Missing my plane meant two unexpected days in Male, plenty of time to look around at the changes. Last year, TVM did a story on the construction of the new Holiday Inn, which involved pile-driving into the coral bedrock of the island. 
The hotel is open now, although it seems a bit pricey at more than $300 a night for a Holiday Inn Express! I can testify to the quality of their buffet breakfast, with fresh fruit and entire pots of coffee!
For Maldivian fast food, I ducked into a little shop for a bag of "short eats."I also had a lovely visit with my friend Ziyo, who is on leave from her job on the English desk at TVM.
I met her husband and adorable new baby boy, and enjoyed the swing on her rooftop terrace, next to the open air kitchen.
