Day 5 - A Chill Sunday

It was another great day in the Maldives. We had to wake up somewhat early because we were diving in the morning again today. We did have a little snafu this morning. Back home it was Daylight saving time. When we set our alarm we didn't think our phones would automatically update with Daylight savings. They are set to manual time mode because of the island time at the Waldorf Astoria Ithaafushi. We were wrong. We woke up when we thought it was 6:30am, but as we started to head to breakfast we realized it was still very dark. The sun rises around 7am here. We turned around and checked the clock in our villa and sure enough it was only 6am. We could have slept for another hour. Even halfway around the world Daylight savings time is a debacle. 

We were going to go on a morning bike ride once it was a little lighter, but as soon as the sun started the rise the heavens opened and rain poured down. It was a passing storm, but it stayed a little drizzly in the morning. It looked like a good morning to go diving, since it wouldn't be particularly sunny.

We had a private beachside breakfast. Because of the rain we sat inside, but as close to the beach as possible. We were the only guests at breakfast the entire time we were there. People like to eat later in the morning around here. 

Diving was great again today. Once again we had the boat to ourselves. We were surprised because we heard one other diver may be joining us. We talked our dive guide about diving here. He told us it isn't that popular with the guests, and most guests who go diving are doing more introductory diving. We went on two dives this morning. Both were over reefs ~30 minutes from the island. We saw some interesting sea life including a few moray eels, a puffer fish, and a giant clam. The second dive was particularly beautiful We dove along a sea wall that was covered in vibrant coral. There was so much diverse and colorful sea life. We were happy that we got to go on 4 dives this trip. With each dive we feel more confident and comfortable under the water. I have greatly improved regulating my breathing so I don't run out of air as quickly. Now Alison and I are much more in sync with our air consumption. We had such fun that we decided we are going to pursue our advanced diving certification this summer so we will be able to dive deeper and go on even more interesting dives. 

We spent the early afternoon chilling in and around our pool at the villa. This will never get old. Alison decided to take a little afternoon nap, after the Daylight savings debacle I don't blame her. 

When we got back from diving it had turned into a beautiful sunny day

This looks like an advertisement, but it is 100% how this villa really looks

In the afternoon a doctor came to our villa to perform a PCR test. We need to get tested so that we can go to Turkey in a few days. This was the easiest Covid test we have ever done. The doctor brought all of her supplies and tested us right on our balcony. Once she collected the samples she was on her way.  It was one of the few reminders of Covid on this island. Given the set up the island lends itself well to social distancing. I don't imagine tables and beach chairs, etc. are within 6-feet of each other in normal time. Other than the staff all wearing masks and a few hand sanitizing stations I don't think this place has really changed because of Covid. It has been really nice to spend a few days in a place where we don't really even think about Covid at all. 

After our Covid test we went to the Beach club. We were both hungry and wanted to get some food. Alison was a little sleepy and kind of wanted to order room service. I really wanted nachos, which were not on the in-room dining menu. We went to the beach club. we were glad we did. The beach club is beautiful. The nachos were also delicious and we had a mango milkshake that really hit the spot. We enjoyed our food, live music, and the beach. The wind did pick up a bit right after we ordered our nachos and we were concerned our pool floats might end up in the ocean. I jumped on a bike and quickly rode back to our villa, put the pool floats inside, and rode back to the beach club before our nachos arrived. It is good this is a small island. 

Beachside views

When we finished our food we snagged a beachside day bed and spent the afternoon lounging on the beach. We lounged together. I also took an extended break from lounging to swim in the ocean. The ocean here is unreal. The advertising pictures you see with the perfectly clear turquoise and blue water is exactly what is looks like. I have never seen such clear ocean water before in my life. 

In the late afternoon we finished lounging. We went back to our villa and cleaned up. Then we checked out the happy hour at Peacock Alley. This is complimentary because of Alison's status with Hilton. We got a couple of beverages (the watermelon juice was particularly refreshing) and ate some nuts while enjoying scenic views and piano music. This place is unreal. 

After happy hour we headed back to our villa to spend some time together before dinner. 

One random note about dinner. We have been dining at 7pm, which turns out is early in the Maldives. We are consistently the first guests to arrive each night. This is great because we get to pick any seat in the restaurant. It always surprises me a little that 7pm is considered early for dinner. 

Tonight we had dinner at The Ledge by Dave Pynt. The staff promote this restaurant because David Pynt is a chef behind a famous Australian barbecue restaurant in Singapore. He has a Michelin star at that restaurant. The Ledge is an outpost of the Singapore restaurant here in the Maldives. It is also Australian barbecue and they cook all of the food in this amazing handcrafted open flame barbecue oven. The food was truly incredible. We started off with Grissini and Ikura. We had no idea what that was, but we embraced our waiter's recommendation. Grissini is a type of crispy breadstick/flatbread. Ikura is salmon caviar. The flat bread was covered with a pasty sauce and sprinkled with Ikura. It was delightful. For our main course Alison ordered Chicken Peri Peri. It was so much food - it was basically half a chicken. I helped her finish it. It was delectable. It was wood fired with a rich slightly spicy sauce and was, oh so juicy. I ordered spiced lamb chops, which were also top notch. For dessert we shared chocolate fondant with smoked ice cream and a smoked butter macaron. Both were unique and delicious. the macaron in particularly and a strong smoky flavor that paired perfectly with this meal. 

After dinner we took a slow pleasant walk to our villa. I drew up a bath and then we called it a night.