Three and a half scorching days in Malta leaves my skin torched and sore. I've never felt the sun burn like that.
Upon our late arrival a man was waiting with a sign that had my name on it. His name was Martin. We have a mutual friend, Paul, who I work with, that put us in touch. He was so kind and accommodating offering to give us a ride and answering our questions. We walked outside where Martin's wife waited. It was my first time riding in a car with the steering wheel to the right and driving on the left side of the road. It was kind of trippy taking turns.
A mutual friend of Sarah's let us stay in her home while she was on holiday, so we were headed to her flat. When we got to the street we realized we didn't have a house number, just a map. Things quickly turned into an island treasure hunt! In this case the potted plants marked the spot. Fortunately we found our way and ventured inside the flat. Let's just say walking into a stranger's home was, well.. Rather "strange" and invasive. Figuring out light switches, outlets, wifi and laundry took a little more time than usual. I'm not sure how many people would just leave a key to their house like that but it was a warm welcome. Everyone from Malta had been so generous.
With our late arrival we did some laundry and went to sleep. It's the little things in life that get me excited like hanging clothes on the rooftop which was my first time ever drying my clothes on an outside clothesline!
The view from our rooftop.
When on an island the beach is a must. We ventured out into the sun still naive of its sting. After stopping to get some fresh fruit and snacks we attempted to catch a bus. Having no idea how the Arriva bus worked and at a stop with no schedules or map posted, we sat and waited. After having two buses pass us by that had a matching number to our stop we were clueless. We sat confused and unsure of what to do. Next thing you know a taxi pulls over and asks if we need a ride. Sweat dripping and the cool air coming from his window I desperately said yes without even negotiating a price. "We just want to go to a beach, anywhere close. Please," we said. The man was very friendly and we ended up at Golden Bay Beach. At last we could relax.
There weren't as many boobies at this beach. Just girls rubbing sand all over each other. It was almost like an exfoliating sand bath. Definitely a sight to see as the one girl dropped handfuls of sand in the other's bikini bottoms. Of course I snapped an incognito photo!
After eating the juiciest, most incredible peach I doze off to music and crashing waves; true paradise. I'm not sure if it was the drool or near bubbling of my skin that awoke me. Two hours turned my skin into the pink panther. We gathered our things to leave unsure of how exactly to get home. We took a bus that put us a mile from our flat. That mile was the longest and hardest mile I have ever walked. The sun beating down piercing my skin, sweat dripping down my back and legs trembling with every step. I felt so weak and did not know how I would physically make it home. I followed Sarah like a helpless dog as she handed me a towel to hide from the sun and guided us home turn by turn. I'm not sure if I have ever pushed myself that hard. It was a true test of my physical perseverance. I had no choice but to keep going. I don't know how I didn't collapse. Walking through that door felt like the greatest victory followed by the epic fail of my sunscreen applying skills. I had the most random tan lines. Thinking I would just protect my usual burn areas of my face and shoulders I didn't apply sunscreen anywhere else. Also, I'm use to SPF oil, so I didn't do the best job at rubbing it in. My fingers made great tanlines along with some sand on my calves.
Somehow I still managed to put myself together enough to go out for the evening. While waiting for a bus that never came I found what looked like a letter rolled up between two stones on a wall. Out of curiousty I decided to see what it was thinking it could be a receipt or maybe a grocery list. It was actually a love poem about a romance that started on the bus dated November 2012. The letter was an intriguing find and I found myself making up a whole love story around it.
Since the bus never came we just decided to walk to an area known for nightlife, Paceville. None of the restaurants really sparked our fancy but we chose one and sat on the patio with the cool evening breeze. We were bombarded by people passing out buy one get one drink coupons. After dinner we thought we would check out some of the places. They all were way too clubby. Everyone around seemed to be so much younger with the drinking age at 18. One place was empty so we thought we would use our coupon for a good deal so we could use the bathroom, win win. Well the bathrooms were disgusting and there was no toilet paper. In that moment we realized how grown up we felt and took a trashy mirror pic to reminisce on the days of almost breaking our ankles in heels with hopes of turning heads from the douchiest boys without the slightest clue of how to treat a lady. We have graduated to appreciating moments with close friends and meaningful conversation. No more randos creeping up behind you on the dance floor!
Considering it hurt to do anything, the next day was spent inside applying lotion every hour on the hour. It was a chill day resting. The downtime made me think of home and I was able to Skype my parents. So often we want to escape. Maybe that's our way of resetting and learning to appreciate home. So you see, traveling brings with it more than experiencing other cultures, new scenery and relaxing away from every day life. Another reason I love traveling.
Sarah and I had snacks and wine on the rooftop one evening. We saw the Big Dipper and Orion's Belt. What looked like a UFO floating in the sky was just a cruise ship. Mat Kearney's song "Ships in the Night" played in my head. Spending this much time with someone you really get to know each other. Sarah and I talked about the way people just come in and out of your life. We went to college together and would hang out occasionally but didn't really get to know one another until she moved across the world. This trip leaves me grateful for the time I've spent getting to know Sarah more. Sometimes people are only in our lives for a season and it's up to us to embrace the moments with them.
It's been real Malta. Now it is time for Spain!
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