If you have been following me on Facebook  you know that i lost my ipad. Consequently from here on in will be done using this phone. Grrrr!

Well the Maldives surprisingly enough, were a big disappointment for most people…… not at all what I/we were expecting. The entire island is TOTALLY built up with maybe 10 storey buildings….. streets are so narrow (almost can’t get any sunlight through) with nowhere to walk & its dirty. The streets were crawling with people ……probably 98% men….. all looking at you…… kind of creepy actually!  
Apparently there was an artificial beach that we didn’t find…. of course we didn’t really have the time before it got dark (who would want to be out there in the dark). By the time we were off the tender it was about 4:30 already. Anyway if you use the beach, you have to be fully clothed. Like thats going to happen!!! The places that you can swim and snorkel and such, are privately owned atolls so very costly to visit party because you have to have a private boat take you. One guy was trying to sell us a ride at well over 100US$…. each. We should have booked a snorkelling excursion earlier than when we booked the rest but…. they were already sold out by that time. 
I don’t know what is going on…..can’t send & am losing stuff i wrote. This the second time i gave written this. Am frustrated but will persist. 
We did walk along the shore past the vegetable market where there were quite a number of very colourful live-aboard fish boats tied up. We walked out to the breakwater path….. peered over it into the water. There were quite a large number of manta rays swimming. So very cool! That was the best part of this place. 
On November the19th, we will be crossing the equator so there will be a midday party on board. We’ll see how many will kiss the fish.