Back to Reality
Well, there is only so long you can put off the inevitable. Bryan has been cruising now for nearly six months and myself and the kids for nearly three. It seems hard to believe that the adventure is coming to a close… but what an adventure!
I arrived back in Dubai midday to 38 degrees of heat though thankfully the humidity is starting to drop at this time of the year. We had an uneventful flight back and after a brief stop in the duty-free at Dubai airport to stock up on beer for Bryan’s return we finally returned home to air conditioning, washing machines, endless running water; oh and the ultimate luxury; Ruby, our Maid who had even stocked the fridge for me with bread, milk and fruit. Bliss!
Bryan on the other hand still has two weeks to go. His crew, Joff from UAE and Nick from Bristol arrived as planned and they were all set for an early departure yesterday morning. Unfortunately, Maldivian bureaucracy soon saw to that! One of the ‘essential’ documents (the extension of the sailing permit) had been mislaid by the agent. No way, no how were they going to sign Bryan and crew out without it. To add insult to injury, the Maldives Tourist board, who had issued the initial document, were going to be shut the next day so they had to wait a further day to finalise it all.
An hour ago, I got the awaited text from Bryan to say they had been signed out and were heading back to the boat to set sail. Hurrah! Maldives, Sri Lanka and Chagos, in particular, have been wonderful experiences. The last few weeks in the Maldives have presented some unique challenges though and the time is right to head back and try and regain some normality in our lives.
Here’s to Bryan, Joff and Nick; fair winds, good speed and safe arrival.
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