We are pretty used to getting along without alcohol in Male, but our hosts wanted us to feel at home and went to a lot of trouble to get us an alcohol permit for our personal use. However, since none of them drink alcohol, no one knew what we were supposed to do with the permit. It took some serious investigative reporting to figure it out. I went to the duty free at the airport (the only liquor store we have seeen in the whole country) and was told that we needed to visit an office in Male, place an order, return the next day to pay, then go back to the airport and pick up the order.
The office was over a pool hall, then we took the dhoni over to the airport and walked down a dusty trail to an obscure trailer where there were Maldivians apparently buying alcohol to be taken to resorts. After about 30 minutes of waiting, while they obtained the bottles from the duty free shop in the terminal, we had to do the whole trip in reverse.
You get a taste of what it must have been like during Prohibition! Each person over 1s permitted three liters per month, or four bottles of wine.
1 comment:
Hardly seems worth all the trouble.
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