Istanbul to Bombay by ship 2000: 7

There was no equator ceremony this time, as we crossed about midnight during this two day sea leg crossing the central Indian Ocean. On the fifth formal night we really didn't feel like going through the dress up routine, so skipped the formal dinner and had snacks and drinks on one of the stern decks. We watched the sunset, then had a light dinner from the buffet, eaten outside under the stars.

Our first introduction to the Maldives was a long chain of islands, connected by a shallow coral reef. There were dozens of them over many miles, several with resorts on them. The capital, Male, came as a real surprise. Suddenly, out of the ocean appeared this island city full of high rises. Male is completely covered with streets and construction - it is 7/10 of a square mile and has a population of 70,000, plus another several thousand who are there each day buying and selling. A modern airport is located on another island across the channel through which we sailed. The airport "buses" are ferryboats!

We anchored off a small, uninhabited island about five miles from Male. Shuttle boats ran back and forth for those wanting to visit the city. Marilynn, Jens & I opted for an afternoon of snorkelling, while Tim went to Male. The water was crystal clear with huge numbers of colourful tropical fish. The coral reef was shallow to an average of 150 feet from shore, then plunged into the depths. We snorkelled 1 ½ times around the island, stopping to have a beer and enjoy the BBQ which the crew had organized on the beach.

Our last day at sea was yesterday. Today we will explore Goa, then disembark in Bombay tomorrow.