Of course the plane from Calcutta and later Nina and I are only at 21 clock in Mumbai at. The way back from Sikkim was again two flights: Bagdogra to Calcutta and then to Mumbai and Calcutta, like all domestic flights were during our vacation this again punctual. Fortunately, this has seemingly routine so much that you can be sure that the connecting flight is late, you will not miss him so. And after all: it seems to be programmatic about 40-60 minutes, no more and no less to act, delay. So what the heck.
Well, unfortunately, led to the late arrival, we had no time to drive to downtown and the few interesting buildings to look there, but luckily you do not miss so much. Downtown is anyway not the real Mumbai, and so we decided not so far away and to go to Juhu to go there to dine delicious. In Mumbai one can sometimes make things at home in Germany are not possible, so we walked a few minutes later by the palace-like lobby of the JW Marriott hotels and one of its top restaurants, where we in stylish of environments a wonderful Teppan Yaki Menu enjoyed. Somehow we did not realize the consequences issue received us as we cook the question of whether we would like garlic in food, happily said yes and so we ended up at the end of happy drunk, stuffed delicate and each of us with at least one whole head of garlic in the abdomen.
Then we had to move all of two hours of sleep for us in the middle of the night to the airport where we suddenly realized what it really means to smell of garlic. I will detail the moment no further, and in any case the food was great and we so tired at the airport that we have our flags not further disturbed. I had Nina
way up to this evening in Mumbai never told where to go to the onward journey would only that it would be small islands and fantastic beaches. On the roads in Sikkim are many people enthusiastically reported from the Andaman Islands and so suspected Nina has just that, but although I had initially planned really just that, was to have been different. I thought then, if you already on an archipelago of many smaller atolls, then you want to see something more than just a tiny island, and therefore it is best to rattle the islands in a boat. But as in India, the tourism industry, surprisingly, still in its infancy and such island cruises are not offered, I was looking for an alternative solution in the vicinity of India and found it: a little more expensive, but fantastic with a world-renowned reputation islands: the Maldives.
We stood there so totally exhausted in the middle of the night at the stupid airport, of course, German-time 2 hours before departure, as required by the airlines and yet as the first. So I kept watch for the baggage, while Nina fell asleep on my shoulder and I waited again Boarding (the course was again late, surprise, surprise!). And finally, we flew to Bangalore, there were up and then flew to Male in the Maldives, where we order about 13 clock (arrived one hour late).
Even the approach was spectacular: the view over the archipelago with many small atolls that look from above, a bit like fried eggs, was beautiful. Most atolls are just 3-8 meters below the Wasseroeberfläche and so you can see from above the turquoise-blue circles under water. I knew that I had expected something would, but when I saw it then really, I was so excited and happy as a little child getting his gift pressed into his hand. And finally landing on an elongated island Hulule, located right next time: more than a runway and there is no place on the approach to the runway first, one floats several hundred meters to ten meters above the atoll along. I thought not: "Oh dear, we end up in the same water," but ". Geil, now on the window and I want to jump into that water!".
As we got off the plane, we received a warm, moist air in Mumbai, but for clean fresh sea smell and no strange smells, to a rise in Mumbai sometimes in the nose. Everything was clean and modern and in that moment, I thought so, "Here I am right." Finally, we were by a representative of the travel agency through which I had booked the trip picked up and transferred to our boat manager, who was shortly afterwards on the spot. Since Nina had lost her sunglasses in Sikkim, we made a little trip to Male (the airport, as already mentioned on the neighboring island Hulule and neighboring island to island neighbor to travel by ferry). On the way we saw all kinds of fish under water and in the harbor the water was again of the same turquoise blue, inviting color that we had seen from the plane.
times is itself not particularly worth seeing. The backdrop of the city however, I found impressive: this seems a small island to the edge to be built over with houses and allegedly there is the highest population density in the world: 80,000 people on a few square kilometers. However, I suspect that this is "the city with the highest population density" meant, because if you've seen here in Mumbai, the gröchste slum in the world with over one million inhabitants once outside, one can hardly imagine that it even closer is and dense saw times from not, fortunately for its residents. In any case, time is not very spectacular, despite the presence of just interesting to see how a city looks like in the Maldives, for it is the only real city in the Maldives. In 40 minutes walking you have seen everything worth mentioning and that's it. It is cleaner and more modern than India and the only really interesting thing was the fact that you had the feeling that there are no women in this city. The probably were all at home. Oh, and interesting, we also found that there are only state-arranged half-day work and to make after 14 clock all major business and government. A country where there is only half day of work! Almost unbelievable, right? Cruel to customers, but great for the employees. After our little trip
was it then by Dhoni, the support vessel of the vessel on which we would spend the next week, go to the ship, the Baani Explorer, which I had previously only seen in pictures on the Internet, and of course I was beastly wait to see how they actually would look like. The first impression was good then also. A sleek, but not ostentatious yacht waiting for us there and, appropriately, also have the same lunch in the cozy living room, which suited us well because we were quite hungry.
Nina and I were the last that day arrived at the airport and all the other guests were at our arrival on a boat out on the first dive on the way to find out together at all, how much experience each individual brings with them. This is called a check dive. Since we were never dived before, you have not waited for us and we were with the crew still on first for half an hour alone on board.
The first impression of the crew was a little different than I expected. There were only men, all very young and very casual. First impressions also: Maldivian Beach Boys. The boys looked so cool that I asked myself, is whether they are the right floating on a hotel, but any concerns were resolved quickly, because the service was really great and everyone was really nice and funny.
Now we were curious to see how things stood with our fellow travelers. First impression: all nice, only we were clearly the youngest in the Guppe. Not really surprising, for it was a diving safari and scuba diving is an expensive hobby, which can really only afford professionals. The age difference was no problem and the entire group as a whole was a really nice bunch without a grouch or snob. By the way, we, two thirds were German, which meant that we almost spoke German the whole time.
