One of my favorite parts of the day, especially when traveling
Makes you remember all of the things you experienced in this short period that caused (you to be so gross) the shower to feel so good and refreshing
Always run through my day as I shower it off; water washing away the not-so-nice byproducts/aspects of the day but thinking about the day as this happens cements the experiences in your mind
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Friday, May 31, 2013
Friday
Breakfast - for the first time, noticed the 'bacon' is actually made out of cow, not pig; cool
After breakfast, collected everything for Velares; as getting ice with Dieter, he talked to me about letting go of the past, all life coachy and stuff; what a great guy! also, we found out that SuYee's sister just got engaged so yay!
Sailed 40 mins to Pineapple Island; snorkeled for 2 hours! saw eagle rays and barracuda and tried to free dive for a while; got some cool pictures, swam a lot!
Afterwards, climbed back on boat; Michelle and I and Hambi were going to jump off the highest part of the boat into the water (the top deck); Michelle chickened out for so long so finally I decided "OKAY I'M GOING IN" and ran off the edge of the boat, leaping into the water; very cool! not as exhilarating as cliff diving in Nepal but still awesome! Dieter got photos
Jumped off again and cannonballing; then SuYee got over her fear a little and asked if I would jump with her once; we climbed to the top and she stood there for 20 minutes "OMG OMG OMG" before I finally said "I'm counting to 3 and if you haven't jumped by then, I'm tackling you in"; "okay okay I'll jump don't push me"
I counted to 3 and jumped; as I'm mid air, I hear "OH FUCK" behind me, coming from the top of the boat; thinking that she wimped out and didn't jump, I more than half expected to see her leaning over the edge of the boat when I surfaced but she bubbled up next to me just moments later; jumped in after me (hesitated but still did it)
Dieter took a photo but she was still on the boat in the picture, so obviously we had to jump again; this time D counted to 3; I jumped and she was a little late again but at least she was fully committed in the picture; good picture! lots of different kinds of blue, dhoni and pineapple island in background
Back to Rangali, ate lunch, SO MUCH FRUIT!!!
Afterwards, went to Ari Lounge to do some data; Ari Lounge on other side of connected island (connected to Rangali by a long bridge) called Honeymoon Island; afterwards, took our dhoni back to Mandhoo, 2 hours of free time; cleaned, journaled; while journaling, Xayn came up behind me and scared the shit out of me (just sitting there, minding my own business, peacefully scribbling down words and getting eaten by mosquitos when suddenly AHHH!!! a pair of hands forcefully landed on my shoulders as my entire body shot up several inches from the wooden bench where I was sitting; HOLY SHIT I screamed very loudly and everyone around started laughing; almost tackled Xayn into the ocean
Afterwards, watched sunset on other side of island
After sunset, had a barbecue/bonfire on a deserted beach on the far side of the island; lots of smoke; all of us sitting on the beach as the last fluffs of pink blew out of sight and the glow of the sky burned out like dying coals; the fire blowing in the salty breeze, behind the bush, the patch fenced in by the three largest logs we could drag out of the grasses in the sand aflame
Ate fresh from the tree coconut wedges as we rubbed spices on drumsticks and chicken sausages, stabbed and split open just-caught lobsters (when we got off the dhoni at Mandhoo, Ahmed and Rifa greeted us with 5 huge colorful lobsters that they caught earlier that afternoon; they were so big and vibrantly colored and alive)
Sat on logs and watched Ahmed and Rifa dance around the fire, using sticks and coconut shells as choice chef utensils; Ahmed used half a coconut shell to make garlic butter; sharpening sticks to spear sausages and other pieces of meat
Ate with our hands - tearing into drumsticks, chucking bones into the bushes behind in front of and next to us; cracked open lobster shells and sucked the white flesh out as garlic butter dripped onto our roti plates; ate bend and squatting over the grill in our makeshift fire pit; on the dark beach with the sky and stars and Venus and Jupiter above us; the tumble of waves over the crackling fire
Once we were done, threw the food leftovers into the ocean and sand on the embers; walked back to the bungalows using a shortcut through the shrubs, whistling Nirvana with Xayn, pushing the grill and other things back in a wheelbarrow
Going to the canteen with Xayn and SuYee and Dieter to get hot drinks and fruit; talking about Male (where Xayn's from) and joking around with SuYee and Dieter
