After the sad news I didn't have the desire to blog on Friday, so here's a consolidation:
Friday's dive was once again led by Dive Master Marc. I've identified an interesting correlation between DMs and stability of dives: basically if it's anyone else, it will be a smooth calm dive, but if it's Marc it will be a roller-coaster mad-cap dive. He's a former snow-boarder come diver, half my age, so I guess adrenaline just runs in his veins! Anyway, once again we find ourselves in the thick of an insane current, grasping onto a reef-wall with fingernails increasingly destroyed (it has to be that way, one can't deploy the anchor until one is relatively static, and there's only one way that can be - grab!) Today is a controlled storm, however, and we 'hang' contentedly at 30 meters for a while watching as sharks and loads of other fishes pass by, them probably laughing at the silly 'umans whilst they just glide around!
Later Hubby went snorkelling alone whilst I got my dive logs up to date in anticipation of our nearing departure. Then I joined him, checking out next door's octopus first - I though he had had gone away since the neighbours are bothering him so often, but amusingly in front of my eyes, the stone I was looking at turned from grey to blood red, it WAS the octopus, canny little devil!
In they evening it was the Returner's Party again, and we spent a good while talking to their marketing boy, he tells us there are several others in the chain, one has a restaurant below water - sounds like a 'must do' for next time?
Dinner in the buffet was 'Maldivian Night' and we thoroughly enjoyed the assorted curries that were available - one of the best buffet nights we've attended.
Saturday started once again with a dive - though only a single one as every day for the last three, they have cancelled the double dive for lack of custom - and once again it's Marc in charge, Resignedly I jump in wondering what will be in store - the surface is flat calm, and our descent is easy as we rapidly drop down to 25 meters, and amble along just above the sandy street, round the corner and WHAM a 'gale' hits us, we are thrown along the reef for a while before hooking on to see what's happening! Let go, and following the current we come up to a huge block that has broken off from above, and we are able to cling to it, slowly working our way to the lea-side, which is protected from the current. We swim up the crevice created between it and the reef, emerging from the top.
By this time some of the divers are low on air and Marc starts the safety stop process for them, whereas me, my buddy Andy and Thom, who was my buddy yesterday, continue on for a good while slowly ascending as we barrel along the reef at a fair rate of knots. Before long we're at a crossroads in the currents, and can relax to enjoy the gold-fish packed blocks at this point as we do our safety and later push out into the blue to ascend and look for our dive-boat.
On my return we do two circuits of our boardwalk from the underside - that is snorkelling along under the bungalows and walkways back to the island. It's extremely low-tide and a few more scrapes are added to the increasingly long list of damages, but it's worth it for the Picasso, Puffer, Lion, Parrot, Titan and many many more that we see every day in various places along the route.
Lunch becons and we have our last one at Hot Rock Cafe (actually Pavillion Bar during the day) and said our goodbyes to the delightful chap who usually serves us there.
Aquick lap round the island (two for Hubby) and its time to go and get my dive gear, settle the in invoice and say thanks to all the staff I've been with, before setting off towards the Sundowner Bar for our last time. Sadly once gain Sundownis a huge disappointment but of course the wine makes up for it!
We laugh when Ahmed comes running up to us - 'Sirs, the "London People" near your room have had too much to drink, please be careful' - what to say??
We head back to jacuzzi, star gaze and shower, then go over to Asian Wok for our last dinner. They excel themselves and we have a great time, also reminiscing with one of the older boys who remembers us from previous times.
Update: one body has now been recovered - quite some distance away - by fishermen.
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