Travelled: Only by scooter, the Hymer is on ramps and hooked up to electricity
Visited: ฤฆaฤกar Qim and Mnajdra Temples, Blue Grotto and Ghar Lapsi.
Stayed: Camping Malta, L-Armier, โฌ21.50 pd, all the usual services. N35.99484, E14,36686
Budget: 68 days @ โฌ100 per day
We enjoyed a drink and dinner last night with Tera and Dan. They have lived and worked in some amazing places and we chatted on for ages. They are leaving today to return to work in Andorra. We have outlasted some friends, whilst staying at Camping Malta.
Our plan for today is to visit some sites on the far south coast of Malta.
Our original plan which was no real plan, just a thought, was to spend 5-6 night in Camping Malta on the north shore then move to another site in the south. The later proved to be a scout campsite. However it is well inland, so no beach access for a quick swim and we get to spend some time with 100 scouts. So we stayed put in Camping Malta. Itโs a little like your first girlfriend, maybe this is as good as it gets, maybe not.
Itโs a long scooter ride, but Pam is up to the challenge of hanging on with one hand, Iphone X in the other. Shouting left or right as she scans Google Maps along with the odd scream to โlookoutโ or โslow downโ.
It takes the best part of an hour to find the archeological site of the ฤฆaฤกar Qim and Mnajdra Temples. There is little in the way of road signs and the villages small, the phone signal and Google Maps is a little slow. Did I mention the road-works, but there is little traffic and we buzz along quite safely.
The visitor centre is a hum of activity. We watch a very interesting 3D movie on the history of the temples, which date back to a remarkable 3,600 BC. Pam looks good in the 3D glasses ! She sent me out for some pop-corn and a choc-top, but I failed.
The temple of ฤฆaฤกar Qim is the first temple we explore. The entire temple is covered by a huge marque (thanks to the EU). It was originally identified as a series of standing stones.
The site was first excavated by a British team back in 1839. There has been restoration here and there, but its astonishing to think people organised themselves to go to this much trouble some 5,000 years ago.
From the photo you can see the hole cut through the stone. The dawn sun on the equinox, shines through on to a particular rock. All sounds a bit Indiana Jones, but someone went to a lot of trouble.
Mind you I was particularly impressed with the flush fit doors.
Random photo but it is worth noting the panoramic views from both sites. Note the view of the island of Filfla through the gap.
Another view of Filfla as we walk down to the second site, Mnajdra Temple.
Itโs another 600 metres on to Mnajdra Temple. An easy downhill walk taking in the view, a bit harder coming back.
More of the same at Mnajdra. Why they felt the need to build a second temple just down the hill is lost in time. So I wonโt bore you with more photos other than this one.
Back on the scooter after retrieving our helmets from the security guard, we continue the 2 kilometres onto the tiny port of Wied iz-ลนurrieq.
Set in a narrow inlet, the boats depart from here for a 30 minute passage to the Blue Grotto for the princely some of โฌ8pp.
Pam love travelling in an open boat as sea. Especially a small one, only 9 persons states the warning tag and Pam counts them out. Once Pam dones the second life jackets she beomes remarkably calm. Disguised as a Mexican but knowing I can swim a mile unhindered by a wife wearing two life-jackets, I remain calm.
They are relatively small boats.
As we travel along, we pass numerous sea caves. The weaker limestone giving way to the sea.
Finally at the Blue Grotto we pass through and slow, to look at its various features.
Itโs very eerie in the cave, but spectacular viewing as well.
The water is so clear, in places it appears luminescent.
Back at the port we stop for coffee and cake at this little cafe. Then scooter on.
Heading west again now for another 2 kilometres we turn down a winding road to another tiny port, Ghar Lapsi.
The Lonely Planet recommends Ghar Lapsi for a swim. So we spend an hour or so escaping the early afternoon heat swimming and chilling in the shade.
The trip back to L-Armier proves to be 10 minutes shorter than this morning as we didnโt get lost. Back at the Hymer we find we have new neighbours in an old motorhome, a young couple from Forster, NSW. Another day in Malta slides by…