After the canteen, Xayn asks me if I want to shoot some pool; we go to the recreation center and he's trying to teach me how to hold a cue properly and how to shoot; Hasan and Hambi are sitting in the chairs nearby the pool table, watching the news; Hasan asks us to play, I step out because I suck at pool; then Ahmed comes by and decided we were going to team up; me and Ahmed vs. Hasan and Xayn; Ahmed being very encouraging and Xayn being my cheerleader
Xayn moving my arms and hands and fingers around and teaching me the proper way of positioning everything; Ahmed and I lost but still a very good game, Xayn yelling encouragements after every shot I made (even if they were terrible)
Coming back from the pool game, Michelle asks if I want to go out for coffee in half an hour; I sit outside on the porch with SuYee and Xayn and write while we wait; we go to a cafe on the main street of the island (called Funyi or something like that) with Rifa, Ahmed, another guy (one of Rifa's friends), Hasan, Hambi, Michelle, Katie, and Dieter
At the cafe, we order Ye Ye's (the 'coffee'), which is mostly sugar, milk powder, and a little bit of coffee; we play the sausage game (Rifa: "I think Aobo would be very good and very cute for the sausage game"); Rifa picking on the Bangladeshi waiter (Bangladeshi considered the lowest people here in the Maldives; Hamim is Bangladeshi and it's very rare that there are Bangladeshi working on dhonis but Hasan doesn't care and really likes Hamim); Ahmed makes me a chewing roll out of some kind of leaf, coral cement, star anise, and spices; supposed to be a breath freshener
I chew it and mix it around in my mouth as everyone encouraged; kept asking if I'm being drugged, everyone laughs, no it's just a breath freshener; very strange taste - first tasting everything individually as teeth sink in and crack into the different components of the roll and their tastes burst in your mouth; then the mush of it all together creates a strange cacophony; feel the side of my mouth go numb
Finally, after what seems like ages of chewing, I spit it out into the bushes behind me and everyone laughs; supposedly, the leaf also has a lot of caffeine in it
We sit and talk about life; all but Rifa and Hambi are married, talking about dating, making stupid jokes, getting picked on (sitting between Hasan and Hambi)
Coming back to the bungalow, seeing the stars, telling dumb jokes again; Ahmed asks if Americans have a signature laugh; no not to my knowledge; he says all people have differences that separate them (culture, language, traditions, etc.) but laughter is recognizable everywhere and connects humankind
Saying goodnight to people as they disappear into their bungalows; Dieter and I walk back, picking up hermit crabs from the middle of the sand path and putting them closer to the bushes and ocean so people don't step on them
Writing outside when Ahmed walks by; sits down to talk to me when a rock flies over at us and hits the table; Rifa is in the hammock across the sand path and throws a coconut at us; he walks over, asks if I like him; nope sorry; are you sure; yeah sorry no; then asks me to be his business partner, buying stuff from US/UK (mostly things like phones) for resale in Maldives; wants me to find him a business partner
Then, a lizard/gecko from the ceiling falls onto my head and then onto my lap; scream from surprise, brush him off, laughs, bed
After breakfast, collected everything for Velares; as getting ice with Dieter, he talked to me about letting go of the past, all life coachy and stuff; what a great guy! also, we found out that SuYee's sister just got engaged so yay!
Sailed 40 mins to Pineapple Island; snorkeled for 2 hours! saw eagle rays and barracuda and tried to free dive for a while; got some cool pictures, swam a lot!
Afterwards, climbed back on boat; Michelle and I and Hambi were going to jump off the highest part of the boat into the water (the top deck); Michelle chickened out for so long so finally I decided "OKAY I'M GOING IN" and ran off the edge of the boat, leaping into the water; very cool! not as exhilarating as cliff diving in Nepal but still awesome! Dieter got photos
Jumped off again and cannonballing; then SuYee got over her fear a little and asked if I would jump with her once; we climbed to the top and she stood there for 20 minutes "OMG OMG OMG" before I finally said "I'm counting to 3 and if you haven't jumped by then, I'm tackling you in"; "okay okay I'll jump don't push me"
I counted to 3 and jumped; as I'm mid air, I hear "OH FUCK" behind me, coming from the top of the boat; thinking that she wimped out and didn't jump, I more than half expected to see her leaning over the edge of the boat when I surfaced but she bubbled up next to me just moments later; jumped in after me (hesitated but still did it)
Dieter took a photo but she was still on the boat in the picture, so obviously we had to jump again; this time D counted to 3; I jumped and she was a little late again but at least she was fully committed in the picture; good picture! lots of different kinds of blue, dhoni and pineapple island in background
Back to Rangali, ate lunch, SO MUCH FRUIT!!!
