Day One; Out of the water into the PCRs!





Only few minutes had passed since we reached our hotel and I already regretted coming to Maldives! It all happened when we were sipping tropical drinks while reclining on comfortable, hip sofas of vibrant hotel lounge and our attendant Alka, while going through our papers casually said, “So you have one PCR before leaving which is required by Saudi government and two are part of hotel procedure!!!” What??? I could not believe my ears, so I asked her to clear what she meant by that and there came the shocking news…all the people traveling from South Asian countries were supposed to do two PCR tests. I was totally taken a back. Name PCR is synonymous to terror for me. I’m awfully scared of the test, the one we did in Pakistan was already an ordeal and I was having tough time to convince myself for the upcoming PCR looming over our heads in two weeks ‘time. And here we were with two more PCRs!!!

Tranquil, turquoise waters of Republic of Maldives welcome you the moment you come out of the airport. Malé Airport has it’s own dock. Maldives is 99 percent water and water is the way to travel between the islands whether it is a boat or seaplanes.

 The capital Malé is a small island which is hub of all activities whether social or political, commerce or educational, religious or cultural. One third of the population lives in Malé which makes it one of the most densely populated cities in the world. 

 Since the beginning Malé is being the pivotal point in Maldivian history. The country itself is named after its capital. The word “Maldives” means “the islands (dives)  of Malé.

Throughout the millennia, the island of Malé has witnessed many conquests. It’s calm waters had been treading by many coming from Subcontinent, Middle East, and Europe! It saw transition from Buddhism to Islam. A journey from a matriarchal society with each atoll ruled by a chief queen to Sultanate and from autocracy to democracy!

 Sailing towards our hotel and coming back to Malé was the only time we got few glimpses of the capital of the republic. I felt a sense of calm prevailing through this place, at least the limited part which I saw. Due to our special status as we were there for quarantine and travelling from South Asia to KSA via Maldives, we were not allowed the luxury of roaming freely the way other tourist could. South Asian were required to get permission from ministry as well as two PCRs one before leaving the resort and one on returning. Other might like to concur with it but for us it was way beyond our comfort zones. So, it was decided that we would be staying at same resort for next fourteen days!

We wore life jackets and entered the boat. Devouring our burgers and paninis, sipping lattes, juices and water from bottles offed by our hosts, while boat was rushing towards deep blue see, air was rustling through the hair and skyscrapers of Malé were basking in the glory of afternoon sun, we were simply happy being there!!!

When we arrived at the resort, our host Alka was waiting for us at the jetty. She warmly greeted us and took us to reception in the buggy while pointing and explaining different attractions on the way. Weather was a comfortable warm. She treated us with tasty tropical drink and then handed us papers to go through. She gave us few moments to savor the flavor of our punch before sharing the shocking reveal! Three PCRs!!!

She was as shocked by my reaction as I was by her news. I was upset on being caught unprepared while she was certain that everything was mentioned in the details emailed to us. I looked at Aleem and he shrugged that he received tens of papers and it was not possible for him to go through each one of these. Resort manager came to her help. He tried to calm my nerves by explaining how important it is for everybody’s wellbeing and how he with rest of his staff are being tested for COVID on weekly basis. My stance was then what was the need for us to get it done at homeland if it did not hold any value here and his point was that we were travelling with dozens of other people and what surety do we have that they were being tested! I could sense that there was no getting out of it! I understood it was for our own good but could not help feeling betrayed and unwelcome regardless of their friendly banter. It reminded me of Saudi government’s attitude towards us Pakistanis. When ban was lifted from UK and USA while tens of thousands COVID cases were being reported daily, Pakistan was banned with less than hundred cases. A ban which is still not lifted!

My spirit was dampened but the good part was that kids did not care much. They were all excited to get soaked in waters and I did not want to spoil the vibe. Weather was amazing and air was fresh, and we were in Maldives, so I tried to forget about tomorrow thinking of my favorite line from Kung Fu Panda 1

“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery but today is a gift! That’s why it’s called present!” (Master Oogway)

                

 A day to come and a day to go ! A memoir of fourteen days quarantine in Maldives!

That’s it! We are going back 

Ayubowan!

A string of pearls!

Out of the water into the PCRs

Day One; "This is where I want to stay!"

Day Two; a day to be!

Day Three; Sea, Sun and Snorkeling

 

 

The fact that I love about this life is that it gives us endless chances to grow. Every moment is a new moment and every day is another day. What you really need is, a believing heart, a determined mind, a smiling face and a hot cup of tea :)

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