First Impressions

I arrive in the Maldives from Colombo, Sri Lanka, on a sunny afternoon. The islands are so small here that you don’t actually land on the main island (Malé) but instead one nearby called Hulhulé (also known as the “airport island.”)

We are delayed over an hour because the plane’s navigation system had to be replaced – never a good sign when you’re about to fly into the middle of the Indian Ocean. Airlines must be required to inform passengers of these technical problems: I personally would rather not know the details!

As we deboard the plane and walk along the tarmac I expect a whiff of flowers – plumeria, perhaps – because that’s the fragrance that strikes you upon arrival in Hawaii. But I’m on a very different set of islands, one known more for its underwater life than its flora and fauna.

At the entrance to immigration there is a colorful sign that reads: “Maldives, the sunny side of life.” It’s an ad campaign that is run over and over and over again in the Middle East. (Dubai is just a four-hour flight away.) The Maldives attracts 600,000 visitors per year, and I am among a sea of Brits and Europeans coming here on holiday.

When we enter immigration, the first thing that strikes me is the Maldivians themselves.

“Everyone looks like they’re 12,” a foreigner told me shortly before my visit. “They’re really tiny people.”

So true it is. Passport control seems to be run by teenagers. Literally. Only they look younger. (Many Maldivians enter the workforce in their mid to late teens and the population is young – about one-quarter of Maldivians are under age 14.)

Because I’m working in the Maldives I need a business visa. A supervisor takes me to a seating area where I wait with a Sri Lankan who seems like she’s having a more difficult time than I in getting her papers. Plenty of foreigners work here – they run the resorts and work in service jobs – but the regulations are strict.

The male supervisor, who is maybe all of 20, is also about as tall as I am (5’2). As I look around, I realize that this isn’t uncommon.

The ethnic heritage(s) of Maldivians are a matter of some debate, but can generally (and not surprisingly due to the geographical location) be traced back to Africa, Arabia and south Asia, especially Sri Lanka. Maldivian features are striking and unique: Many have big, dark eyes, dark skin (some almost look African) and slight frames.

My visa is quickly processed and I head out of the airport to meet the information department employees who have come to pick me up. They, too, are in their teens, shy and quiet, and smartly dressed with hip sunglasses.

We ride a small boat to Malé and I am struck how gorgeous the ocean is – turquoise blue around the islands -- and by how small and close together the islands are. I can clearly see at least three islands. Up ahead is Male, easily distinguished by its buildings and ports.

The boat ride takes about 10 minutes, and after landing we hop in a taxi to the hotel. I’m surprised that there are so many cars here – the island is definitely walkable -- but motorbikes, which easily weave in and out of traffic, are the preferred form of transport.

My hostess points out the parliament and the president’s office on the way to my hotel, but because of jet lag I can hardly keep my eyes open.