Afterwards, went to Ari Lounge to do some data; Ari Lounge on other side of connected island (connected to Rangali by a long bridge) called Honeymoon Island; afterwards, took our dhoni back to Mandhoo, 2 hours of free time; cleaned, journaled; while journaling, Xayn came up behind me and scared the shit out of me (just sitting there, minding my own business, peacefully scribbling down words and getting eaten by mosquitos when suddenly AHHH!!! a pair of hands forcefully landed on my shoulders as my entire body shot up several inches from the wooden bench where I was sitting; HOLY SHIT I screamed very loudly and everyone around started laughing; almost tackled Xayn into the ocean
Afterwards, watched sunset on other side of island
After sunset, had a barbecue/bonfire on a deserted beach on the far side of the island; lots of smoke; all of us sitting on the beach as the last fluffs of pink blew out of sight and the glow of the sky burned out like dying coals; the fire blowing in the salty breeze, behind the bush, the patch fenced in by the three largest logs we could drag out of the grasses in the sand aflame
Ate fresh from the tree coconut wedges as we rubbed spices on drumsticks and chicken sausages, stabbed and split open just-caught lobsters (when we got off the dhoni at Mandhoo, Ahmed and Rifa greeted us with 5 huge colorful lobsters that they caught earlier that afternoon; they were so big and vibrantly colored and alive)
Sat on logs and watched Ahmed and Rifa dance around the fire, using sticks and coconut shells as choice chef utensils; Ahmed used half a coconut shell to make garlic butter; sharpening sticks to spear sausages and other pieces of meat
Ate with our hands - tearing into drumsticks, chucking bones into the bushes behind in front of and next to us; cracked open lobster shells and sucked the white flesh out as garlic butter dripped onto our roti plates; ate bend and squatting over the grill in our makeshift fire pit; on the dark beach with the sky and stars and Venus and Jupiter above us; the tumble of waves over the crackling fire
Once we were done, threw the food leftovers into the ocean and sand on the embers; walked back to the bungalows using a shortcut through the shrubs, whistling Nirvana with Xayn, pushing the grill and other things back in a wheelbarrow
Going to the canteen with Xayn and SuYee and Dieter to get hot drinks and fruit; talking about Male (where Xayn's from) and joking around with SuYee and Dieter
After the canteen, Xayn asks me if I want to shoot some pool; we go to the recreation center and he's trying to teach me how to hold a cue properly and how to shoot; Hasan and Hambi are sitting in the chairs nearby the pool table, watching the news; Hasan asks us to play, I step out because I suck at pool; then Ahmed comes by and decided we were going to team up; me and Ahmed vs. Hasan and Xayn; Ahmed being very encouraging and Xayn being my cheerleader
Xayn moving my arms and hands and fingers around and teaching me the proper way of positioning everything; Ahmed and I lost but still a very good game, Xayn yelling encouragements after every shot I made (even if they were terrible)
Coming back from the pool game, Michelle asks if I want to go out for coffee in half an hour; I sit outside on the porch with SuYee and Xayn and write while we wait; we go to a cafe on the main street of the island (called Funyi or something like that) with Rifa, Ahmed, another guy (one of Rifa's friends), Hasan, Hambi, Michelle, Katie, and Dieter
At the cafe, we order Ye Ye's (the 'coffee'), which is mostly sugar, milk powder, and a little bit of coffee; we play the sausage game (Rifa: "I think Aobo would be very good and very cute for the sausage game"); Rifa picking on the Bangladeshi waiter (Bangladeshi considered the lowest people here in the Maldives; Hamim is Bangladeshi and it's very rare that there are Bangladeshi working on dhonis but Hasan doesn't care and really likes Hamim); Ahmed makes me a chewing roll out of some kind of leaf, coral cement, star anise, and spices; supposed to be a breath freshener
I chew it and mix it around in my mouth as everyone encouraged; kept asking if I'm being drugged, everyone laughs, no it's just a breath freshener; very strange taste - first tasting everything individually as teeth sink in and crack into the different components of the roll and their tastes burst in your mouth; then the mush of it all together creates a strange cacophony; feel the side of my mouth go numb
