Male', the Maldivian capital is QUITE small. You can walk around the whole island in an hour even if you are a slow walker like me. I remember this one time, I couldn't find my way...Or so I thought. I kept walking hoping to bump into the sea wall, in which case, I would be able to find my way home. No such luck...Better luck. As I was debating whether to call for help (and embarrass myself-who gets lost in Male'-REALLY), or wimp out of my "Discovering Male' On Foot Day" and calling a cab, what do you know? Lo and behold: a major landmark. As one shop owner said to me a couple of weeks later "You cannot get lost in Male...I promise you...Really I do". My land-locked desert home is made of vast expanses of small trees, endless stretches of sand dunes and wide wide open spaces-hence the necessary adjustment to Male's endless stretches of bright and blue and beautiful waters.
Male' comes alive on Majeedhee Magu or Majeedhee Street. It is to Male what 5th Avenue is to New York. Indeed, it boasts, shops and shops and-yes- more shops. Nighttime is when you can witness all the bustling activity. Shops in Male and on Majeedhee in particular, rarely close before 10 pm or 11 pm.
People walk up and down Majeedhee, young people, seniors, families with babies. After shopping in Majeedhee, the sea wall is the next "Must See" or rather "Must Walk". Boduthakurufaanu Magu or the waterfront, named after a major historic figure in Maldives, is where all the hip cafes and restaurants, banks and major airline offices are located. On a clear day, with some good luck, in the dry season, you can see shoals upon shoals of dolphins, prancing and performing acrobatics in the water...Nature's natural wonderland...Aahhh...
Back home, a river runs through our main city and boasts some interesting stop-overs on its banks. A floating boat restaurant once toured the river. Now some eateries and gardens stretch along the riverfront.
The streets in Male are narrow. Very narrow. On some streets or magus and on some side roads or goalhis, only one person can walk at a time.
Motorcycles fill up Male's magus, goalhis and parking lots. Indeed, bikes are the most practical way to get around.
My Asia
GREETINGS! Welcome to my Asia. Take this journey with me and discover Magnificent Maldives, Sublime Sri Lanka, Sensational Singapore, Captivating Cambodia and Mesmerizing Malaysia. Then call your travel agent, and take the journey again!!!
Good to Know...How to Say Hello
...in Maldives, hello doesn't really exist...You could just say kihineh , "how are you?" in Dhivehi
...in Sri Lanka, hello is ayubowan in Sinhala and vanakam in Tamil
...in Singapore, hello is ni hao in Mandarin, selamat in Malay and vanakam in Tamil
...in Cambodia, hello is suor sdei in Khmer
...in Malaysia, hello is selamat in Malay