Gazing down at the Mediterranean

i know i know, its been a while. we just had two weeks of school break, and i flew to malta for a week! it was beautiful, ive never seen a place like malta before. the whole island was like one city made of white limestone, surrounded by the Mediterranean. even at the end of october the weather was beautiful and i got to swim in the sea for the first time in my life. ive learned these first time experiences are something to take special note of, and are easy to appreciate much more than everday experiences, although those too are given too little appreciation. either way, the language was so unique, it sounded like arabic, but was a mix of arabic, english, italian and some others. the place is rediculously expensive! when we first arrived, i was a little apprehensive, because it just looked dirty and dead. but then after the first day this wave of a particular sense of charm came over me, and i really felt comfortable being there. they have tons of fortresses there, were invaded like a billion times. there was a bomb that was dropped on a church while three hundred people were praying...and it didnt explode and no one was injured....amazing. the best thing about the trip is that it was so laid back, the bus systems are so good and cheap, its really easy to pay a few cents and see the whole island. we paid about 5 euro for a four hour tour, which we thought was a boat tour but ended up being a car tour. oh well, we saw the whole place! it takes about 40 min to get from one side to the other. there are really no beaches, but there are tons of harbours which are really beautiful at night. that was one of my favorite things, walking from sliema where our youthhostel was to paceville to go to the movies or to go eat along the coastline, going down to the sea at night, there was this constant orangeish glow from th elights at night, reflecting off the sea and the tan buildings of stone, it jsut gave the place this really warm and peaceful feeling. as many of you know, i love the ocean, i just feel for me its one of natures best remedies, best aroma therapy candle, best soothing music, best spiritual peacebringer. i mean, i love sitting next to turquoise blue water, smelling the sea, feeling the warm breeze, listening to the waves, looking at the moon, and meditating, all by myself. i mean, it was great, even though the island is almost entirely made up of tourists, you could still discover these serene and nature pure places to explore and enjoy. one day we hopped on bus 38 from valetta the capital to the blue grotto and the only three sand beaches on the west coast of the island. we paid our 20 lira cent and got onto a packed bus with a driver who loves to chat on his cell, or stop the bus to talk with a fellow driver along the way, or laugh at another whose bus broke down, it was so lax and i couldnt help but smile! the bus was filled with jesus and mary, its a very religious island, every bus had a picture of the big J C in it. we finally arrived at the last stop, got out, and discovered this little dirt path away from the beach full of tourists and hte new radisson hotel where tony blair stayed and walked down it. we passed another beach that was completely empty and beautiful and walked up to this plateau of sorts, you know, the little cliff thing next to a rocky sea. the sun was shining and i decided first to read a bit in an alcove near the top and then i walked around to the other side where the was no person to be seen, no building to disrupt the view, the wind was blowing at like 20 mph but i didnt care. i bouldered for a bit, climbed around everywhere, and went out to the furthest sharp rock i could find to sit on and medidtate for a bit. next to the crashing waves. it was really wonderful, and then i found my way to the blue grotto and jumped in, this little grotto between cliffs where i was the only one swimming for a while, and then a few random people joined me in the water, it was great. really. between that, the cheap pizza place we discovered, and the hilly beautiful city of valetta, i couldnt have asked for a better vacation. plus i saw about 4 or 5 great movies, got a new lip piercing on the spot, and got my hair done professionally...it was really sweet deal, and the hairdressers were mad cool, the girl who colored my hair was beautiful and from nigeria, and the guy was cooky and fun and loved his job. it was a good experience haha. the best haircutting, grooming exp yet. there was only one movie to watch at night in the hostel...ill give you one guess....yep thats right...big momma 2! hahahahaha ps that movie is really funny, add a few skol beers and smarties to that, and youve got a good night, or three (cuz thats how many times we wathched it! lol). anywho, malta was great! next entry...to come...about the rest of the break and halloween!
much love, peace, namaste,
Shim

ps. pictures and videos galore are to come, i still dont know how to get them from my laptop to the laptop in school where there is internet to post them...someone stole my usb stick...:(