Finally, after what seems like ages of chewing, I spit it out into the bushes behind me and everyone laughs; supposedly, the leaf also has a lot of caffeine in it
We sit and talk about life; all but Rifa and Hambi are married, talking about dating, making stupid jokes, getting picked on (sitting between Hasan and Hambi)
Coming back to the bungalow, seeing the stars, telling dumb jokes again; Ahmed asks if Americans have a signature laugh; no not to my knowledge; he says all people have differences that separate them (culture, language, traditions, etc.) but laughter is recognizable everywhere and connects humankind
Saying goodnight to people as they disappear into their bungalows; Dieter and I walk back, picking up hermit crabs from the middle of the sand path and putting them closer to the bushes and ocean so people don't step on them
Writing outside when Ahmed walks by; sits down to talk to me when a rock flies over at us and hits the table; Rifa is in the hammock across the sand path and throws a coconut at us; he walks over, asks if I like him; nope sorry; are you sure; yeah sorry no; then asks me to be his business partner, buying stuff from US/UK (mostly things like phones) for resale in Maldives; wants me to find him a business partner
Then, a lizard/gecko from the ceiling falls onto my head and then onto my lap; scream from surprise, brush him off, laughs, bed
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Thursday - Just Workin' on My Burn
Apparently, I like to sleep unendurably cold temperatures; my control of the AC has forced my mates to wear thermals to bed
Ok EXTREMELY sunburnt; grabbed a jacket so I wouldn't burn more, dry pack, walked to jetty, speed boat to Rangali, breakfast, getting stuff for the trip
This time, drove straight through the lagoon through Maamigili instead of starting at Mandhoo and working our way around the U shaped MPA
First shark!! at around noon, 8 meters!!! dove in, took footage/pictures; apparently, there was another even larger one nearby but no one was actually able to see it in the water
Climbed back on board, went to bow to rinse off goggles but large swell knocked into the boat and I half fell out of the boat; actually dangling horizontally off the boat, more than half off, clinging to the lip of the boat and pulled myself up; lots of cuts/bruises/blood everywhere; rinsed it off, whatevs all in a day's work
Sailed around for 5 minutes or so then SHARK!!! TWO OF THEM!!! jumped off the dhoni and went after the first one; the two sharks were circling each other when we first arrived on the scene; followed the first guy around for a while but then he dove down
Switched to following the other shark (3rd shark of the day); he was filter feeding, open mouth, gaping, pushing water through his gills; stayed for a long time but lots of tourists and scene; got very very very close to this guy! almost high fived him; followed a long ways until he dove down
Climbed back on boat, rinsed off, sat down to eat some trail mix, just poured a handful into my mouth when SHARK!!! our dhoni circling the Dhidoo area; fourth shark jeez alright dove in after it and got photos; can't remember much about this one but he wasn't in the reef area, was in the deep blue water
Got on boat again; at this point, should have known not to do anything else but prepare to jump off again, but rinsed off, bit into an apple (I'M SO HUNGRY PLEASE JUST LET ME EAT) when SHARK!!! fifth shark of the day, dove in after him, got pictures and footage; this one much more aggressive, tried to tail swipe me twice, then dove down, climbed down when he was out of sight
Saw a mobula ray when cruising around on dhoni! so cool!
Went through channel between Dhidoo and Ariyadoo on the way back; hat blew off again!!! and Hasan, Ibrahim (Hambi), and Amim turned the dhoni around again to get my hat AGAIN; joked about supergluing it to my head (also almost knocked Katie overboard when climbing on to top deck)
Got back to Rangali, cleaned dhoni, got more trail mix from tuck shop, back to pier to wait for boat to Mandhoo; talked to Hasan, Hambi, and Amim, lots of fun, complete jokesters; got on speed boat back to Mandhoo, watched sunset, ate dinner, did data
Hung out with Zayn while doing data on our porch, listening to music and playing guitar; singing Goo Goo Dolls and The Calling and pretending that life would always stay this simple and that we would never grow up
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Wednesday
I write this with salty hair and smelling very strongly of aloe vera.
