28 March 2008

Post #54:  Gozo Again

Yet again, I (Nichole), have the privilege of writing on DeDe's behalf. Today we (Dave, Rachel, Ian, Addison, David, and I) took the ferry to Gozo. We left Cirkewwa in somewhat wavy weather for Mgarr Harbour. We drove east toward Qala and had a picnic at Hondoq Bay. It was great with the perfectly blue water and the ocean breeze. I could see Comino, Cominito, and Malta from the shore.

Our next stop was Ramla Bay on the northern shore. The sand was an orangish red color which was very fun (think Mars). Then, we traveled inland a little toward Xaghra to see the Ggantija Temples. They are said to be the oldest man made structures still remaining on earth. Across the street from the temples, there was a little shop selling touristy items, so we peeked inside. We found it humorous that there was a Malta hat right next to a New York Yankees hat in their display. There was also a Minnesota Vikings hat next to a Gozo hat. I guess fans can come from anywhere.

The man behind the counter offered me a small trial sized drink of this beverage he wanted to sell me. It looked interesting, so I tried it (had a picture of some roots on the label). I actually really liked it, so he have me a try of another flavor (some type of cactus). I did not like the second as much. Fortunately, as the man was trying to offer me a third flavor, and I started feeling a little warm, Dave asked if there was any alcohol included in the drink. The man said very proudly that there was 21% in each. Being the petite gal that I am, I politely declined anymore free samples. Dave just laughed as I flushed (not out of embarrassment).

On the way to Marsalforn, I caught a glimpse of the Ta' Kola Windmill through some buildings. Does anyone remember the story of Don Quixot? Marsalform is another amazing coastal spot. The valleys here are gorgeous and green. The pictures I took unfortunately don't do it justice. You have to see it for yourself. I wouldn't mind living in Gozo. It's quieter, less crowded, cleaner, greener, etc. than Malta. Shortly after watching the waves crash into the wall at Marsalforn Bay, I saw the Monument of Christ off in the distance. It must be huge.

The next stop on our Gozo adventure was Ta' Pinu Basilica. It was a really neat looking church in the middle of nowhere. It had it's own clock tower which was one of many architectural characteristics that made it unique. From the basilica, I could see Gordon Lighthouse. This structure must also have been tall to see it at a distance (plus, um well, it's a lighthouse).

We then made our way to the Azure (meaning blue due to the blue water of the sea) Window. It is basically a gigantic hole in a cliff. I'm glad we had a windy day because watching the powerful waves thrusting themselves into the rocks was jaw dropping awesome. After telling DeDe about it, she was jealous as no one had been there before.

I almost forgot...a little ways inland (short walk through buildings from shore) there was the biggest cave I have ever seen. I'm sure you could hide the space shuttle in it (on it's wheels) if you had to. There was a pond around it because it was actually a tunnel that went through the hill all the way out to the Azure Window rock formation. The locals will take you through for a few euros, but it was much too rough. :(

 Realizing we were running out of daylight, we drove south along the western coast to Xlendi (believe pronounced Shlendy) by way of Victoria (Rabat). This city would be perfect for a movie as well. It is by the shore but hidden between 2 cliffs. The buildings seem to hang from the sides, and the water comes in a ways right up to them.

Driving through more roller coaster roads overlooking breathtaking terrain, we made our way to Xewkija. Here we saw the third largest domed church in Europe. It was nice and white with carvings, pillars, gold, and wooden decorations. It was much more cheery to look at than others I've seen, but I still felt a sadness for many of the people who undoubtedly attend. It takes a lot of energy, stress, and heartache trying to earn your way to Heaven through good works and religious traditions. I pray that God would lead them as well as everyone to Ephesians 4:8-9 and John 3:16 in the Bible. Jesus is the only way. It's not our doing, but what He already did. We just have to accept the gift and believe.

We drove past Fort Chambray (at least the sign) and got to Mgarr right as the ferry pulled away. Dave and Addison went for a walk in search of groceries/snacks to sustain us until we got home as it was already 6:25 pm. They did not come back to the car empty handed. We all got a couple of handfuls of the european equivalent to Cheetos (pretty tasty).

At about 7 pm, we hopped on the ferry to come home, making sure to sit in the very middle of the boat where it was the least rocky. Then it was flat sweet flat. :)

SIDE NOTES WORTH MENTIONING –

1. We all kept smelling manure at every stop, and we didn't really think anything of it until it didn't make sense for it to smell like animals. We checked our shoes, the floor mats, everything trying to figure out where the smell was coming from. Finally, after a few more stops, Dave figured out that we had run over some at the beginning of our trip, and it had flown up underneath the car and was following us around. LOL!

2. Due to the wind, our windshield kept getting pretty dirty from sand, sea water, etc. Unfortunately, car rental companies in Malta do not take care of their customers (take forever to drop car off, don't tell you when it was dropped off, no gas in it when received, no head rests, one of the seats wasn't latched into place, etc). There wasn't any windshield wiper fluid, so a couple of times throughout the day, Dave had to get out of the car and sprinkle some of our drinking water on it, so we could see again.

3. There was one point in the day when we were driving along in a village and out of no where, SLAM, we go flying forward as Dave had pressed ever so NON-gently on the brakes. We all look at him as he says with extreme exuberance, “I finally found my answer!” Thinking that he has totally lost his mind, Dave confirms my suspicions by throwing the car into reverse and driving backwards down the road. He asks for my camera, so he can take a picture of some saw that cuts limestone bricks for the houses. Apparently, he had been trying to figure out how they made the bricks so perfect here in Malta, and he FINALLY GOT HIS ANSWER. Glad his answer didn't come at our demise. :)

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