The Hot Coconut

Chronicles of tropical travel

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Low key Thulusdhoo

After moving to Singapore, I had really missed home and my island life, so I was really looking forward to going back. However, I was exhausted after the exams and my usual adventure loving self felt more like relaxing.

My friends and I were absolutely determined to spend at least a few days away from the concrete jungle that is our capital city, so we went to visit its neighbor, Thulusdhoo.

It took us about an hour to reach a summer house a group of friends was managing as a guest house. The house was not modernly decorated and lacked any hotel-like or tourist versions of reality most guesthouses have. It felt very homely and cozy with clean old curtains and an old couch. They were kind enough to let us three girls stay in one room at the price of $70.

The chilly weather made us lazy so it sets a great mood for relaxation. Possibly because of the rain, very few people were outside, it was almost like we were among only a few in the island.

It was the same for the beach. At noon, we took a long walk to go to the beach, now located at the end of the land reclamation area. The was an extensive vivid green patch of grass laying before the beach and one side of the shore was completely empty. The sun came to visit for about an hour around 3:00pm, we put on some tanning oil and floated in the cool water before filling our stomach with takeaway roti and curry, we were on our way back to the guest house by evening.

The next day we became couch potatoes. We chose to stick to comfort food, eating only instant noodles and snacks. I felt like a child again, watching movie marathons and doing nothing but catching up. After a long time, I did not feel any obligations or pressure to use any strength in my body. I felt free to simply lay with my friends doing the simplest of things.

We caught up with each other and watched movies. Sometimes we would head up to the deck, concealed from the rest of the island through trees.

Then we thought to ourselves how lazy we were being and after laughing about how crazy and fast-paced the last few months had been for the three of us we went for nature walk around the island.

Swings with the scent of wet leaves, laying on joalis (handmade benches) absorbing the honey lights of the setting sun, listening to the sound of the waves, the adrenaline junkies in us tempting us to go a little closer to the dynamic waters, we happily moved over to the 3 feet wide platform (jetty) above the grand sea.

Being lazy surrounded by nature is all I needed to recover and regain my strength and I certainly got that at Thulusdhoo. It is not always about the thrill, sometimes it is quiet contemplation that helps us clear our mind of stress.

*Even though we chose this low key journey in Thulusdhoo, the island has many options for snorkeling and diving. The island is a favorite among both local and international surfers. If you would like to get in touch with some locals to plan your holiday, feel free to leave me an email at [email protected] and I will be happy to connect you.

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Breathing underwater

It took about an hour for me and my colleague an hour to reach Rasdhoo in Alif Alif atoll from the Maldives’ capital city Male’. This was my first time visiting this atoll. Around 2008, the Maldives went into a brand new wave of tourism known as guesthouse tourism. Most of the financial rewards are reaped by high-level businessman owning resorts who pay little to their workers in comparison to the profits they earn. As may islanders have moved to the capital for better resources, they either convert their houses in their native islands to tourist guest houses or build one on their inherited plot of land. The first to start was islands near Male’ like Maafushi. Now, most islands have guesthouses.

We stayed at Rasdhoo Island Inn, a beachfront guesthouse with rooms on the ground and first level. They serve all meals but you are free to explore restaurants on the island as well.

I was once a good swimmer like many other Maldivians, however, one fine day earlier in the year I had a panic attack underwater and was unable to move my limbs. I had since developed a fear of drowning. Every time I went to a Maldives island for a holiday I used to feel very bad because I could no longer get in the water. It felt like having an invisible disability.

Everyone at the guesthouse was very good friends with my colleague. Because of this connection they were very comfortable around me as well. Every time they invited me to come to go ride the jet ski, snorkel, canoe riding or paddle boarding, I had to make up an excuse just to form a polite rejection.

I was sitting on a swing drawing one day when one of the staff of the guest house came to sit with me. We talked about guesthouse tourism, the island and finally my hesitation to go in the deep water. He asked me why I always refused to go in the water, I smiled and explained it to him.

He told me that there were people who are now in their late 40s and late 50s who have no idea what is underneath the waters that our country is globally famous for. He asked if I would trust him and go snorkeling.