Got up as usual; back hurt a lot from the sun, had to peel the sheet off my back this morning; packed stuff in dry bag, went to jetty with everyone else, went to Rangali; breakfast, packing equipment/getting stuff for trip/boat; starting to understand the layout of the island better; saying bye to Jim on the boat, sailing off
Huge swells as passing through the channel, standing on top deck with Katie and SuYee, getting lots of sun; saw spinner dolphins, lots of hawksbill turtles, moved from Mandhoo all through the MPA
Lost my hat!!! climbed to top deck, strong wind knocked it off my head and into water; accepted fact that I probably won't see it again; however! Hasan (captain of Vilares, our dhoni) turned the boat around and fetched it for me (when I grappled for it with the boat hook and missed, he half hung out of the boat to try to retrieve it; came back with a rather sullen face, so I said "no worries, it's just a hat!" then his face broke into a cheeky grin as he threw my neon dayglo hat at me)
Continued going back through MPA; at Digurrah, turned into a small channel when SHARK!!! scrambled down the ladder, grabbed the gopro, sprinted to get to the shark
SHARK!!! first had to catch up with him, then swam alongside him for 10 mins or so; then all of the tourists arrived and scared him off; salt water pooling in my sinuses and eyes stinging as salt water plugged my vision; still awesome!!! 6.5 meter shark
Came back to the dhoni when Katie yelled SHARK again; could see his tail poking out from the shallow reef; jumped in with camera, sprinted a good 10 minutes in the water to find him but tourists scared him down so didn't actually get to see him in the water
Climbed back on boat, rinsed off, reapplying sunblock (one leg done, about to start the other leg) when SHARK!! this time, dove in from where I was immediately, no camera, sprinted after him, swam by his side (close to his head) the entire time, a 45 minute encounter!!! just our boat this time, no tourists; the other teammates got tired 10 minutes in and swam back to the dhoni (after taking the data) but I stayed with him, in very shallow reef area for a long time; then he started swimming off the reef and the past the divide of the sloping reef and the deep blue water; followed him until he disappeared completely
So cool!!! got back to the dhoni, did the data sheets, headed back into the lagoon and back to Rangali; took a nap lying on top deck, must be very burnt...
Back on Rangali, cleaned dhoni, put stuff back, went to tuck shop to get bags of trail mix and gummi bears and other snacks for tomorrow; got on speed boat back to Mandhoo
Salt hair whipping everywhere; hair tie broke, hair is extremely jank right now - salt water, sunblock, sweat, oil, birds probably, also probably fish poops; don't care that I look terrible, underneath all that crap in my hair, still smiling
Got back, watched sunset with Dieter and SuYee, found an itsy bitsy hermit crab! put him in a large half-broken shell filled with sand, put a tiny shell in there in case he wanted a different house, keep him as a pet! took him out and set him free on beach after the sunset
Dinner - had these really cool fruits shaped like a funny looking pear, tastes of pear/apple combination, really good and refreshing; called a jambrolu; people laughing about how much/often I eat
Local friend brought us freshly caught fish that he just plucked from the ocean; he barbecued this himself just outside - SO GOOD HOLY MACKEREL; a jax? jux? kind of fish, like a small baby tuna; probably the best piece of fish I've ever had - very meaty, salty, spicy, smoky; like eating a bonfire
Came back to bungalow, did data analysis; from spot/pattern recognition, saw this is whale shark 127, Woody; 1st and 3rd encounters were both him, 2nd one probably also him but no pictures so no proof
Showered, aloe vera'd my entire freaking body
Got up as usual; back hurt a lot from the sun, had to peel the sheet off my back this morning; packed stuff in dry bag, went to jetty with everyone else, went to Rangali; breakfast, packing equipment/getting stuff for trip/boat; starting to understand the layout of the island better; saying bye to Jim on the boat, sailing off
Huge swells as passing through the channel, standing on top deck with Katie and SuYee, getting lots of sun; saw spinner dolphins, lots of hawksbill turtles, moved from Mandhoo all through the MPA
Lost my hat!!! climbed to top deck, strong wind knocked it off my head and into water; accepted fact that I probably won't see it again; however! Hasan (captain of Vilares, our dhoni) turned the boat around and fetched it for me (when I grappled for it with the boat hook and missed, he half hung out of the boat to try to retrieve it; came back with a rather sullen face, so I said "no worries, it's just a hat!" then his face broke into a cheeky grin as he threw my neon dayglo hat at me)
Continued going back through MPA; at Digurrah, turned into a small channel when SHARK!!! scrambled down the ladder, grabbed the gopro, sprinted to get to the shark
SHARK!!! first had to catch up with him, then swam alongside him for 10 mins or so; then all of the tourists arrived and scared him off; salt water pooling in my sinuses and eyes stinging as salt water plugged my vision; still awesome!!! 6.5 meter shark
Came back to the dhoni when Katie yelled SHARK again; could see his tail poking out from the shallow reef; jumped in with camera, sprinted a good 10 minutes in the water to find him but tourists scared him down so didn't actually get to see him in the water
Climbed back on boat, rinsed off, reapplying sunblock (one leg done, about to start the other leg) when SHARK!! this time, dove in from where I was immediately, no camera, sprinted after him, swam by his side (close to his head) the entire time, a 45 minute encounter!!! just our boat this time, no tourists; the other teammates got tired 10 minutes in and swam back to the dhoni (after taking the data) but I stayed with him, in very shallow reef area for a long time; then he started swimming off the reef and the past the divide of the sloping reef and the deep blue water; followed him until he disappeared completely
So cool!!! got back to the dhoni, did the data sheets, headed back into the lagoon and back to Rangali; took a nap lying on top deck, must be very burnt...
