Hot water

     We're on our way home.

Banner on Link Road

     We made it safely out of the Maldives on December 23.  The U.S. State Department had sent warnings to Americans in the Maldives that there would be demonstrations and counter-demonstrations throughout the country on that day.  The December 23 coalition, a combination of religious extremist groups and opposition parties, had published a web site threatening  foreigners. They had erected banners long the Link Road, and planned a gathering at the stage near the children's play park. The  governing party, which claims to represent the Maldivian history of moderate Islam, planned counter-demonstrations. Although there were up to 10,000 people protesting in Male, the airport there is on a separate island from the city, and we saw no signs of trouble.

Maxine and friend at Gan airport

     Maxine made a friend while we waited for an hour at the Gan airport.  The friends' mother, a Swede who had spent three weeks at the Shangri-La resort, was surprised that there were no announcements that the plane would be late, no estimated time of departure, no boarding call, etc.  We didn't even notice.  We took our not noticing as a sign of how accustomed we had become to the way of doing business  on the islands

Ghutra

       Our flight from Male to Doha was filled with Asian honeymooners. We arrived in Doha around 10:30 PM, went through immigration lines there.  The immigration officials in the state of Qatar wear traditional male desert attire.  One requirement of immigration is to have our photos taken.  For women who cover their faces, there is a separate, private room and a female official to take the photos.

Promises, promises

         We arrived at out complimentary hotel rooms around  midnight, looking forward to hot water before we left at 6 the next morning for the airport.  But Courtney had no hot water at all, and I had lukewarm water.  I guess our happy immersions will have to wait until we get to Texas.
      Hot water makes me think about what I have missed and not missed these three months in the Maldives. Besides you, dear family and friends, I have missed:
1.  broccoli
2.  walnuts
3.  Dave's Killer Bread
                                                         4.  open windows
                                                         5.  going out the door without being wary of mosquitoes
        Here are some things that I thought I would miss but have not:
1.  newspapers
2.  half and half
3.  meat
4.  dogs
5.  Christmas lights
     What I think I will miss about Addu Atoll:
 1. the sea
 2. the sky
 3. the people on motorbikes (so much more human  than seeing people in cars)              
 4. the calls to prayer.