“The fins will help you float above the water and you will be using a well-fitting mask to breathe underwater,”

I thought about it for a second. I could feel my heartbeat rise and get more and more rapid. However, I did not have the nerve in me to say no to him. He was putting my life in his hands, surely he must know the depth of what he was asking me to do and if it were as dangerous, knowing I was this afraid he would not have encouraged me, I thought to myself or better yet, tried to convince myself to calm down my fast-paced heartbeat which had by then grown into a ticking time bomb-like ringing in my head.

He taught me how to use the mask. I put some soap on it to wash it in the water to make it clearer. Before I got in the water I began to put on my fins and he started to laugh saying I cannot walk if I do so and asked to put it on after getting ankle deep in the water.

I wore my mask and stood up after wearing my fins and fell back down almost immediately. Both he and I erupted in laughter. He told me that I had to learn how to walk in fins and the key was to walk backward lifting the heels of my feet.

We swam and swam and finally we out on the reef, the great ocean. It was a mixture of red and yellow corals and vibrant scales of fish in vivid blue, purple, yellow and more. It was without a doubt the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Meanwhile, the farther I moved from the land the more my fear of the worst grew.

From the corner of my eye, I saw something less colored move near me. I looked to my side and saw a slim long black tip shark. I instantly froze and was surprised that creature everyone described as to be so fearful of did not care about me being there, it did not come sniff at my flesh. I just swam around in a world of its own.

That was the moment I knew that my fear had gone. My breathing returned to normal, the ringing in my head disappeared and I felt humbled that I got the chance to see all the beauty that lay beneath my countries waters. I felt at least 25 percent more Maldivian after that day.  

I no longer felt afraid in the water. I felt like I had regained an invisible organ I had lost, going underwater became very natural once again. I could breathe underwater, as calmly as I did on land.

The next day, I went to paddle board and to another snorkeling point at a marvelous sandbank near Rasdhoo. I slowly followed two sharks both bigger than me and I felt invincible. This journey helped me to overcome my mental health and I am forever grateful to the man from the guesthouse who encouraged me and the sea that washed away my pain. Above all, I am glad that I finally stopped letting my mental health issues get the better of me.

*Mental health issues are completely normal, but never stop it from letting you from travelling all over the world and discovering places unknown.

If you wish to visit Rasdhoo, I would highly recommend Rasdhoo Island Inn and their newly opened Club Gabbiano guest house, available for booking on booking.com.

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Heights in Sri Lanka- II

Uncle Kalpa took us to another temple the following day, he described it as the Big Buddha Temple, it is actually called Wewurukannala Rajamaha Viharaya. We saw the head of a Buddha long before we reached the temple. Each set of stairs led to a second set opposite the last step, as we approached the next set of stairs, every time we saw vibrant artwork that told old myths of Sri Lanka.

After many staircases, we saw a glimmer of sunlight and the refreshing breeze gently touched our faces. When steady ourselves and looked up it occurred to me that the structure we were seeing was none other than the head of the big Buddha.

I learned something great that day. Each of the greatest moments I had at the top of each temple involved a great climb, often an exhausting one. There were caves at every stop.

Just like our journey to the top, life is the same. Any man who has had to start from scratch to get success started at the bottom of the stairs. As we did with the caves at each stop, every man has phased in their lives, it could be different jobs or different circumstances and each time just the different Buddhas we saw, everyone learns different things in each of their phases. I believe that if we had never stopped at the caves to learn what had been left there ages ago, our journey would not have been as enjoyable. Additionally, if I had refused to go up the stairs I would not have had my great moment of standing at the edge of 600 feet. If I had not stopped to look at the artwork or absorbed the old myths and gone up each staircase I would never have known the rare feeling of the standing at the head of the biggest seated Buddha in Sri Lanka.

I personally feel this was the outlook on life that the two temples were trying to teach us.

We spent the night sitting on the porch of the Uncle Kalpa’s house. We met a Canadian man who was also simply traveling like us. Even though he owned an entire island in Canada, he was also simply on a low budget trip hopping from one southern village to another, he told us that this simple life was more rewarding for him. The man went to sleep as he was leaving at the crack of dawn the following day.