Back on Rangali, cleaned dhoni, put stuff back, went to tuck shop to get bags of trail mix and gummi bears and other snacks for tomorrow; got on speed boat back to Mandhoo
Salt hair whipping everywhere; hair tie broke, hair is extremely jank right now - salt water, sunblock, sweat, oil, birds probably, also probably fish poops; don't care that I look terrible, underneath all that crap in my hair, still smiling
Got back, watched sunset with Dieter and SuYee, found an itsy bitsy hermit crab! put him in a large half-broken shell filled with sand, put a tiny shell in there in case he wanted a different house, keep him as a pet! took him out and set him free on beach after the sunset
Dinner - had these really cool fruits shaped like a funny looking pear, tastes of pear/apple combination, really good and refreshing; called a jambrolu; people laughing about how much/often I eat
Local friend brought us freshly caught fish that he just plucked from the ocean; he barbecued this himself just outside - SO GOOD HOLY MACKEREL; a jax? jux? kind of fish, like a small baby tuna; probably the best piece of fish I've ever had - very meaty, salty, spicy, smoky; like eating a bonfire
Came back to bungalow, did data analysis; from spot/pattern recognition, saw this is whale shark 127, Woody; 1st and 3rd encounters were both him, 2nd one probably also him but no pictures so no proof
Showered, aloe vera'd my entire freaking body
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Tuesday
Waking up at 6:30 was difficult; dreading going into the heat and not being in the comfort of the AC'd room; packed a knapsack with stuff needed for the day (camera, swimsuit, sunblock, etc.)
Caught the 7:00 ferry at the jetty (the dhoni, not the speed boat); going from Mandhoo to Rangali; sat in back of dhoni with Zayn and watched the captain catch a baby tuna as he steered the dhoni (Zayn - 20 years old, arrogant, etc.)
After breakfast (a lot more western), walked around Rangali for a bit, put our gear on our dhoni, boarded, changed into suits, departed; laid out the cameras and equipment; climbed to the top deck of the dhoni
Very pirates of the caribbean; took a while to get our sea legs so we'd stop falling/sliding from one side to the other at the top); standing and swaying with sunnies, cap worn backwards, etc.; very much a picture moment
Saw spinner dolphins and hawksbill turtles! collected data; drove around MPA for a while (couple of hours), didn't see any whale sharks; then, when on other side of atoll, Jim yells SHARK but there were lots of tourist boats in the area
Scrambled off the top, pulled all the gear on, plopped in the water, swam over
WHALE SHARK!!! so majestic and natural that it seemed perfectly normal for it to be there; about 6 meters long, probably around 5 meters below; then all of the tourists and boats came over, shark dove deep, out of sight; didn't have chance to get footage before he dove but so cool!!!
Climbed back on boat, top deck, ate sandwiches; hanging out, talking to Meaghan (another volunteer, 26 years old, Australian) about life and traveling, uni, boyfriend, everything!
Jim asked if anyone wanted to drag snorkel - hold on to a rope from the back of the dhoni while snorkeling and getting dragged along, looking for interesting things; me and Meaghan shot up at the opportunity, went in, saw cool fish, felt the temperatures of different currents as we were dragged through them, very cool, saw turtles, fish
Then had to get back on boat because we were coming in to port/harbor to pick up some supplies; on way back, stopped for a snorkel, tried free diving, really beautiful reef; saw black tip reef shark, turtles, interesting fish
Back on boat - so hot and careless and immune to everything I would normally find gross that I kept on applying sunblock, lathered it everywhere; the sticky salty seawater dribbling from my hair down my back, the oily skin glistening in the sun as pools of sweat beaded between my nose and sunglasses
Rinsed off, took nap laying on top of boat; came into harbor at around 6:00; did data, changed, talked to Meaghan; ate dinner (lots of curry - mix of Indian and other south east Asian foods)
Went to Manta Bar, lots of friends there for Jim's departure party; played pool with Dieter and Jim; lost but it was so fun!! played again with D, SuYee, and Meaghan; terrible game but lots of fun, lots of laughing, a bunch of guys sitting around and having a good time just watching us
Sitting at the bar with Meaghan and SuYee, random guys coming up and introducing themselves to us; Zayn brings out a cake he baked for Jim! really good - not like the chocolate cakes at home, different texture, more layers
Played killer - a pool game where everyone takes turns trying to make a shot; 3 lives and then you're out; heading back on the dhoni; talking to Meaghan about traveling and backpacking, travel girls!!!
