least a half hour before we would head back. We found a little bit of shade and waited.
The whole adventure took just over two hours, ship to shore and back. We were dripping wet from the heat and humidity. Those things just wear you out. A good nap was called for and gotten.
17:30 anchor up and on our way to India. Tomorrow is another sea day. We move the clocks ahead a half hour tonight, bugger. Terry will probably finish his lecture series tomorrow. We’ll probably do dinner tonight at Sette Mari.
Buonanotte e Ciao, Enrico e Maria
Comentários