The ship and two more will be managed by Gundi, an Austrian, and that was funny enough, even just this week on the boat, professionally, but obviously quite relaxed and enjoy half-holiday quent. By Gundi, of course, come a lot German-speaking people on the boat and through word of mouth solidifies a kind of clientele that is growing constantly determined. No wonder, for the whole trip on the boat was just fabulous and absolutely recommend it to.
addition Gundi will each ship passed again by an ever-present manager and the boat was our instructor: Hussen, a genuinely nice and cool guy, with whom we had a lot of fun. Oh yes, Hussen sounds Arabic, right? Exactly. This is because the Maldives is an Islamic Republic and actually accommodate 100% Muslim. Something unfortunate is that the government has enforced a very strict division between locals and tourists, which means that it practically there are two separate worlds: the purely foreign tourist resorts and the local islands. Alcohol is actually illegal, but available for tourists. At the resorts, women can walk around in bikinis on the local islands would be regarded lightly as an affront. Crazy.
Now back to the boat: Our cabin was one of two suites, located on the upper deck, spacious held as the cabins on the lower deck, in rustic wood and bamboo and are very cozy and beautiful, with windows onto the sea beyond. Fantastic! Even with private bathroom, clean and with hot water. So you can live, I tell you. The cabin was done twice a day and there were regularly clean towels. Our bed linen was every time a new and cute form folded on the bed, sometimes as a fish, star or half sun. Creative. In addition, two feet out of the door expecting the sun loungers on which we also like rumgelümmelt afternoon and read.
The next day we went wrong with our diving course. Only Hussen, Nina and me. Exclusive. Very cool. So off we went to a small secluded lagoon, where we jumped into the waist-high, crystal clear water and could try out the equipment first and then at the lagoon edge to three meters depth have to admire the first fish. A strange feeling of water just to breathe Sun Fascinating! At the same time it is initially, getting used to if you get the salt water into the nose or eyes, what the first male is still burning and irritation. This leaves but soon after and the breathing is natural. My biggest concern, the pressure on the ears while diving into the deep, turned quickly out to be unwarranted, because if you regularly pushes the air from the nose and the lungs to the ears, you can not really as deep as you want to dive, without getting pain.
Full of anticipation for the next dive we came back from the boat and could not wait, as soon as possible to keep going. However, we also have the first 4 days quite a lot of hours spent teaching materials to read theoretical diving course. Of course we would rather have done something else, but the theory was easy and so it was not too annoying. Diving does not require much skill, but also knowledge and experience. Without knowledge one can easily get into dangerous situations without the experience can be more easily panic in unfamiliar situations, what's the worst that can happen to you. Diving is very athletic, but more comfortable and meditative. Instead rumzuschwimmen much, it usually hovers more in the water and watch the underwater world. It's not about power, but the experience of the world down there and that is simple wonderful.
After three dives without the initial group, we could then finally the fourth time with a reef, where there was more to see and behold, now we could enjoy our first, quite fat Grauhai, ahead of his rounds moved. Looked like 2 feet, but everything looks bigger underwater than it was probably only as 1.60 meters high. Still cool. Not at all scary, but impressive. In a round killed Miniriffchen we met a swarm still Jungbarracudas, a grandfather and a wrong-Barracuda variety of colorful fish, such as the clown fish (Nemo =), by the way, are actually in the sea anemones always forward and backward out new items, swimming (As quoted in Nemo). Lustig is also the doctor fish, which have for some reason great interest in air bubbles and swam like to rave about our heads and scratch their bellies were from the bubbles.
Upcoming dives gave us moray eels, rays, turtles, frog fish, tuna fish of all kinds, even more, but rather small sharks, wahoo, squid, and so on and so forth. The best way I found the turtles. They are cute and easy to move despite their form portly incredibly graceful. Funny, the advances were one male cuttlefish that a relatively bold female ranmachte and it makes sales department. One of the dive guide on this When it was still all night mentioned how tragic it was that we had missed the act. These squids are already bizarre creatures, but what they rumtentakelten because they were kind of pathetic. Ah yes, the diving was great and I've been thinking for when and how I can do it again the next time something like that.
Besides diving, we enjoyed the best views of uninhabited islands with white sand and palm trees and turquoise lagoons. The food, which the chef conjured up was really great and the bartender was also well on it. On the last night we were baptized into true-divers and we were hard hammer Long Iceland Ice Tea is poured into the snorkel, not in the water course. Then We had a good name in the crown and a few more drinks on the sun deck under the endless sky. I want to go back! Determined
I have now mentioned many things yet, but it must be experienced, have to understand how beautiful are the diving and the Maldives. We were blown away. People, if that sounds fantastic, should you give you the beiweilen sometimes. Although real expensive, but wow: it's just like in the pictures in the travel brochure. I'm just afraid that it is addictive; D
Anyway, I am still happy when I think back on it and I'll hang you in the coming years even in the ears. Last but I wanted to have one Say it with Nina was just plain cool. Even when hiking, I was impressed that she pouted not even know where I sometimes even close to giving up was, and in diving, the one indeed can sometimes scare, it was full of enthusiasm. It is fun and easy with such a strong partner to experience adventure. After such a long time that we had not seen, it was just really nice to finally go to the team through life and to enjoy time together without any problems and concerns. They also looked cool off =))) Hehe.
And now I leave you even a little bit of waiting to follow the pictures a lot, and even if they can not catch everything, they give at least one Fraction of the beauty that Nina and I've experienced in the Maldives. So stay tuned and look forward to a bunch of nice pics.
Cheers, Your Robert
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