island of Huraa

In recent years Maldives has opened itself up to another brand of tourism in addition to the exclusivity of its high-end resorts. Guesthouses are popping up on the inhabited islands, which were always kept quite separate from tourist areas. This may be a bit of a boost for the local economy. And great for the budget tourist, and the tourist who wants to see what life is like in the real Maldives.

 

Huraa is a wonderful little island, with around 1000 inhabitants. One can catch the daily commuter ferry for less than $2 from the capital. It takes around an hour to get there. Hurra has two little restaurants, a school (and a new one under construction), a great football field (they had a strong island team that folded due to funding, players work on resorts now instead), a nice children’s park with a public stage, a local woodcarver with an open studio to visit, a beautiful mosque, nice beaches and two large resorts just a stone’s throw away. You either fish for a living, or work in tourism.

The island is well loved and maintained, a sense of pride shines through in the tended gardens, the way things are cared for and even the streets of sand are carefully swept each day. The warmth and hospitality of the locals is genuine. I lost count of the ‘good morning’s I received when strolling around.

Our host at East Huraa Inn, the young Hussain, is a rare gem. This is a generous and warm person, who truly made every effort to ensure we had a wonderful stay. This included him and his friends teaching us to crab hunt for a BBQ dinner. And they played music and sang around candle light on the patio into the evening. The island feeling warmed my heart and reminded me how much I value my friends.

island nuts & women in Maldives

Some neighbors were crouched in the trees near the beach where I was sitting, and I could hear them chattering along with a continuous thud.  I didn’t want to bother them, but curiosity got the best of me.

They were cracking open island nuts, one by one, and filling a little jar. When I approached, they were only too kind to offer me some to try.  I had them before, but not fresh from the husk. They had left them to dry out in the sun, so the nut was still warm when it melted in my mouth. They are delicate, tender and mild like pine nuts—laborious to get to, and so delicious.

The nuts are gathered from trees, and dried out in the sun to make them easier to crack. They are brown and fibrous on the outside, similar in texture to a brown fuzzy coconut. To get at the nut, it is set on its side first and hammered until it’s moderately dented. It is then tipped with the pointy end up, and hit only once on the top to crack it open. Inside rests a single tender nut.

I look forward to a project I will support in the coming weeks for UNWomen. Women play a significant role in adapting to climate change through unique agricultural practices and innovation around water and food security.  More to come...

warm like bathwater

"- If diving in salt water, rinse stings with salt water, not fresh. Don't rub stings, it makes them worse.
- Use vinegar on jellyfish, fire coral and other hydroid stings.
- Remove spines from punctures with forceps if you can do so without breaking them.
- Treat bites like any wound by controlling bleeding and bandaging."

 I spent a luxurious lazy afternoon in our front yard, studying my dive book, testing out an underwater camera, and falling asleep in the breeze on my wet towel.

Sometimes I cannot believe where I am, or how I got here. The work days are long with the commute, but the moments of reflection and quiet I can gather for myself in stolen moments on weekends are a kind of rare gift in life I shall likely not encounter again.

 There are days when my anxiety rises, not knowing what is next, where I'll live, if I'll have a meaningful job to feel proud of. It's like floating in a lucid dream, reality constantly in the peripheral.

A reality reminding me that I have one chance at this life, and without risk, there is no discovery, no growth, no failure.


"Most new divers want to know what they should do if they see a shark. You should watch it and enjoy the experience. You don't see them often. Remain still and calm on or near the bottom, and don't swim toward it, doing so may cause defensive behaviour."