Malta. Part Eight.

For as long as I can remember I have always wanted to go to Malta. People would say to me, “Why?” My reply was an odd one, “I love the name Malta.” It always made them laugh. Then I would carry on, “It just sounds lovely, peaceful, calm, quiet, relaxing, chilled, hot….” The list was endless really. Of course, the people, both those who live there and visitors.

All the Staff at the hotel were excellent. I intend to leave them a fantastic review. Some of the staff I didn’t write down their names, I wished I had now. They must have taught them, “You are been watched all the time, from the moment you come to work.” For like myself, others watched them too. I have read some the reviews with Meghan, and that is why I wished now I had taken their names down, of some of the Staff like others had. It is good for moral, to be mentioned by name.

We all had wristbands, we were all inclusive. All the wristbands meant different things, what we were and were not allowed. As all inclusive we were allowed everything, well almost. For those who had gold, now that was another level.

Meghan told me recently, “For those who had gold, they had to pay an extra £300.” They had a room for the few of them, and only they were allowed in there, for food, telly, and relaxation. This would not apply to me, as I like hustle and bustle, the restaurant was so big, that there was always somewhere for Meghan and myself to sit, by ourselves, even if the table was set for 6 people.

One day, while we were out for the day, one of Meghan’s sandals hurt her heel and made it bleed a little. She asked me, “Have you got a plaster Mum?” I replied, “Yes, I try to always have a bit of everything with me, either in my little leather bag or my small cooler bag.” I looked in my little leather bag and searched for it, “Meghan said, “You haven’t got it have you, you have just raised my hopes,” I knew I had it, for something SO important I would make sure that I had.

When I found the pack and opened it, it was then I realised that they were large plasters! Without scissors, I tried to tear it, with no joy. A couple walking past, saw me trying to tear it, I didn’t see them as they approached us, in an instant, the woman gave me a plaster, the exact size that Meghan needed. They didn’t speak any English, but no language, was needed, there was no barrier, they saw a need, and they met it. To me they summed up Malta. Caring with caring people in it. We replied, “Thank you.” That was just what Meghan needed, and she soon felt a lot better.

Another time, Meghan was sitting by the adult pool on the roof of the hotel, she was dressing all in yellow. She had a yellow bikini, yellow sandals, and a yellow hairband in her hair. When she got up to get herself a drink from the nearby bar, a woman said, to her, “You look so lovely, in all yellow, it really suits you with everything matching.” Gracious Meghan said, “Thank you.”

Wherever we went, and if people saw us taking pictures they would ask, “Do you want a picture of both of you?” We always said, “Yes please.” We would return the favour. Or someone would ask us, “Can you take a picture of us?” I know this happens around the world, but some countries of the world that would not happen. In beautiful Malta, this was just lovely. Everything was perfect.

Everything wasn’t quite perfect. One day after we had enjoyed a lovely hot day on the roof, sunning ourselves we were going back to the hotel room, we got into the lift on the 10th floor and suddenly everything went dark, as the lights went out, and the lift stopped! Oh, my days!

When I was younger, I had a fear of getting stuck in lifts, so I would always take the stairs. Then as I got older, I pushed my fears to one side, and would sometimes go in a lift with other people, but not if there was a lot of people in it. Then as I got more confident, I would go in on my own.

So here we are in a lift, 10 floors up, in the pitch dark! I was instantly scared. There were 3 other people in there with us. Then the tiny alarm light lite up, I pressed it, but, nothing happened, I wasn’t sure what I expected. I was hoping for instant help!

No help came, I was hoping the doors would just open, but in a crisis, nothing is that simple.

Then the lift started to move down to floor 8, that was good, but it then went back up to 10! That wasn’t good. I was thinking, should I crouch down, to be prepared for the crash landing to the bottom? SO many thoughts raced through my mind! I think my life, might have even flashed before my eyes! I thought, is this how it all end? We very quickly had light in the lift. The lift kept going up and down to different floors, but not down to ours. I hoped that they knew we were in trouble, in that tiny lift, I was hoping it would show up on the desk at reception, and that help was quickly on it way. I just wanted to get out!

It seemed like we were stuck in there for ages, but in fact it was only about 2-3 minutes. It was the not knowing. Suddenly we arrived at our floor and the doors opened. Thank God!

A couple were outside the lift door, waiting to go in, and I said to them, “Do NOT go in, it is not working!” The other people with us, said, “No, bad,” They used gestures with their hands and arms, to go with their words, the man on the outside of the lift said to us, “I will take my chance,” And stormed past us into the lift! We were shocked, as his wife who didn’t follow him in, said, “He has the key to our hotel room.”

We then went to our room, and put on the air con. It was lovely. I was shaken and said, to Meghan, “I will not be going into the lift today, but I will go by stairs.” I took a picture and small video of the semi dark corridor.

Meghan had a shower and during it the shower room that had no windows, the lights kept going off and the air con. Then it would come back on again. While we were in our room we heard someone say, “I’m never going in the lift again!”

When we were ready, we went down to our evening meal. There was always a lovely Staff member to greet us at the door, and check our wristbands discreetly. I said to him, “We were stuck in the lift on the 10th floor!” He said, “Every year, in Malta, there is a power cut, it is not just this hotel, but all of Malta.” He went on, “Last year, it lasted off and on for 2 weeks.”

We sat by the window in the huge restaurant, and during our wonderful meal, the lights and everything would go off for a few seconds, in the middle of the room, there would be gasps.

Back in our room later, Meghan Googled it, and sure enough, the power cuts tonight were the headline news, on-line. She also Googled, last year too, and we read about it.

I kept my word and used the stairs that night, brave Meghan took the lift. The following day, I used the lift again, but the 2 weeks thoughts was in my head.