After we found a bed which could actually be used for something other than firewood, we headed down the block to the Tex Mex restaurant we had been eying for days. And for one shining moment in Malta, we were impressed! The burrito was nice & spicy, and the burger was big and tasty! Even the service was above average. We went out of our way to tell the manager (Ben Kingsley with a goatee & Napoleon complex- in front of the guests!) all of this, although part of motivation is that he treats the staff poorly and we wanted to rub it in that the waiter he hates most (ours) is a great server! Back to Waves Bar next to our place for some internet. However, we got caught up in a chat with a British mom & daughter duet that were in Malta for a little bonding. Odd note- the daughter's boyfriend plays American football at his British Uni and can't stand soccer or rugby or anything else!
Aug 21- Off on the bus to Valletta, and give into Burger King's smoke wafting across the square. At the counter, we noticed advertisements for "WIN A TRIP TO HOUSTON, TEXAS FOR THE NEXT WWF SMACKDOWN/RAW/HAMMERTIME" wrestling thing... Guess we gotta get tourists to Houston somehow!
Next we took the bus to the Hagar Qim and Mnajdra, the oldest megalithic temples still standing- in the world! Yes, older than Stonehenge and the pyramids in Egypt, dating back to 3600BC. They were nestled on the hills overlooking the ocean, and sunlight shines thru certain points to shine on critical parts of the interior. As with most ancient structures, we were just amazed at how they could even get these huge stones (some more than 10 tons) to this spot in the first place. We walked to the nearby Blue Grotto, a cove with high cliffs and crystal blue water. We didn't have the energy to climb to the bottom (and back UP) of the cliffs and go for a swim, plus beach burnout could be a factor as well (like 2 months in Greece!).
A quick bus back to Valletta for an internet marathon and then a traditional Maltese dinner in Sliema. Dinner was rabbit & veggie stew and pizza w/Maltese sausage, plus some cappuccinos to top it off. Malta is like many other countries in the way they celebrate special occasions, especially military ones- by blowing stuff up. Malta has many holidays, commemorating saints, military victories, etc. This day- NO, this WEEK- must be one of the big holidays. They have shot cannons (like, 20 shots at a time!) for several days. And to top it off, they had a nice fireworks show over the bay. We had a great view from our dinner table, and could easily see when the shot (cannon or fireworks) was fired. And if you remember from Science class, light travels faster than sound, so we had just enough time to hold our ears before the deafening POW!
Off to the airport as our flight left at 1am. Yes, we are gluttons for punishment when it comes to flying, esp when it saves some $$ ! Another early morning in a strange new land awaits!
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