2007-Nov-25 - The Malta Experience

The hostel itself is very nice. It consists of 6 floors, with the top floor being a common room, laundry, internet cafe and large rooftop area where you can soak up the sun and over look the Mediterianne. The first floor is the cafeteria and reception, while the other floors have 4 seperate "apartments", each consisiting of a small common dining area, kitchen and 4 dorm rooms (each with 6 bunk beds). The majority of the people living here are students and range from Asian to South American. Apparently Malta has a high proportion of overseas english language students here because it is cheap (as low as $NZ8 a night at this hostel, long term), the weather is great most of the year round and everyone speaks english, which is good if your learning it!

So to my fellow apartment dwellers on the male floor. There is an Aussie expat Englishman, Bob, around the mid 60's, who talks continuously and who is looking to buy an apartment here in Malta to retire too as he thinks moving into a retriement home in Melbourne is too expensive. He was living on a yacht somewhere in Oz but ran into some rocks and it sunk, leaving the insurance money to retire on. From what Ive seen he doesnt really seem to have much of a clue on exactly what he is doing or of the in's and outs' of buying a property here. As a foreigner you cannot buy a second hand place in Malta, only new, but at the cheaper end of this market you have to "fit it out" yourself - ie add kitchen furniture, doors, bath etc. He said that he had built a bed once and should be able to handel it!! When I asked if he had tools he said he hadnt really thought about that ... hmmmmm.

Joe is a young friendly outgoing Maltize/Australian guy (26) who has come back to "find his roots" and join up with his dad here in business. Apparently that lasted 3 weeks though as he got sick and tired of his father always talking about the cost of living and the bills he had, which cramped his partying style, so moved out and cant wait to go back to Townsville.(Sounds like a certain son of mine lol). He has this heavily accented english and lots of advice on Malta to give and reckons that all Maltese will try and rip you off if they can get away with it (which I tend to agree with!!). Ive already found that the bus drivers are reluctant to hand back any change if you give them too much and have twice found out, to late, that I had been over charged on fares when reading the ticket price later.

Then there is Ferdan the Brazilian bongo drummer, slim build, probably in his early 40's with shoulder length grey hair tied in a ponytail, who has been here a month or so and insists on playing the bloody drums on odd occasions in the common room ... not my idea of relaxing background music however. Another guest is Kurt who has also been here for over a month and has no immediate plans to do anything different. A rather strange guy with an upper class twang of sorts, but not English, hair like Crusty the clown on The Simpsons, and with some rather bizarre ideas on life and how to pick up women. He tends to sleep most of the day and goes out all night. And these are the normal ones who live here lol.

There is also an Arab student who can't cook and burns everything, setting the smoke detectors off regularly. Another Aussie guy, who is the spitting image of the old time spaced out hippies with shaggy hair, big glasses, "groovy" shirts and flairs. He comes back in the small hours, turns the lights on and is totally inconsiderate of those trying to sleep. Problem is he is also up and away again early so there is no chance of making lots of noise to be inconsiderate to him as well!! And lastly a bald headed east european guy with a cobra tattooed on the back of his skull that disappears down his back and who Ive never heard mutter a word. Real mafia type!!

So those are my companions for the next little while :). Malta is a fasinating place to visit - stock full of history, places to explore and picturesque scenery - but I wouldn't want to live here. This place is swamped with tourists most of the year around, being the main source of income for the islands, and even now in the "winter" season going out side is like walking on to the set of "Waiting for God" with streams of ROF's (Right Old Farts) walking the promenade and blocking the cafe doorways. What it gets like in the summer season when the population trebles I hate to think. The food here is nothing to write home about either - the pasteries are not a patch on Italy or Turkey - and although accomadation is less expensive than Europe, living here is not really all that cheap, and in the summer it doubles. But the history and the sun are well worth the effort to be here.

To date Ive spent a couple of days exploring the old fortress towns and ruins that litter this country, another couple of days sunbathing under blue skies and a warm sea breeze, and the rest of the time just lazing about, reading and experiencing some cafe culture. A nice holiday in fact.