178 |OxfordshireLimitedEdition|June 2019
islessthantwomileslongandretainssome
jungleandwildernessfeelasguestscycle
alongsandyroadswhichcutthroughswathes
ofcoconutpalmsandgiantbanyantrees,
passingseveralfreshwaterlagoonsinland.
Onceyou’vehadafewdaystowinddown
andadmirethegloriousvistaoftheturquoise
IndianOcean,thesublimewhitebeaches
andthesumptuousaccommodation,you
maywanttosampleatruetasteofMaldivian
life.A 10 - minutespeedboattriptakesusto
MeedhooIsland,whichspans 2 kmx 2. 5 km,
wherewearepresentedwithgarlandsof
frangipaniandbougainvilleabybeautiful
Maldivianchildrendressedintraditional
Dhivelilibaas,dresseswithornatenecklines
madefromtraditionalweaving,watched
proudlybytheirhijab-cladmothers.Meedhoo
isclearlynewtotourism.
Onlyafewyearsago,thesmallbeachon
whichwearestandingwasarubbishdump
awashwithplasticbottles,rustycansand
‘Withapopulationof
3 , 500 tofeed,farminghasalwaysbeenbig
herebutnowit’sbigger’
otherdebris,amakeshiftlandfillfromits
3 , 500 - population.
Today,thankstotheworkofconcerned
membersofthecommunitywhoformedan
NGOtocleanuptheirislandandeducate
adultsandchildrenineco-friendliness,there’s
notaplasticbottleorbaginsight.Adultsand
childrenstilltakepartinregularbeachcleans
threeyearsonandalocalwastemanagement
companyremovestherubbish.Here,female
touristsarepolitelyaskedtowearattirewhich
coverstheirshouldersandkneesinrespectof
theMuslimfaith.Drivingonthesandyroadpast 900 - year-
oldKoagannu,theoldestcemeteryinthe
Maldives,wecomeacrossaschoolhidden
behindbrightbluewalls,whileapepperingof
stylishgatedhousesinsubtleshadesoflemon
clashwithnearbytired,olderbuildingswith
corrugatedroofsandfadingpinkwalls.
Traditionalhousesusedtobemadeof
coralsbut,ofcourse,thatdoesn’thappen
anymore.Bythelookofthings,tourismhas
clearlyhelpedsomeprosperonMeedhoobut
hasbeenslowertotransformlifeforothers.
Withapopulationof 3 , 500 tofeed,
farminghasalwaysbeenbigherebutnow
it’sbigger.Ononefarm,wewalkpast
deeptroughsofleafyChinesecabbages,
hugebananatreesandbedsofyam,whose
voluminousleavesareknownaselephantears,
andareaskedtoremoveourshoesbefore
enteringalargegreenhousefilledwithrows
ofloftycucumberplantsbearingdangling
ripeningfruits.