Coming back, strip down, very extremely tan/burnt; rubbing aloe everywhere; going back out on the jetty with Zayn to look at stars, tell scary stories
Caught the 7:00 ferry at the jetty (the dhoni, not the speed boat); going from Mandhoo to Rangali; sat in back of dhoni with Zayn and watched the captain catch a baby tuna as he steered the dhoni (Zayn - 20 years old, arrogant, etc.)
After breakfast (a lot more western), walked around Rangali for a bit, put our gear on our dhoni, boarded, changed into suits, departed; laid out the cameras and equipment; climbed to the top deck of the dhoni
Very pirates of the caribbean; took a while to get our sea legs so we'd stop falling/sliding from one side to the other at the top); standing and swaying with sunnies, cap worn backwards, etc.; very much a picture moment
Saw spinner dolphins and hawksbill turtles! collected data; drove around MPA for a while (couple of hours), didn't see any whale sharks; then, when on other side of atoll, Jim yells SHARK but there were lots of tourist boats in the area
Scrambled off the top, pulled all the gear on, plopped in the water, swam over
WHALE SHARK!!! so majestic and natural that it seemed perfectly normal for it to be there; about 6 meters long, probably around 5 meters below; then all of the tourists and boats came over, shark dove deep, out of sight; didn't have chance to get footage before he dove but so cool!!!
Climbed back on boat, top deck, ate sandwiches; hanging out, talking to Meaghan (another volunteer, 26 years old, Australian) about life and traveling, uni, boyfriend, everything!
Jim asked if anyone wanted to drag snorkel - hold on to a rope from the back of the dhoni while snorkeling and getting dragged along, looking for interesting things; me and Meaghan shot up at the opportunity, went in, saw cool fish, felt the temperatures of different currents as we were dragged through them, very cool, saw turtles, fish
Then had to get back on boat because we were coming in to port/harbor to pick up some supplies; on way back, stopped for a snorkel, tried free diving, really beautiful reef; saw black tip reef shark, turtles, interesting fish
Back on boat - so hot and careless and immune to everything I would normally find gross that I kept on applying sunblock, lathered it everywhere; the sticky salty seawater dribbling from my hair down my back, the oily skin glistening in the sun as pools of sweat beaded between my nose and sunglasses
Rinsed off, took nap laying on top of boat; came into harbor at around 6:00; did data, changed, talked to Meaghan; ate dinner (lots of curry - mix of Indian and other south east Asian foods)
Went to Manta Bar, lots of friends there for Jim's departure party; played pool with Dieter and Jim; lost but it was so fun!! played again with D, SuYee, and Meaghan; terrible game but lots of fun, lots of laughing, a bunch of guys sitting around and having a good time just watching us
Sitting at the bar with Meaghan and SuYee, random guys coming up and introducing themselves to us; Zayn brings out a cake he baked for Jim! really good - not like the chocolate cakes at home, different texture, more layers
Played killer - a pool game where everyone takes turns trying to make a shot; 3 lives and then you're out; heading back on the dhoni; talking to Meaghan about traveling and backpacking, travel girls!!!
Coming back, strip down, very extremely tan/burnt; rubbing aloe everywhere; going back out on the jetty with Zayn to look at stars, tell scary stories
Monday, May 27, 2013
Mandhoo - Monday (Day 1)
Writing this with bandaids everywhere and profusely bleeding cuts
Dhivehi is the native language here
waking up, going to breakfast but first covering ourselves in SPF 50+ sport waterproof titanium plutonium kryptonite sunscreen and 40% DEET YUM!!!
