Malé, Maldives-Day 1 马累，马尔代夫
March 23, 2025
The morning began with an unforgettable snorkeling excursion just off the coast of Malé. After being tendered to Jetty No. 2, we boarded another boat that took us to our first snorkeling site. The water was calm and crystal-clear. We spotted countless tropical fish and even a graceful turtle gliding by.
Unfortunately, our underwater camera had broken on a previous trip, so we have no pictures to share — but the memories are vivid. After about 30 minutes at the first reef, we moved to another site where even more marine life awaited us. Connie spotted a white-tip reef shark, while Chenggang was thrilled to see many Moorish Idol fish — the very same fish he had drawn in his art classes on the ship.
Gliding over coral gardens teeming with life, surrounded by vibrant fish, we agreed it was the best snorkeling experience we’ve ever had. After an hour in the water, we were completely exhausted — and more than ready for a delicious lunch back on the ship at BeefBar.
In the afternoon, we ventured out on foot to explore Malé. The city is incredibly compact and densely built — it feels like every square inch of land has been used. We walked along the island’s eastern coast, passing by King Salman Mosque, the Artificial Beach, and Lonuziyaaraiy Park, enjoying glimpses of daily life in the capital.
Our destination was the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge, also known as the Sinamalé Bridge — a modern structure linking Malé with Hulhulé (home of the international airport) and Hulhumalé. Funded and built by China, the bridge is a symbol of international cooperation. Walking along the waterfront and seeing the bridge stretch across the sea was a sharp contrast to the older, crowded streets of the city.
We did walk a portion of the bridge, but the heat and humidity were overwhelming. Eventually, we turned around and made our way back to the ship. By sunset, traffic had reached its peak — motorbikes, cars, and pedestrians filled the streets. But when the adhan (call to prayer) echoed through the city, everything stopped. People headed to the mosques, and suddenly the streets were eerily quiet — no honking, no revving engines.
Then, as soon as the prayer ended, families gathered for iftar, breaking their fast together. It is Ramadan. From sunrise to sunset, they abstain from food and water. We deeply admired their spiritual discipline and sacrifice — we felt dehydrated even while drinking water!
马累，马尔代夫
2025年3月23日
经过又一天的海上行，我们的邮轮来到马累(Malé）岛——这座虽小却充满活力的马尔代夫首都。早晨，我们参加了浮潜，我们先乘坐接驳船抵达2号码头，然后换乘另一艘当地的小船，前往第一个浮潜点。那里的海水平静清澈，我们看见了无数热带鱼，甚至还有一只优雅的海龟从我们身边滑过。
可惜的是，我们的水下相机在上一次旅行中已经损坏，因此这次无法留下任何照片——但那些五彩斑斓的画面依旧清晰地留在我们的记忆中。大约在第一个珊瑚礁区停留了30分钟后，我们前往了另一个浮潜点，那里有更多的海洋生物等待我们。除了更多漂亮的鱼之外，Connie幸运的见到了一条白鳍礁鲨，而成刚则惊喜地看见了许多摩尔神仙鱼——这正是他在船上的艺术课程中曾画过的鱼。这是我们有史以来最棒的一次浮潜体验。水中一个小时后，我们已筋疲力尽，迫不及待地回到船上，在BeefBar享用了美味的午餐。
午后，我们上岸步行探索马累岛。整个城市非常紧凑且高度开发——几乎每一寸土地都被充分利用。我们沿着东海岸步行，路过萨勒曼国王清真寺、人工沙滩以及Lonuziyaaraiy 公园，一边走一边感受这座首都的日常生活气息。
我们的目的地是中马友谊大桥，它连接着马累、国际机场所在的胡鲁勒岛以及新兴的胡鲁马累岛。这座由中国出资并建造的现代化大桥，是两国合作的象征。在滨海步道上远望大桥横跨海面，画面与城市中老旧而密集的街道形成鲜明对比。
我们试着走上大桥，但炎热与湿度令人难以忍受。只走了一小段后便掉头返回船上。日落时分，城市交通达到了高峰——摩托车、汽车和行人挤满了街头。然而，当穆斯林的**祈祷呼声（adhan）**响彻全岛，一切都停止了。人们纷纷走向清真寺，街道突然变得出奇地安静——没有喇叭声，也没有引擎轰鸣。
祷告结束后，海边渔船及各种小游船上的船员们围坐一起，开始吃开斋饭（iftar）。正值斋月（Ramadan），从日出到日落，他们禁食、禁水。我们由衷敬佩他们的精神与自律——在炎热潮湿天气下，即便我们可以饮水，依然感到口干舌燥。