EYDHAFUSHI

Eydhafushi is the capital of Baa Atoll. It is one of the more developed islands in Maldives. There is a hospital, post office and bank. There are two mobile phone towers. The resort ‘Soneva Fushi’ is on a nearby island.

Boats anchor at the jetty. Local boats called dhoni’s are used for carrying passengers and for fishing. There are also speed boats. The jetty is like a large swimming pool and sometimes people use it as one. I used to sit near the jetty at night after dinner to enjoy the breeze and watch the boats come and go. Sometimes people rush towards an arriving fishing dhoni to buy the catch.






































Baa Atoll Education Centre (BAEC) is literally the centre of the island. It is located at the centre of the island and is also the centre for most of the activities on the island. The island has a population of about 2000 people and almost every family has someone at BAEC, either a student or staff. Students at BAEC are a varied lot. Some are very interested in their studies and some others have no interest at all. ‘Prize day’ is the biggest event on the island. Usually, the Education Minister is the chief guest. Prizes are awarded to the top students from each class. Everyone dresses well for the occasion.





































During the evening the sunset on the western side of the island is a beautiful sight.

MALDIVES 2002-2009

Spent eight years in Maldives. Four years at Meedhoo an island in Raa Atoll and Four years at eydhafushi an island in Baa Atoll.


When I first arrived at Male’ International Airport and took the ferry to the main island, I was struck by the colour of the sea, it was turquoise. Later on, while flying in a small aircraft over the islands, I noticed that all the islands are surrounded by a turquoise sea and it becomes blue only after a distance from the island. It is a beautiful sight.




























The capital Male’ is clean and neat. Shops close for about fifteen minutes during each prayer break. The big shops allow customers who are already inside to continue shopping during the prayer break, but do not allow customers in at that time. Male’ is an expensive place to stay. Budget hotels accommodate four or five people in a single room, so you have to be prepared to stay with strangers.


























Travel from Male’ to the other islands can be tough. If you take a dhoni, which is a local boat, it can take several hours to reach your destination. Speed boats are better but available only to some islands. Small aircrafts called seaplanes are also available. These are meant for tourists and travel to resorts. They can also be used if you are going to an island near a resort, but they will give you a ticket only if tourists are not available.




























The locals are muslims and easy going. Their favourite activity is fishing and they have fish at almost every meal. Most of the time, it is tuna. On holidays, they always arrange a picnic to one of the uninhabited islands and it is an enjoyable experience. If you go snorkeling, you can see beautiful and colourful fishes.
Well water is used for bathing and washing. Rain water is harvested and used for cooking and drinking. Maldives has the only Coca Cola plant in the world that uses desalinated water.
























There are no arranged marriages and youngsters choose their own partners. In this respect, it is similar to a western society. Women have a greater say and they take active part in public affairs.The favourite sport for the locals is football. They are passionate followers of the English Premier League and the World Cup.

ERITREA 1998-2000

Asmara is a beautiful city. It is neat and clean. There are modern buildings, sleek cars on the roads and the people are well dressed. There are no beggars on the streets, which was surprising since I had read that Eritrea is one of the poorest countries in Africa. Begging is discouraged. Crime is rare, since punishment is severe. The country has a small population of about 3 million and so poverty is less visible. The people eat well. While we buy 1kg of mutton, some locals buy a goat.There are a few locals who eat raw meat. The Catholic Cathedral built by the Italians is the most beautiful building in Asmara. Independence Day is celebrated on a large scale. Eritrea was a province of Ethiopia before independence. I was posted at Segeneity and visited Asmara every weekend. Also visited Dekemhare, Adi-Keyh, Keren, Mendefera, Senafe and Massawa during the holidays.




























































Segeneity is a small town with a pleasant climate. It is cool throughout the year. Visited the ruins of the three forts on the hill tops. I was told to be careful about mines and so walked along the worn path. Locals sell vegetables and livestock in the market on Saturdays. Bars are common and beer is popular. Attended the wedding of elementary teachers Hadish Tesfay and Lula (picture). A man was playing the harp and there was singing and dancing at night. We had the local alcoholic drink called suva.






















































Also attended the wedding of Osman, who left his wife and child to get married again. At the ceremony, I saw two groups of people dancing towards each other with swords in their hands. They must be the relatives of the bride and groom. Much later, I learn some people saw him leave on a bus with a goat to celebrate being a father again but on reaching his wife, she dies leaving him with a child.
A student kills himself while playing with his father’s rifle. Attended his funeral, for which most of the town turns up. His body was draped with the national flag.Some women were dancing while wailing, it was a strange sight. During the ceremony, the orthodox priest tells the relatives not to cry since they are Christians and believe he is with the savior.


Senafe is a town near the Ethiopian border. A few days before my visit, Ethiopian jets flew across the border and bombed some places in Eritrea. The border conflict was intensifying. It was strange that some times, we come to know about a bombing only when we are told about it, much later. These are not atom bombs. When we hear a sound we look around and if we see smoke rising, we know a bomb has exploded there. So, to get hurt a bomb must drop near you. There are huge rock formations in Senafe and it is a spectacular sight.





























Massawa is a port city near the Red Sea. There is a resort frequented by tourists. The city has a laid back atmosphere. I spent two days there going to the beach and visiting the restaurants.