“Oh ho, ek hi dubki mein zindagi ke saare raaz khul gaye?”
Well somewhat!
Ironically speaking, both the activities that we undertook in Maldives only required me to be on the surface of the water but my experience with kayaking and snorkelling turned into a ‘DEEP DIVE’ session into my life.
The kayak:
When we decided to go solo this time around, it was just for the sake of a challenge to myself. What I did not fore’sea’ was the effect that the water activity would have on my life. Who would have guessed that I’d return ashore a different person altogether!
Settling down into the single person yellow kayak, I made a grab for my paddle from the instructor and set out on catching up with the other kayak that had already paddled way out there in the blue waters, by PP with Lil Bongo in tow!
I used my newfound strength from our earlier tandem kayak ride to manoeuvre the single kayak and within a few minutes I caught up with the two. The sun, shining in all glory, and the rhythmic waves were doing a good job of making Lil Bongo drowsy and soon it was hard to say if my son was squinting to look at me or his eyes were already shut! Before I proceeded to venture out further into the blue world, I turned around to check on the other two only to see a tiny blur. With nobody else in sight, I set off.
I had had trouble falling asleep the earlier night. The deadline for the writing contest was two days away and I was not entirely sure if my work met my own expectations let alone impress the judges. I had visited my blog site to go through some of my old posts but the result had been depressing. My flair for writing seemed to have died and the day did not look far away when this writer would be written off.
After all that paddling about, I stopped for a break to let my arms rest and my head do some retrospection. The waves, while not very rough, were still doing their part in slowly but steadily pushing the kayak toward the shore. Why had I written a NOSTALGIA post again? Did I go down the memory lane again looking for an inspiration or was it just that my creativity had hit an all time low? My first home, Wadala, was my safe haven but was it holding me back from moving on?
Suddenly I noticed that the waves were too much in control of the kayak and I was forcefully being sent home. No, I was not ready just yet. A rush of adrenaline shot through my body and I paddled away like there was no other way to survive! Left right, left right I steered the kayak, against the waves, until I once again reached the ball buoys indicating the end zone and that’s when the realisation struck me. The little girl in the story that had held my hand and taken me down the memory lane had ended the journey abruptly, leaving me with a feeling of loss. I had broken my head over the conclusion but every alternative scene had played out the same way.
Her abandonment had not been without teaching me an important life lesson. I had let go of the past because the present was truly my best present.
Sometimes Universe has unique ways of making things happen. Sitting alone in the kayak with the beautiful blue waters surrounding me, I felt a sense of relief and peace. Winning the contest did not matter to me. The realisation that the story I had written was not a ‘for-the-sake-of-it’ one but an eye opener that had set me free.
The Snorkel:
Ready with all the snorkelling equipment does not necessarily mean that you’re ready for the dive! We were waiting for the boat to arrive at the destination. Holding the instructor’s hand, I jumped into the water, which seemed more like a trust fall! You can always trust a life jacket, at least you want to! I clung onto my father in law’s sleeve dearly, afraid to let go, until I saw him struggling as well. I slowly let go of him and dipped my head into the water. Before my brain could process the beauty of the world beneath the surface, I came up gasping because water had seeped into my mask. I took a moment to calm down and let the feeling of fear wane. Luckily it did, so I removed the mask and put it on after an adjustment to dip my head once again. The snorkelling activity of thirty minutes ended as soon as it began! I had seen some coral reefs and tiny fishes but something told me there was more to be seen, if you know what I mean. Back at the hotel, PP and I signed up for another snorkelling session, this time just the two of us.
Next morning we jumped into the water one after the other and the moment I looked down, I was transported to another world. Apart from my breathing through the snorkel, not a single sound was to be heard. You know how sometimes you want to shut off the annoying sounds around you, including your inner voice but you cannot? Well turns out that you can when you go underwater. Note to self: Keep snorkelling gear at home and dunk your head into a bucket of water when frustration hits you!
The sight below was clear and captivating. The blue of the underworld was not your typical mundane blue but a blue that you believe to exist only in a world of magic! The colour palette on the fishes was so mesmerising, rich and vibrant, that the colour white could just go take a hike! There was one long fish that strongly reminded me of Ranveer Singh! It had donned a black and white striped suit with yellow patterns at the top and bottom! Also, I found Dory. Not alone but with her whole family! There was just so much to be seen yet I was satisfied with the little I saw because that was sufficient to make a difference.
No, I did not cry or go all silent when we got back into the boat. Nobody recited a philosophical poem. Any similarity to the movie ZNMD is purely coincidental 😛 On the contrary, when we returned to the boat, PP went straight out to the deck to get rid of the nausea that was building up while I was struggling to get my request across to a Japanese couple to share some of the photos of the coral reefs that they had taken on their phone! Damn I should have tried ‘Moshi Moshi’ now that I think of it!
The rest of the trip:
PP hit jackpot with the last-moment GRAB OR GONE deal that he got from his agent. An all-inclusive package with two nights in the beach villa plus two nights in the water villa at a 5 star property in Maldives is the ultimate dream come true! VARU by Atmosphere turned out to be the perfect destination for the celebration of my mother-in-law’s 60th birthday.
An adventurous and enthusiastic toddler can be a wonderful companion on vacations and with Lil Bongo it was the case indeed! Right from accompanying us on the kayak to playing in the waters and jumping into the pool to raiding the mini bar, Lil Bongo enjoyed his Maldivian vacation to the fullest! He was a great hit with the staff at the restaurant as well, including Jojo the Emu (according to Lil Bongo*) that ate his omelette every morning for breakfast.
Talking of breakfast, the buffet spread at every meal was elaborate and delicious, catering to everyone’s tastes and preferences. We enjoyed a gorgeous meal at the two high end restaurants located on the island, one with a Mediterranean and the other, a traditional Maldivian cuisine. What did I love the most? The margherita pizza. After all this time? ALWAYS.
The rooms were everything luxury. Spacious and comfortable with a wide porch facing the beach. The bath tub, an enviable size, was installed in the outdoor space on the other end of the room that boasted of a beautiful landscaping job. The water villa was equally stunning in all respects. Photo and reel lovers would have been torn between the indoor and the outdoor for their shoots!
Our star gazing cruise turned into a shark gazing cruise! It was the full moon night of Kojagiri Poornima, so obviously the Moon was the ‘star’ of the show! There was a family of sharks swimming around the boat that fascinated Lil Bongo way more than the constellations!
All in all, this was one of the best vacations we’ve ever had and I can say that I’d love to visit Maldives again, at least once before 2050. Apparently the threat of sea level rise and the current global warming situation could make most of the islands in the country uninhabitable. (I overheard a couple discussing this issue over dinner. So you see, Maldives ain’t a place only for honeymooners and mushy conversations!)
Goodbye and cheers!
C.A.: Confused Aquarian 