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Published: December 3rd 2008
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Breakfast
Breakfast overlooking the Grand Harbor I don't think I'll ever get sick of this conversation, one I've had with many people all across Europe:
European: "So where are you from?"
Me: "America."
European: "Where in America? New York? Florida?" (Interchange with California once in a while.)
Me: "No, Wisconsin."
*blank stare*
Me: "It's right in between Chicago and Canada."
European: "Ohhhh! Okay!"
I just love that I'm messing up their sense of US geography by comparing a state to a country and a city...
Anyyyways, I'm back in London after a thoroughly amazing "holiday" (as the Europeans call it) in Malta. I'm sad to report that I did not get to go scuba diving. Apparently I was the only person who signed up for the course, so they canceled it. First the Historical Malta tour, then my scuba diving trip. With a lack of structure, I ended up just wandering up and down random streets with the sea as my navigational tool. That's okay though. I ended up trying to figure out the ancient bus system, with negative results. Their buses are supposedly one of the things tourists must do while they're in Malta. Really, they reminded me of buses from like 1950.
Catholic
Malta is a very Catholic country and most houses have a religious icon by their door. They also name their houses. My personal favorite was "little princess" just because of the level of ridiculousness. I'll have to post a picture. It sounded like it was going to fall apart and I literally bounced all the way off of my seat the whole way there. Also, the bus driver leaves the door open because when your stop comes up the driver slows down to a crawl and you jump out... the bus driver never completely stops the bus. It's crazy! I enjoyed myself no matter how insane the experience was. The goal of taking the bus was to get to the city of Zurrieq where the Blue Grotto is. The grotto is a natural system of underwater caves and arches that apparently has the most beautiful crystal blue water on the whole island. Well, I wouldn't know. I never got there. The worst thing about the bus system is that you have NO idea what stop is coming up because there are no signs anywhere and the bus driver doesn't tell you. You basically have to be a resident and just know where to get off. I decided to sit in the front and ask the bus driver to let me know what stop I should get off at. He literally said, "No. Sit down!"
So, shocked, I sat down. I tried to find signs for the city or the Blue Grotto so I could just get off (I mean jump off) the bus, hoping it was the right stop. Well, I saw no signs and the bus eventually got the terminus. The driver turns around to me (the last person on the bus) and says, "okay, bye!" We were in the middle of the most deserted town I have ever seen. It didn't help that it was a Sunday and everything closes on Sunday in Europe. I wandered around a little bit and never saw any signs for the grotto, so I turned around and waited for the next bus to Valletta. It was definitely a semi-wasted afternoon. I really wanted to see the grotto. Oh well, next time I go to Malta, I'll see it. And yes, there WILL be a next time.
On my last day, I walked along the coast from one big town, Valletta, to the next big town, Sliema, and it only took me a couple of hours. I was able to work on my "photography skills". I'm not sure if I can call it that, I mean
Bus
Some of the ancient buses... I'm pretty much lower than an amateur seeing as I have no training and a regular little digital camera. As soon as I get back to the States, the first major thing I'm going to start saving for is one of those really nice like $1000+ cameras and photography classes. I can't wait. I'm also saving for a kitty... and an apartment... and of course my first goal is to start paying off my student loans. Oy vey. Can't I just win the lottery or something? I digress.
Every once in awhile something happens that just makes me go "wow, what a SMALL world!" That happened to me on my trip. I had just landed in Malta, and I was filling out the sheet of paper you need when you go through customs. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that some guy was staring at me, and I ignored him, not wanting any creepers following me out of the airport. He eventually says, "hi there" and I recognize the voice. I look up, and it's a guy I know from ISH! His name is Avery and I've hung out with him a couple of times. Definitely
a weird moment. Then, at one point I was on the complete other side of the island from where I was staying, waiting to get on the bus, when I see him getting off of the bus. As small as the island was, it's big enough for this to be another weird encounter. It's funny how things like that happen.
Well I really need to get working on a 2,500 word paper that's due tomorrow. It's on the "evolution of the European single market". I'm at the point where I would pay someone to write this for me. Arghhh.
If you'd like to see more pictures I took in Malta, and you don't have Facebook, here are the albums I put up there:
Album 1: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2103089&l=d86a3&id=185000720
Album 2: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2103094&l=198b2&id=185000720
Album 3: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2103098&l=59722&id=185000720
Album 4: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2103153&l=a3a88&id=185000720
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