Despite the exhaustion, the four of us did not feel sleepy so we sat there chatting with some drinks. Then I saw a flicker of light and looked over immediately and saw that there were fireflies. They were floating neon green fairy lights. I tried to take a picture but it did not appear on the camera the same way I saw it in my eyes. Not everything we see in pictures is a reality and not everything we see in reality can be displayed in pictures.

The next day, my friend and I were awake early in the morning and we went back to the porch. Our plan was to visit the beach but was downcast because the sky was gloomy spoiling out plans to get as tanned as a coconut shell. We saw a blue cloth that had blown away from the hung laundry at the house next door.

Then we saw it move, my friend and I stood up to see what it was and realized that it was a peacock. It came closer and I thought of my sister who loves peacocks and its feathers. I immediately took a video. Of course, as with most cases, I was unable to capture how large the wings were and how nicely the lost peacock took flight.

Just like the change in our feelings from sunless to thrill. We noticed that the weather was slowly changing. We decided to rush to the beach and hoping that despite getting lost in the jungle like roads of Dickwella.

When we, at last, got to the beach the sun was on full display. We saw gigantic waves that could swallow us up. We were filled with delight and we ran into the waves which triumphantly splashed on us and we were completely enfolded in cool refreshing salt water.

Around 3:00pm we were quite hungry, we went into a restaurant we spotted along the way. At this point let me note for you, why we went to Dickwella. We had initially planned to go hiking in the mountain fortress, which is filled with extremely tall trees. However, the train workers had gone on strike and we were unable to get tickets and Dickwella was a cheaper option.

We noticed a noticeable resemblance to the Sigiriya Lion rock in the restaurant, shaped like a treehouse. The owner of the restaurant greeted us and asked us to go to the top floor as it had a better view. He came to talk to us later, we told him about Sigiriya and immediately he revealed that Sigiriya was his inspiration for the interior and exterior of the restaurant. He said Sigiriya was his favorite part of the country.

Our crushed dream of climbing the Lion rock was granted to us in elements, we found Sigiriya in Dickwella when we entered the restaurant and we climbed countless steps up the rock temple. Our desires had been fulfilled in a way we had never thought possible and we were pleasantly surprised. This short holiday taught me many things, but the most important lesson was that no matter what twists and turns may come, to have faith in whichever path my life takes me. Who knows what pleasant surprises await, we will only know when we explore.  

If any of you readers would like to travel to Dickwella, you can either take the train or book a cab. There are a couple of guesthouses there. However, if you would like to choose from many low budget options I would recommend looking around on Airbnb.

If you have any other questions feel free to drop an email at [email protected]

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Heights in Sri Lanka - I

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Heights in Sri Lanka - II

December mornings were dewy post-sunrises, gentle touches of a breeze filled with a slight scent of freedom and gratitude. The euphoric thrill of the afternoons was worth the sweat and often craving for the waves that enfolded you whole. Exploring the uphills and even higher steps to enlightenment but nonetheless the fresh smell of leaves throughout.

Then calmly the sun seemed to set earlier as so did we. Our souls dancing with fireflies celebrating days well spent to begin again, as the sun too, as always, rose yet again.

My friends and I were out of the hotel main gate by 10:00am. Our sleepy eyes were barely prepared for the scenic drive that waited for us. We booked a cab and drove to Dickwella in the south of Sri Lanka. We reached well past 15:00pm, but none of us were complaining as the highway was filled with lush greenery and a drizzle of sunlight. Our small group of four was welcomed by a lovely elderly Sri Lankan couple who was renting out rooms of their house through the online hospitality app, Airbnb.

We did not care to unpack, rushed to the beach and then rode around the small town in the Uncle’s three-wheeled auto rickshaw or “tuk-tuk” as Sri Lankans call it.

The next day the Uncle Kalpa suggested sightseeing and took us to a rock temple called Mulkirigala Raja Maha Vihara. We saw buddhas bigger than the four of us combined hidden away in caves within the rock.

After climbing over 670 feet we were at the top of the rock.

