A string of pearls!
The bird’s eye view of Maldives you get from your plane is something
else! An array of enchanting ombre` spheres tinged with emerald and ivory
surrounded by blue waters, mesmerizes you to the core! Plane descends and you
realize that these magical spheres are atolls
A string of pearls scattered over the deep blue Indian
Ocean!
While
coming from Colombo to Male, it was just an hour’s journey. Passengers have
taken their share of sleep in the first flight and now everybody was either
chit chatting or busy being busy while waiting for plane to land.
COVID
has heightened the presence of incertitude in our lives to the next level! To
people living abroad, air travels become a routine over the years. Security
check, immigration, custom clearance, these terms might sound intimidating but
for frequent travelers its mere patterns. However, under current circumstances
where things are so transient that every other day you are getting a different
piece of news, people are agitated. After Colombo, everyone barely slept! Air was
charged with anticipation! It has been just an hour and we were
there!
Plane
descends and the first glimpse you get of this atoll formation fascinates you
beyond measures! It binds a spell and people forget to worry, to be in this
moment of sheer beauty! The English word ‘atoll’ itself is originated from
Dhivehi word ‘Atholhu.’ Dhivehi is official language of Maldives.! An
atoll is a group of islands with a reef that nearly or entirely encloses a ring
like lagoon.
Scene
from above was so bewitching that we revoked from it once our plane touched the
ground.
Male
airport is a decent, well-organized airport. It is small and lacks the pomp and
show of big airports, yet it is being effortlessly run. Staff is cordial and
efficient. They are taking all the required safety measures, and this is one of
the many reasons that Maldives was among the first countries lifting the ban.
The
entire design concept of Male' airport is basic but practical. You do not find
fancy soaring ceilings, massive halls, and painstakingly polished corridors,
yet it’s disciplined and perfectly caters to tourist requirements.
When
lady at the immigration counter returned our passport while saying, “welcome to
Maldives!” I was pleasantly surprised, “that’s it! Are we in Maldives for
real!”
Door
of airport lounge opens in a veranda where you can find kiosk of all the
hotels. There is a small food court as well.
Our
host from our resort was waiting for us with a placard in his
hands. We got sims from a nearby kiosk and headed towards the food court to get
our final dose of fast food before embarking on our journey to a land amidst of
deep sea from where we will not be going anywhere else for next fourteen days!
Out of the water into the PCRs
