First swim of the year - chronicle 068

Saturday, 14^th of July 2018.

My first swim of this year had been postponed several times. The previous weekend it was because of a security breach for a client and I had to reinstall 3 servers. My usual archery session of Sunday and the planned swim had to wait.

This weekend was a bit more relaxed and Saturday afternoon shortly after 3 I took the 44 to go to Għajn Tuffieħa. At least that was my initial plan.

In the North-West part of Malta there are 3 beaches in a row. From South to North: Il-Ġnejna, Għajn Tuffieħa and Il-Mixquqa (Golden bay).

The bus route 44 can take you to all 3 although for Il-Ġnejna it remains quite a walk to get there and I never did. On it's way to the north there is no bus-stop for Għajn Tuffieħa. Only on the way back. Sometimes the driver let you out not far from it when he has to stop at a traffic road sign. Last year there were plans to create a bus-stop in that area so I waited to see if that had been done in the meanwhile.

More or less as expected the answer is nope. Not yet.

So the trip ended at terminus of Il-Mixquqa, and more interested in the salty seawater then another 10 minutes walk and a stair of 120 steps in the heat, that beach would be the one this time.

It was delicious to be able to move in 3 dimensions again. And floating on the surface, gently balanced by the waves.

Just after a swim, while enjoying the sun, a sound surprised me.

The soft sound of 4 women singing a song. You don't hear that very often at those beaches. If there is any music, it is either some beat-box stuff or loud singing of a bunch of exited youngsters.

But this was so gentle and relaxing to listen too. A real unexpected pleasure.

I wasn't able to understand the text and could not identify the language. Some Slavic language was the best I could come up with.

When something catches my interest, I explore.

They appeared to be a group of 7 Serbian first cousins on holiday here in Malta. The 4 good looking women who where singing together just do it because they like it. Lovely.

There was also a young boy with them who, at one point, reminded me of my own youth. He took a bottle of suncream spray and spayed some of it on the beach sand. He smelled it, grabbed a hand full and took it to the women to let them smell it too. Typically something I could have done. Experimenting. Beautiful memories.

Around a quarter past 6, I heard the call of Ċisk. Time to go home.

Again a 44 bus, the vehicle was the oldest version still “operational” in Malta. The bus driver was probably at the end of his shift and tired. It took him a couple of seconds to realize I said “good afternoon” and to respond. Noted.

The bus was very crowded and the air-conditioning was far from being able to keep the temperature at a reasonable level. So I started sweating, not just a bit, but streams. Uncomfortable but I can't do anything about it.

After the stop at Għajn Tuffieħa I ended up standing in the rear of the bus besides two seated women. One of them seemed to be incommoded by the heat and I asked her if she was OK. She said she was, but I kept an eye on her, just to be sure.

But when the bus started driving again, after 2 Km we looked at each other. This was not the right road! He was taking route 225 towards Xemxija Bay and Saint Paul. After about 4 km he must have become aware of his error and turned at a roundabout to go back to Għajn Tuffieħa. Sightseeing of a part of Malta for the same price. Yeah.

Like my son and I like to say: “Only in Malta.”

Are we done?

Nope.

A little bit further, in L-Imġarr, the bust stopped at Għajn, curiously that happens quite often: they stop at bus-stops. Must be part of what they are supposed to do.

But this time things were slightly different. A few people got out of the bus, also quite common.

But the bus stayed at the stop. From where I was standing I could see the driver talking on the phone. And as I said the the two women close by: “That is usually not a good sign.”

After a couple of minutes it became clear that something was not right. From the people who got out of the bus, three were young girls, 12 or 13 I guess, likely from one of the language schools. One of the three wasn't feeling well and had to lay down on a towel in the shade close to the bus-stop. So I also went out to provide her some assistance.

The girls were Italian and hardly spoke English, so it was a bit difficult to know what was going on. Apparently the one who was't feeling well almost fainted in the bus, had difficulties with the temperature and was dehydrated. She had drunk only half a liter of water during the day.

Her heart beat was faint and irregular. My bags underneath her feed made her blood go a bit more to the essential parts of her body. I also gave her my last water to drink. That was not really fresh anymore at that moment of the day but better than nothing.

In the meanwhile the bus-driver had called the emergency center and an ambulance was on it's way. It's arrival took a while. Even a bit more than a while.

As soon as another bus was driving by there was a rush of all the passengers of our bus to get on those ones. Needless to say that those busses were also already crowed so not many could get in.

The ones who where forced to stay got back in our bus to benefit from the AC (still doing it's best to cool down the air).

As there was not much that could be done for the young girl, other than keeping an eye on her heart beat and general state, I started to talk to one of the two women I was previously standing next to.

She is German, on holiday now but has been living in Malta about a decade ago. That's why she was aware of the wrong direction the bus had taken previously. Of course we talked in German as I take every occasion to practice it.

When the ambulance arrived I briefly described what had happened and my observations about the girl. Than handed over the care for her and got into our bus. Expecting it to leave soon.

As a lot of the passengers had found their way into the other busses there were seating places available but I asked the second woman if it was OK to take the seat next to her.

As I learned later on her name is Claudia. She is from Rome and was here on a one day holiday after a business meeting in Malta.

After a couple of minutes of discussion, the bus was still not on it's way. The ambulance had left but without the girl. The doctor of the ambulance decided that. She has the authority do that.

When I asked the driver what was going on, I made up from the unclear answer that he wasn't sure that his responsibility for the girl was not engaged anymore and he wanted to have an official statement that it was OK to hit the road again. With the state of the busses in Malta and the state of the roads this can be taken literally in many cases.

Claudia had to go to Balluta at the limit between Sliema and Saint Julians. The very place my adventures in Malta had started 3 years ago.

When the next bus arrived it was the 238 going to Mater Dei. As I live close by and know the busses from there to Sliema and Saint Julians, we took that one.

Claudia was checking on her phone were the bus was going. A good thing to do as proven a bit later.

At Mater Dei we took 280 to Msida. There Claudia could take another bus to go to Balluta and I could go home.

At least it was the 280 when we got into the bus. But before leaving the driver switched to 260 and we hadn't noticed. Oops, wrong direction.

After a couple of minutes I was having a doubt about being in the right bus. Claudia also noticed that it didn't seem to bring us any closer to where we had to go. Thanks Google maps.

When I asked the driver he clarified the situation and let us out on the next stop where we could take another bus of the 40 series going to Valletta and stoping at Msida.

That was in Birkirkara. The 48 took us finally in the right direction. But we were not done yet.

After a kilometer or so the bus cued up behind another bus and stopped.

The road was blocked by a music band in the street.

Claudia had a a deep sigh. “In for a walk of 3 kilometers in the moonless night?” Claudia wasn't really enthusiastic.

When I asked the driver if she had an idea how long this was going to take she said that the road should be free again within 15 minutes.

And it was.

At the Msida stop we both got out. I gave Claudia a big hug, wished her good luck for the remaining hours of her stay here in Malta and a good flight back to Rome the next day. I hope she has had both.

From the moment the anticipated taste of a Ċisk made me leave the beach and the moment I finally got one, three hours had gone by. Needless to that that beer tasted awfully well.

And spending a couple of hours in company of a kind and beautiful woman is always pleasant.

Yep, Malta: expect the unexpected (with a big smile). And be happy.