“Quality Tourism” and Multinationalism

 

First Maldivian resorts were basic beach huts made of local materials. Visitors loved them, but the local economy didn’t benefit much, and there were many environmental problems. The cultural impact it was seem as a real threat. In 1978 it was adopted a strategy based on “Quality Tourism” within special tourism laws.
Resorts can exist only on uninhabited islands, the govt. make them available for commercial leases. Corporations have to bid for the lease with a development plan. Resorts buildings cannot cover more than 2o% of an island’s area or be higher than the surroundings vegetation. The number of rooms is also limited according to the size of the island, and the developers must provide all the infrastructure.
Because resorts are on their own island, they are isolated and totally managed on their own. They offer modern convenience but the “Robinson Crusoe factor” is still there. There is minimal contact with the locals, so therefore little of the “cultural pollution” that some people see in tourist destinations like Goa, Bali, or the Thai Coast. But this is very hard to realize, and as a result it comes at a high price.

As an islands nation, the Maldives is almost exclusively a producer of fish (Viva fat Tuna!) and coconut products. Everything, but really every thing is imported. Thus the tourism industry must ship everything needed for a resort except the sunshine, the sea and the island itself, wich remains Maldivian property.
The diversity of imports can be surprising. A Maldivian island can be leased to a Indian company based in Bahrain or Dubai to develop a resort for the Italian and Russian market, with pastas imported from Australia, wine from South Africa, fruits from New Zealand and Egypt, beer from Singapore, plumbing from Germany, air-con from Japan, hair-dryers from Canada, laborers from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, dive masters from Malta, and prices in American Dollars.

The Maldives

 

The Maldives is about 600 km SE of the tip of India. 1190 low-lying islands of innumerable reefs forming attols (The word atoll comes from the Dhivehi language (spoken on the Maldives Islands), word atholhu). The vertical strip is about 850 km long and about 350 km wide, les than 0,3 % of the country being on dry land. From the air the islands look like small stars in an aquatic azure constellation, the attols scatter to form a pattern stretching across the equator. Unspoilt, idyllic, sugar white sand beaches, fringed by lushy palm trees.Good God of us all, holly trinity, is this scene real?

The Maldives has made its remarkable coral atoll environment into a destination that fulfills all our fantasies of the perfect tropical island. The resorts have a unique sense of seclusion being away of all. Each one of them have their own island. In Maldives, you are always surrounded by water (crystal clear; Yeah!It’s true, the colour is really like that), because 99% of the The Maldivian territory is below sea level. The underwater world offers everything a diver would dream of. The good part is that in Maldives there is no bad place for diving. Everywhere is good, diving or snorkeling. You just pick a spot, and you cannot go wrong. There is marine life everywhere. Over three quarters of reef fish species can be found around: Angelfish, Butterflyfish, Anemonefish (lovely this creatures), Flutemouth (Cornet fish), Moorish Idol, Sweetlips, Parrotfish, Snapper (28 species have been documented in the Maldives), Rock Cod, Stingray, Manta Ray, Reef Shark, Surgeon Fish, Triggerfish, Unicornfish, Wrasse (Mr. Napoleon Himself); Apart of this there are Turtles, Moray Eels, Whale, and of course the human friendly Dolphin. Also there’s new coral, re-growing after the coral bleeching of El Nino in ’98 and the tsunami in that fatidic sad December day in ’04.

In general The Maldives is a stage setting for romantic escapes, perfect honeymoons, lavish spa’s, all those outdoor bath tubs, four-poster beds and private views. People coming alone, or fully independent like me, are a rare case. You can be very independent, have a lot of know-how to get around, but in Maldives, you’ll need help from authorized people. I prepared it very well, I had my connections and I could enjoy my time. Other wise, people fly directly to the resorts, get pampered and live the dream life. But this will cost you amounts from 3 to 4 zeros/day. Yes, Dollars. So for this reason I was really helped by Ahmed S ( finding me accommodation on very good price), and by Jameel (with his connections I could get a permit to visit some resorts.)

One of the best things is that the temperature is just perfect. The average max temp is remarkably constant all year long. Between 30-31 C during daytime, and between 25-26 C during nighttime. Sea is pretty constant also, being around 27 C all the time. There is a continental seabreeze keeping the air moving, and making everything bearable.
The year is divided normally in 2 monsoon periods, like all the south Asia, with transitional periods with calm and exceptionally clear water. The Maldivians further divide the year into 27 Nakaiy, each about 2 weeks long, with characteristic weather pattern. Each Nakaiy has its place in the circle of fishing, planting and harvesting, and its significance for personal and family fortunes.

