topbanner
fbtwitter
Nav banner

Keith Visits The Maldives

Hey all!

Hope you all are enjoying the fine summer weather in the northern hemisphere!!..and since were talking about hemispheres I have to tell you about our last trip thru the southern Indian ocean..specifically the Maldives Islands chain.

We had just finished our exciting shows in Bangalore and Mumbai and had a few days to recuperate. Initially we had planned to head up to Bahrain, the site of our next show, but smart heads prevailed. We made a beeline for the Maldives ,which had been suggested to us by a friend. So off we went, and since we had never seen this part of the world before, we were very excited to see it! Only a brief description of the "huts on the reef' was given to us, so we were extremely curious to say the least.

Oh boy!! ... a little beach time with a tall fruity cocktail to boot! Out upon a series of reefs that straddled the resort. with sea turtles and hordes of other species of fish that may have possibly been hazardous to ones health if you let them! One called a surgeon fish..well imagine then what it could do...with a scalpel thing on it's tail - .don't touch it you idiot!! Anyway. the second day out on the reef I had a very close call with the sea, in that I had drifted away from the boat and the weather was beginning to turn bad. I had followed a big sea turtle away from Mick and Bryan and, when I poked my from the others. Sensing I should return, I tried to swim back but the current was very strong. I tired a bit then I whistled, fearing that no-one could see me with the swells getting bigger by the minute. I guess the instructor saw me and came to my aid. I got into the boat a little sheepishly and cold, since the temperature had dropped quite a bit, but after a glass of hot jasmine tea I felt a lot better. Best go get a big fruity cocktail at the bar then! So, with the afternoon free, we drummed up a game of footers on the beach and promptly beat ourselves to a pulp! Ouch!

We would then settle for a nice lunch at the outdoor cafe at the hotel, then wade dine, our fave being the local fare..Indian style, of course.

The evenings were spent mostly at the bar lounge which was a covered patio with a bar, more or less. A 4 piece band from Sri Lanka entertained us and invited me to play with them on each occasion! So I proceeded to butcher a few favorite tunes along the way. After a few cold brews we were usually pooped ..so off to our huts we strolled - sometimes with difficulty since it was hard to see during the dark unlit evening. Oops sorry!.. almost fell in the reef..!

We would wake up the next morning to the sound of the waves cascading under our huts and, after a few conciliatory mugs of coffee, watch various sea life cruise beneath our cabins-even 6 ft. reefsharks! Ahem ..no swimming please.

The Maldives islands are a chain of tropical atolls located very near the equator in the Indian ocean. Numbering close to 1100 individual atolls, with maybe 100 that people inhabit, they are an independent republic, although with strong ties to India A two hour flight from Bombay will get you to the main island, Male, and around 80,000 residents inhabit all the islands with the Maldavian dialect resembling that of some of the Asian countries. It is a Muslim state, which means .check your bottle of spirits at customs please

May you all get to visit at least once in your lifetime!

K-man from Maldives

Keith in MaldivesKeith in Maldives

Keith in MaldivesKeith in Maldives