Breakfast - not at all like breakfast that we're used to; lots of tuna, curry, chicken; all very good, just not "normal" breakfast food
Walking around the island - crossing the gate into the Muslim native parts; have to wear sarongs/gypsy pants and shoulder-covering tops; island was beautiful - water is amazing, lots of rocky droppings, crabs and little fish; saw a baby barracuda very very very very close to shore (swimming in about 1 foot of water)
Hopping around on rocks, seeing a dead black tip reef shark!!!! very close to shore, walked over to it, about 1 meter long; saw its right pectoral fin jutting out of the water
Continued walking around, learned about the atolls, the island, and the surrounding area; talking about shark biology/anatomy; walking through the main street - shops open at night, after the sun sets; little convenience stores, a souvenir shop, cafes, eateries
Getting back from the walk, reading the paper on whale shark behavior in the Marine Protected Area (MPA) and Maldives in general; learned about whale sharks from Jim and Katie
Lunch at the canteen - holy crap tuna everywhere; every combination of tuna, chilis, and coconut in every form; blocks of tuna cooked with chilis in coconut water, coconut-chili tuna rice, chili curried tuna balls, tuna stews, etc.; other foods too (must remember to take a picture)
After lunch, suited up and went snorkeling; had no fins so thought it would be harder but had no trouble keeping up; was smashed upon the rocks quite a bit though - lots of cuts and scrapes to show for it; aside from the bloodshed, perfectly fine!
Saw a moral eel! lots of fish (duh) and four baby black tip reef sharks!!! about a foot long, darting around the mangroves for protection; also saw some eagle rays
Climbed out, rinsed off, went to canteen for a snack; crackers, eggy bread (like thin pieces of french toast) and two kinds of tuna balls (chunky tuna balls and curry tuna balls) yum
Went back to bungalows, given demonstrations on how to use camera equipment, data collection, etc.; had rest of time off, walked to far side of island to watch sunset, so many hermit crabs everywhere!!! took some pictures
Dinner - tuna, chicken curry, rice; most meals have the same gist; after dinner, wrapped a sarong around and went star gazing at the jetty; saw lots of crabs/hermit crabs scuttling about on the sand; saw batfish, trumpetfish, and squid floating about the jetty! very cool
Stars very clear and bright but patches of cloud started rolling in; could easily see big dipper; walked back, had an AWESOME shower, went to bed
Dhivehi is the native language here
waking up, going to breakfast but first covering ourselves in SPF 50+ sport waterproof titanium plutonium kryptonite sunscreen and 40% DEET YUM!!!
Breakfast - not at all like breakfast that we're used to; lots of tuna, curry, chicken; all very good, just not "normal" breakfast food
Walking around the island - crossing the gate into the Muslim native parts; have to wear sarongs/gypsy pants and shoulder-covering tops; island was beautiful - water is amazing, lots of rocky droppings, crabs and little fish; saw a baby barracuda very very very very close to shore (swimming in about 1 foot of water)
Hopping around on rocks, seeing a dead black tip reef shark!!!! very close to shore, walked over to it, about 1 meter long; saw its right pectoral fin jutting out of the water
Continued walking around, learned about the atolls, the island, and the surrounding area; talking about shark biology/anatomy; walking through the main street - shops open at night, after the sun sets; little convenience stores, a souvenir shop, cafes, eateries
Getting back from the walk, reading the paper on whale shark behavior in the Marine Protected Area (MPA) and Maldives in general; learned about whale sharks from Jim and Katie
Lunch at the canteen - holy crap tuna everywhere; every combination of tuna, chilis, and coconut in every form; blocks of tuna cooked with chilis in coconut water, coconut-chili tuna rice, chili curried tuna balls, tuna stews, etc.; other foods too (must remember to take a picture)
After lunch, suited up and went snorkeling; had no fins so thought it would be harder but had no trouble keeping up; was smashed upon the rocks quite a bit though - lots of cuts and scrapes to show for it; aside from the bloodshed, perfectly fine!
Saw a moral eel! lots of fish (duh) and four baby black tip reef sharks!!! about a foot long, darting around the mangroves for protection; also saw some eagle rays
Climbed out, rinsed off, went to canteen for a snack; crackers, eggy bread (like thin pieces of french toast) and two kinds of tuna balls (chunky tuna balls and curry tuna balls) yum
Went back to bungalows, given demonstrations on how to use camera equipment, data collection, etc.; had rest of time off, walked to far side of island to watch sunset, so many hermit crabs everywhere!!! took some pictures
Dinner - tuna, chicken curry, rice; most meals have the same gist; after dinner, wrapped a sarong around and went star gazing at the jetty; saw lots of crabs/hermit crabs scuttling about on the sand; saw batfish, trumpetfish, and squid floating about the jetty! very cool
Stars very clear and bright but patches of cloud started rolling in; could easily see big dipper; walked back, had an AWESOME shower, went to bed
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