Day 3: Getting to Malta (Calypso’s Island)

Sometimes, you can just get to a place and know you will miss it. I’ve felt exactly that way about Malta.

Another early-morning flight here meant another 4am wakeup time, this time heading out at 8am and arriving at 11am local time. I honestly felt excited to try out a new place, given my experience with Istanbul yesterday, in spite of feeling extremely tired on the plane (I struggle to sleep in an upright position). I’ve been most excited for Malta, so I was especially looking forward to flying out here. Passport control on this side went more quickly than in any other place, which was welcome especially because I realized that I had forgotten a couple things — namely, a waterproof bag (we love not-so-subtle foreshadowing!). Malta started using Uber last summer, so that made my life very easy; an 11:15 pickup meant getting to the Bay Street mall right on the beach in St. Julian’s by 11:30. My hostel doesn’t do check-ins until 2pm, so I figured these errands would keep me busy until then. I tried out a couple stores and then asked the worker at a convenience store where to purchase a waterproof bag. He let me know that there was one around the corner, which perfectly satisfied everything I needed, finishing up my purchases by 12pm.

I recognize more than ever the importance of eating and sleeping well, so I’ve been prioritizing at least the former as well as I can. Still hauling around my pullman and backpack, I decided to check out the beach and ended up setting up shop for an hour and a half at a beer garden right by the ocean.

I had read about the wonders of Maltese rabbit stew, so I decided to order that along with a cider and just “vibed” there until 1:40.

I’m staying at a party hostel about 10 minutes away from there, so I came over and checked in. My first impression is how much better the hostel seems than I had imagined it would be (and how much storage space there is!):

I went to a cute coffee shop a few blocks from my hostel and hung out there for a while, checking out all of the cute European building styles.

After that, I felt extremely sleepy, so I napped from about 3pm to 7pm before grabbing a bagel from a restaurant around me and then settling in to write this post. I then hopped into the shower, put on my favorite shirt (the one I made — if you know, you know), took myself out to a restaurant overlooking the street here, and went to the rooftop drinks that my hostel has every night. I met a couple people in my dorm who are really nice but they’re going out to a disco at 12:30am and I’m not so interested. I’m too excited for tomorrow’s adventures so I’ve got to do that justice and be up early — but also, importantly, with a full night’s rest under my belt. Lots to come tomorrow — cheers, and see you then.