There's something exhilarating about a looming storm. We've had tropical winds and rains daily here and yet still the beauty, the anticipation, and the power of them is enthralling. The wind sheers the top off the standing waves and the trees bend in reverence. People scurry a bit faster and the electricity in the air is... electrifying. Today has been a slack day for us. No surf, no scuba. Just an 8am run and swim and some West Wing episodes. Slackers or vacationers? We're not very good at doing nothing. Even while I write this J has emerged from our room, previously slated for sleep, but claiming "it's too boring". So instead we sit, watching and listening again to the rain from our back porch.
Porches seem like such an American ideal. Are they not? Something about them is therapeutic. Why is that? Neanderthals didn't have porches. Perhaps the car manufacturer was tapping into the serotonin of porch sittin' when they came up with a more blood-pounding version.
Regardless, here we sit on our porch, not talking but just listening. I think I like rain storms because of their forced relaxation. When always on the go it's nice to sometimes have the playground closed for rehabilitation. I'm not very good at calling it quits on my own. Even when I'm sick I'm a very bad patient and think, huh, while I'm home I guess I should do laundry and reorganize the pantry and clean my apartment... Not so fast, Ms Sardina. Slow them horses.
The Maldives has been wonderful. Lots of activity but lots of repetition and gradual routine. We've done five dives (J has done 6) and four massages (collectively) in the week we've been here. Along with SUPing, surfing, snorkeling, sailing, running, writing, drawing, and eating. We know most of the staff and have the restaurants and processes dialed in by now that for week two we'll be firing all axels.
Scuba has been the highlight for me. It's amazing what a different ecology and landscape exists down there. The fish are the most colorful I've ever seen and the corals are the most engaging textures and patterns. We have even done a night dive where certain corals actually open like feather fans or flowers. They are stunning. In all we've done a night dive, a "deep water" dive, a reef dive, a drift/cave dive, and a wreck dive and have seen countless of anonymous fish as well as eels, sting rays, mobular rays, lobsters, shrimp, sea turtles, sea slugs, lion fish, clown fish, tuna, napoleons, butterfly fish, angel fish, grouper and nemo. In my second dive I was quite anxious and nervous, for some reason. Something about breathing underwater got me... but I've been fine since and am looking forward to our next dive location, Thila, where sharks and turtles are plentiful.
The other highlights have been star gazing, moonlit sans skivvies snorkeling, hobbie cat sailing, and surf lessons (preparing me for my next big trip to Nicaragua). And to be honest, I've loved the rains. We get cold drizzles in San Francisco. Here is none of that sissy stuff. It rains unabashedly.
J says his highlight has been spending time with me. What a romantic. And a bad actor, too. He's been killing it at surfing, though, getting morning sessions in almost daily and getting some great photos taken of him grabbing rail (do I sound legit?).
That's it for today. Not much more to report from paradise ;)