Chapter 19: The Dirty Dozen
“From Malé to Moscow”
19.09.2022 - 19.09.2022 82 °F
Chapter 19: The Dirty Dozen
September 19, 2022
We first noticed them last night as we sipped a happy hour drink at the aptly named Hilton venue “Sip.” Twelve women, half middle aged and half younger, touring the property in two golf carts. Later, Shaufa would tell us that we were lucky to have eaten at Origin last night because tonight it was closed so these twelve could dine there as a group. That is interesting due to the fact that Origin would have easily seated them and scores of other guests.
“What is that group?” I asked. “Travel agents,” was the reply. Ah, yes, I thought. Kathy Sudeikis, AKA “The World’s Greatest Travel Agent,” has made these jaunts and gained valuable insight for me in past travels.
This morning we were informed at breakfast that this group would today be accompanying us on the shuttle boat back to Velana International Airport, which you may recall is on Hulhulé Island in the North Malé Atoll, near the capital island Malé, a twenty-minute boat ride. I thought that we, as paying guests, might be quizzed by them as to our impressions of the Hilton Maldives Amingiri Resort and Spa. We could assist them in advising their clients about the ins and outs of staying here. We had been there, after all, three nights to their one.
But, then we heard one of them speak to her friend. “Nyet.” They were Russians. I was amazed at my reaction: I physically and emotionally withdrew.
My thoughts were: here are 12 well-heeled professional Russian business women with seemingly not a care in the world. They were decked in casual resort wear with their expensive sneakers, designer handbags, good jewelry/watches, and no bill for their stay at a resort that costs better than $1500.00 a night. They chatted away with each other, in Russian, as i would do with my girlfriends. I couldn't help but to contrast this to what Russia is doing in the Ukraine. I kept trying to reconcile in my mind the contrast between these ladies and what is happening between Russia and Ukraine, as well as life in Russia with sanctions. There are tens of thousands of innocent people, on both sides, being killed needlessly. I wondered if any were of their friends or family? I wonder what they think? I wish we could communicate. Who are we as a people? Do our lives just go on 'business as usual' as atrocities are happening? I think they shouldn't but what to do is a question i can't answer. I recall talking to my dear late Mom about her life during WWII. What was in the news? Did people know what was going on? In Philadelphia, my Mom was a citizen informer of sorts. She was to notify the government if she saw or heard something suspicious. She said she never saw or heard anything but she did her bit to help. She said there was not a high awareness of what was going on in Europe; about the concentration camps and the slaughter of Jews. Maybe there is not an awareness in Russia either. Were these women callous or privileged or uncaring or unaware or scared or resigned that they could do nothing, who knows? If we would all just worry more about what kind of country and world we leave for our kids and grandkids i think we would all be better off.
They were self-absorbed and rude, pushing to the front of whatever queue in which we found ourselves.
At the airport's immigration checkpoint, we realized their probable mode of transportation in the form of an entire Aeroflot flight crew. Their fight to Moscow, SU321—a Boeing 777-300LR—leaves fifty minutes before we depart for Dubai.
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One wonders who is maintaining that probably leased Aeroflot aircraft and from where its replacement parts come (given that the War Embargo has disrupted that supply line). It occurs to me that “Repo Man From Malé to Moscow” would make a fine book title with the plot line revolving around the fact that the aircraft you are aboard has multiple lease payments in arrears, has been the subject of repeated repossession attempts, has maintenance records that are non-existent and the plane, which is owned by a company from Ireland, is subject to seizure should it need to be re-routed to a U.S. friendly country (in case of an emergency) where such a confiscation would be legal and allowed.
(Also of note on the departing flight board, above the Aeroflot Moscow flight, are upcoming Fly Me and Maldivian Airline flights from here to Dharavandhoo, Kaadehdhoo, Kulhudhuffushi and even Maamigili; all places to which I have not been and about which I know nothing at all. But I sure do love those place names and would love to go see them.
Later, as we make our way through the terminal to our gate, we pass the King and Queen of Velana International Airport, culinary Maldivian royalty of the first order. B4 loves the Royals. “Your majesties,” I utter, bowing as we pass. My traveling companion fails to curtsy.
There was even more royalty to come. At this airport there are no jetways (not yet at least; a new terminal is under construction and is sure to offer them). So we must take a bus to our aircraft, an Emirates 777-31HER (A6-EGA) which is a year older than the plane we came in on. Aboard our bus, we pass a Saudia Airlines Boeing Dreamliner--a 787. This Saudia's tail liverage features Saudia Arabia's Royalty, with Mohammed bin Salman al Said at the base of it. 37-year-old MBS, as he is known internationally, is the primary reason (there are secondary reasons as well) that I opted to skip a side trip to Saudia Arabia while we were in the region. But there he was, pictured as one of three Saudi Royal Family members including: on top the late King Abdulaziz Al Saud (the founder of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), and in the middle King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud who, since the death of Queen Elizabeth II, is the fourth oldest Royal Head of State.
There is no accounting for one's sartorial tastes. That is certainly true of this fellow passenger. Post it: We have boarded our 4 hour flight to Dubai. There is a drama unfolding in the row in front of us in the middle section of business class. We watch with great interest and amusement. We have talked about the women who must dress in their Abayas with all but their hands and face completely covered, walking with their husbands who are in shorts, T shirt, and flip flops or in this case a Mickey Original Classic ensemble. To us, the women's lot is a seemingly subservient position. Certainly nothing that nether my girlfriends nor I would tolerate. Well this woman, in her abaya, is giving her husband a major 'what for' in no uncertain terms because they are in business class and not in first. She marched herself up to first class and took iPhone pics of the empty seats there and shoved those pics right in her husbands face. Well.....maybe these women are not as subservient as we thought. I find myself saying 'you go girl', maybe we could be friends after all.
On the climb out, we overfly several more resorts offering over-water accommodations. This one sports a particularly interesting layout.
The other thing I note as we head back to Dubai are these. They are known as "clouds." We've seen precious few, as a matter of fact nearly none, in the past three weeks.
Arriving on schedule in Dubai at 2:15pm, we are met and escorted through customs and immigration to our chauffeur who zips us back to the TAJ. Our mid-trip birthday holiday complete, we have another week of work before heading back across Europe and the Atlantic to New York and Kansas City.
For the record, this visit to The Maldives raises my count of total of countries visited to (I think) 128. My son Cianán, currently wrapping up a trip to Ecuador and next headed to both Bulgaria and Iceland, marks his total visited at 70 and counting.