Everyday Male’

 

Out of all the countries in this world, The Maldives is the only one whose capital is an island. There are several others whose capital is on an island, but no other capital fills out the island edge to edge, shore to shore, like Male’. There are 1190 islands as a whole, but still 1 in 4 Maldivians live on Male’. There are almost 80k people concentrated within the island’s 1,7 sq km(slightly bigger than Monaco). Though bursting, it still maintains an air of quiet living and unhurried activity, as if it were some market town of Mediteranean South Europe.
Walking along the harbour’s front, the place where the boats moor, or just looking at the people pass by, one would notice a variety of facial features in the faces of the people. The long line of island strung across the trade routes of the Indian Ocean is bound to receive visitors, voluntary or otherwise, welcome or not. As a result, each of this voyagers left some mark in the faces of the present day Maldivians.
The first were the merchants from the seafaring nation of Gujarat. This would have been from around 500 BC. Then the Tamils came from Sri Lanka.Then Tamils from the deep south of India.The Persians dominated the Indian Ocean centuries later dealing regularly with the Maldivians. Then the Arabs took over for good. In this pot-pourry of genetic influences must be added also the Africans, first of whom came as trade slaves. There is 2 parts in the history of Maldivians. Before and after the conversion to Islam. This was made in 1153. Ibn Battuta, was the first to write it down during his staying in Male, serving as a judge.To this day, in the country there are 100% Muslim peole, being also the smallest state with a Muslim majority.

The most important political, cultural and economic centre of the country is based here. It’s the place where you really see the lifestyle of the Maldivians and get the feel and feel the pulse of this small nation.
The water front is very busy: Slick new designed buildings, lot of people bustling around, talking on mobiles, riding scooters. The residential areas in the interior of the island, during the mid-day when the sun is severe, are relaxed, with few people looking for the shady part of the road, others sitting and chating in their door steps. You can easily mingle with them by just going to have your tea and tiffin at a local tea shop. Or if you want to see the youngsters, you can have a pricey swanky cocktail by the cafes with a terrific view of an endless azure Ocean. The city has also a strong community of expats, some 20k, with around 10% Europeans. The others are honest hard working people from Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh.

Land reclamation and the break waters now extend to the outer edge of the surrounding reef, and there is no possibility of enlarging the island. So, the further growth can only be accommodated by more high-rise buildings or on neighboring islands. I personally dislike that charming old buildings are demolished to make way for bigger modern structures. In the 80’s they were aloud to build up to 5 storeys. Present days, the number is 12.

A funky feature is the rounded corners of walls and buildings at the junctions, to make it easier for vehicles to negociate tight corners. New buildings, they have the look of undistinguished boxes. Somehow they are reminiscents of the Bauhaus style, but something you might spot in Germany.

The Grand Friday Mosque with an attached Islamic center was build with help from the Gulf states, Brunei, Malaysia and Pakistan. At the time of construction in ’84 it used to dominate the skyline of Male’. But still approaching with a boat, you can still seethe golden dome, glinting in the sun (actually the gold isanodised aluminium, but it’s still golden shinny). Inside there can be around 5 thousand whorshipers, and of course on Friday for the Jumma prayer it’s a fine set to see.There are beautiful wooden panels, an especially woven carpet ( looks Azeri to me) and grand chandeliers. The near old mosque is interesting but the corrugated iron roof it’s putting the place in a modern artificial look. Opposite the road I spotted a park, with the National Museum inside the courtyard. It’s a small building now, the only remaining part of the sultan’s palace(the rest was demolished in 1968 at the beginning of the 2nd republic).

Among the things in the small collection I did like some fabrics (with rich brocades), some laquer work( awesome!) displayed on large bowls, and a Silvan Banthi(used by husbands to punish an unfaithful wife). Some interesting pre-Islamic stone carvings collected by Thor Heyerdahl, are there also: a fine Budha head and various phallic images. But no one seems to know about the significance or the historical context of this finds.

If you have the energy, and like to walk, like myself, you can easily circumnavigate Male’.You can walk around the whole island, or even run around it. It’s commonly used by football clubs (or club?) military squads or joggers.

What’s in a name? ” Goa Trance”

 

 Infos from the Wikkipedia and from Chaishop

Goa trance is a form of electronic music and is a style of trance music. It originated in the late 1980s and early1990s in the Indian state of Goa and is distinctive, as most forms of trance music were developed inEurope. Goa trance enjoyed the greater part of its success from around 1994–1998, and since then has dwindled significantly both in production and consumption, largely being replaced by its successor,psyhedelic trance or psytrance.

Goa trance is closely related to the emergence of psytrance during the latter half of the 1990s and early 2000s, where the two genres mixed together. In popular culture, the distinction between the two genres remains largely a matter of opinion (they are considered by some to be synonymous; others say that psytrance is more “metallic” and that Goa trance is more “organic”, and still others maintain that there is a clear difference between the two). These two are, however, quite sonically distinct from other forms of trance in both tonal quality, structure and feel. In many countries they are generally more underground and less commercial than other forms of trance. Goa trance is more likely to be heard at outdoor parties and festivals than in clubs.