Uncle Kalpa then led us to a spot concealed by trees, I carefully stepped from rock to rock down the steep slope and landed on a flat ground. I looked up across me and for the first time during our climb, I realized how high up in the air the four of us really were.

I had been on planes that flew higher than this temple but maybe because I had never been this high without a banister to hold onto to this felt different. I noticed a hesitation in my step. I felt a shiver down my stomach and up my chest. I simply thought what if I fall. Then for a moment, I wondered;

From a very young age, we are told not to do certain things like play with fire. This is our parents' way of protecting us from burning, falling down and more importantly death. This is their fear and metaphorically, our parents are the banisters we hold on to.

However, what we are taught as children are what we carry with us as we grow older. There is no pick and choose, most of us inherit their genes, health problems, mental health, and habits more so than money or property, a joke my mother herself often made.

The same goes for fears. Before she became ill, my mother worked more hours than anyone I have known, relentlessly and resiliently, both in sickness and in health. She had exemplary courage facing every challenge that came her way working as a woman in a man’s world during a time when sexual discrimination or harassment was not as talked about as now.

“Am I going to simply stay away from the edge and keep myself from experiencing what could be the highlight of this holiday, this fear must be normal and felt by many others who have been on the same spot before me?”

At that moment this is the part I chose to remember from my mother’s life and all the others who had probably had similar experiences with this height. Gradually I took a few steps forward and I kept going. Surprisingly, I did not feel awkward or clumsy. With every step, I could notice myself becoming sharper and more focused on the precision of each step I took, maybe because my subconscious knew that falling meant dying. This was not my thought at the time. And finally, I was standing on the edge. I felt a wave of relief spread past my stomach and chest like liquid glory replacing the shiver of fear I had just mere moments earlier.

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Time Travel In Delhi

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Time travel in Delhi

India is one of my favorite countries. I always feel at peace within the architecture, culture, religious monuments and old ruin. It is like sitting in a spiritual sanctuary and it is the complete indulgence for my love for history, which may stem from its lacking in my own country.  I had only been to south India before and this was my first time visiting North India. Following a UN workshop, my workmate and I stayed back in New Delhi for just two days. We stayed at a three-star hotel a little far from the main business area and spent one full day sightseeing.

Our first stop in the Indian capital was an artsy village in Hauz Khaz. We came to learn that this area has a history dating back to the 13th century. Hauz Khaz is loosely translated to the royal lake. It has a mosque and is home to the Muslim ruler from the Delhi Sultanate, Sultan Firuz Shah’s tomb, tombs of 14th-century Muslim royalty and a mosque.

Hauz Khaz has grown through the 80s into a residential and business area and now a popular choice among tourists.

By the time we left Hauz Khaz it was almost dawn, making our next stop was the world’s tallest minaret, Qutub Minar, a lot more scenic. The UNESCO world heritage site has withstood a few earthquakes, after reparations, as the locals told us. It is surrounded by a few other monuments as well.

Many Maldivians do not feel the necessity of preserving Maldivian history. In February 2012, vandals completely destroyed pre-Islamic artifacts in the national museum, something I never got to see with my own eyes. The museum director told Minivan News at the time that “99 percent” of the evidence of pre-Islamic history prior to the 12th century was destroyed, including their most significant piece a 1.5-foot wide representation Buddha’s head.

Hauz Khaz and Qutub Minar made me wish we could get back the artifacts we lost in 2012. As a young girl, it made me understand how important preserving our history, it presents a path for intellectuals to research and analyze the past over and over again, for it tells a story like no other, through sight and structure that no man’s simple made-up tale can fabricate.

*If you have any questions or would sightseeing advice about New Delhi, feel free to leave me an email at [email protected]

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The name "The Hot Coconut" was inspired by the often warm temperatures of the Maldives and the sweaty, hard life that lesser privileged Maldivians live. The hard shell of the coconut meanwhile resembles resilience and stubbornness be it rain or shine. When the hard shell of the coconut is opened, it shows the softer ‘meat’ or ‘flesh’, just like a man’s stubborn head, symbolizing a path to open-mindedness.