The introduction of techno and its techniques to Goa led to what eventually became the Goa trance style; early pioneers included DJs Fred Disko, Laurent,Goa Gil, and Amsterdam Joey. Many “parties” (generally similar to raves but with a more mystic flavour, at least in early 1990s) in Goa revolve entirely around this genre of music. In other countries, Goa is also often played at raves, festivals and parties in conjunction with other styles of trance and techno.

Today, Goa trance has a significant following in Israel, brought to that country by former soldiers returning from recreational “post-army trips” to Goa in the early 1990s. A great deal of Goa trance (or now, more accurately, psytrance) is now produced in Israel, but its production and consumption is a global phenomenon. New “hot-spots” today includeBrazil, Japan, South Africa and Mexico

In the state of Goa, Goa trance parties can take place in unusual locations such as on a beach, in a desert or in the middle of the forest, although it is not uncommon for them to be held in conventional locations like clubs. Today, the need to pay the local police baksheesh means that they’re generally staged around a bar, even though this may only be a temporary fixture in the forest or beach. Once the baksheesh is paid, then the party-goers are free to bring out their charas and fill their chillums without fear of getting arrested.

Goa parties also have a definitive visual aspect – the use of “fluoro”( fluorescent paint) is common on clothing and on decorations such as tapestries. The graphics on these decorations are usually associated with topics such asaliens, Hinduism and other religious (especially eastern) images,mushrooms, shamanism. Shrines in front of the DJ stands featuring religious items are also common decorations.

For a short period in the mid-1990s Goa trance enjoyed significant commercial success with support from DJs such asPaul Oakenfold, who later went on to assist in developing a much more mainstream style of trance outside Goa. Only a few artists came close to being Goa trance “stars”, enjoying worldwide fame.

Goa trance remains very much an underground form of music and with the exception of more popular artists, Goa trance albums are usually not sold in mainstream record stores and it can be difficult to find them on vinyl as virtually no Goa trance is produced on vinyl today.

Simon Reynolds comments that “For all its cult of the mystic Orient, Goa Trance is sonically whiter-than-white. All the creativity is in the top level (melody and filigree) with not a lot going on in the rhythm section. The Goa Trance scene is a sort of deodorized, upmarket version of crusty techno, without the ragged-trousered poverty chic”.

The Goa Effect

It happens sometimes to get to a place and completely get twisted; some places have an appeal to long time travelers, seducing you with their nature, cuisine, climate, habits or its people. Goa had this effect on me, and for few weeks now, I lived on a different pace and dimension.

I wanted for a long time to get here (Yeah, right! Will say many of my friends.- That’s what Raul says about almost all the places on this planet!). Very true, I must say, since I intend to leave no rocks unturned, and as long as I can, I’ll do it. But let’s get back to Goa.

I was taking the express train from Kochi towards Mumbai. Margao was the only stop over in Goa state, so I got down there; the time was 4 am. A long walk took me to the Ocean coast. Colva and Benaulim were the first villages by the beach I saw. And it was early morning, so I could meet the fishermen coming back with the catch of the day. How beautiful is to start your day having barracuda and Prawns for breakfast, washed down with Pommegranate fresh juice or cold beer!? I had a great morning at the beach. The villages behind were very sleepy at those rising hours, few school kids in cute uniforms and some push bicycles strolled the hazy roads with tall palm trees on the both sides. But I was in hurry! I had to get to Calangute Beach, where Bob & Dee expected me. They invited me to their wedding celebration and I promised I’ll get up there in time for it. I did. I was there by 3 pm. I found out I was not their only guest from abroad. Marielle from Luxemburg and Annie from Ottawa where there also. Great we said. The more, the merrier!

 

 The next few days spent at Dee & Bob were a spicy cocktail of happenings, all including: 1^st day a wedding anniversary with all the presents, cake and fireworks-the night ended up with all of us doing bad karaoke (I did Sinatra’s “My Way”); 2^nd day we went for another party. This was the magic encounter between the local spirit, Feni, and myself. I got totally wasted on the stuff ( My good friends know very well I’m totally an useless case when I get wasted on fire water drinks); on our last night we went above the Fort Aguada to see the view from the big lighthouse there.Things were smooth and sound till some bogus (or not?) policemen popped up from nowhere. They did not like Bob’s face, and tried to convince us that we have pot on us. Bob played it well, and he got a new knickname: 27 rupees. Next day the girls went south Goa, I moved northern. I stayed with my good host, Franky, who has a nicey, calm villa on the back roads of Arpora. Just 2 km upper, there is the village of Anjuna, world famous for its flea market. The place was one of the first destinations to attract Hippies travelers in the 60’s. The hippie and the new age era might be over (some say with that shot on that December morning 1980), but, believe me, they still are around in here. The place is still a destination for all kinds of freak, funky crowd. Its dusty roads are filled with dreadlocked benign lunatics, artists and wannabe artists, artisans, shadus, European and Israelis ravers and a whole plethora of fashion they bring along. Another 2 km north it’s Vagator and Chapora that made Goa famous through out 90’s with all the all night raves on the beach and in the surroundings forests, and psychedelic movement.