Malta Part One

Malta

We arrived yesterday. There was a lot of preparation involved, especially for something SO important. Every opportunity that I got I would iron the linen and cotton clothes that I wanted to wear. I had recently discovered a fantastic woman, with her and her team they do alterations for clothes. Paulette wasn't cheap, but boy were they worth it. Clothes that I had bought on purpose to be altered at a later date, I took them to wonderful Paulette, who worked her magic.

Originally I had planned on bring 50 euros that would be for a T-shirts, a thin leather strap for my wrist and a small leather handbag. I had Google about money in Malta and it said it was polite to tip people they recommend 2-3 euros each time I worked out as I’m here for 10 days that would be a lot of money. I decided that I would give 2 euros a day!

On Wednesday I packed, I  knew it had to be under 22kg it was heavy, my case was loaned it was huge. It helped that I was organised enough that 99% of my clothes were already ironed, my preparation had all paid off.

The last time I went abroad was about 15 years ago, I knew that a lot had changed at the airports. I decided to take no liquids at all and no tablets. I usually have liquid cod liver oil with a whole orange cut into quarters. For 10 days I would not be having that I thought about having the capsules but on the x-rays that could be seen as tablets, I can’t swallow them anywhere hence the liquid.

I got a glass jar of coconut oil, this I would use in my hair and on my skin too, thus  killing two birds with one stone, it was clearly sealed. I had bought a beautiful leather bag, this would be my hand luggage, the glass jar of coconut oil took pride of place in there. I’d seen too many horrors of suitcases been thrown about, and it precious contents arrived smashed. That would not be happening to my precious coconut oil.

As I have written a diary since the age of 19, and I’m in my 60’s now, whenever I go abroad or in hospital, I always buy a diary for that occasion, I carefully chose a lovely hardback one from Tkmaxx, buying 5 pens to go with it. They went in my leather bag. These were the important things, as were my prescription sunglasses. A slim line hardback Good News version of the Bible went in there too.

I made sure my tablet was fully charged, as that would be what I would be writing my story from and I don’t have a charger for it. This precious item also went into my hand luggage bag. My passport went into the little zipped outside pocket.

Both of my bags were packed and I was happy that everything was in order, no perfume would be with me and I was sad about that as I wear perfume, every time I go out, instead I had a small tube of perfumed hand lotion and a bar of Pears soap. Going back to basics.

My suitcase came to 19kg Meghan's came to 17kg she was shocked that mine would be heavier. She said, “How can your bag be heavier than mine?” She went on, “I’ve got 10 bikinis in mine.” It did make me smile, and I replied, “I’ve got 10 dresses in mine."

Two different friends had advised me, “Get to the airport very early,” I told them, “OK.”  The taxi was booked for 1am.  

Our bags were weighed. There were lots of signs to inform people, “No liquids allowed.” Then we found somewhere to sit. There were lots of places to eat and drink at the airport, I assumed they would all be very expensive.

After sitting for about 90 minutes,  during that time I had, had a few cat naps. We moved to another section, and from where I sat, I saw a small shop, with no walls between me and it. I watched as a woman came up to the stand that had bags of Toblerone  and picked up two bags and took them to the Cashier. I read the sign next to the sweets, it said, “Two for £12” l was shocked and thought, she's in the holiday spirit. We were informed to move to another part of the airport. When we got there, there were those twist and turns, zigzag type queues. There was a lot of people in front of us. Thankfully the single zigzag queue moved fast, but as we got nearer I saw something horrible that made my heart almost stopped. I suddenly felt like I was in a nightmare,  that I needed to quick wake up fast from. I couldn't believe that in this day and age, that this was happening and happening to the old and the young. There was no protest, everyone seemed to be like sheep. Unlike sheep, there was I and the lady behind me.

I was in a bad way, this that I could see happening before my unbelieving eyes, was enough for me to want to turn around an go home! So, what did I see before my eyes? When it was their turn, 6 people had to leave the queue and take one of the boxes and take off their jacket, or cardigan, and put it in the box first and then put their hand luggage on top, in that order, then if they had a belt on, that had to be removed and put that in the box.

What freaked me out was shoes had to be then put in the box too! I had my sandals on only, so taking them off would mean I would be barefeet. So, two days before I was advised by a trusted friend to, “Make sure you have your flight socks on, when you fly,” I hadn't thought of that, I went to town to buy some, but the first two shops I went to, they were £15! That was far too much money for me, as I walked around to try and find a cheaper option, I went to the pound shop looking for men’s knee-high socks, but no joy there.

I went to Primark, there wasn't any there either, but while I was there I had a brainwave, I would buy  lycra, figure moulding, 100 denier tights, a bargain at just £5! At home I tried them on, they were tight alright, so I would put them on, just before I was due to get on the plane. Now in reality, I hadn't planned for this, if I already had my tights on, there would be no problem. I thought of those with athletics foot, verruca’s  and other fungal infections. The lady behind me seemed troubled too, I said to her, “They should give us those blue paper bags made to go over shoes, to put on our feet,” She agreed, and said, “Yes, it is not clean, for them to be walking around, barefeet.”  

My stress levels was through the roof, then I suppose to speed things up, another section was opened up to us, and Meghan and myself and others were beckoned over by the staff. I took off my  kid soft leather jacket, that Paulette had altered for me, that went into the box first, then I put my beautiful leather bag in the box, it which was full with all my precious items.

I was waiting for the Staff, to ask me to, “Remove your sandals,” I then turned around and saw a lady of a different culture to me, and I wondered if they were going to ask her to, “Remove your sandals,” Too. In the zigzag queue the lady behind me had said, “Its amazing what you can hide in heels.”  I had bought these sandals especially for Malta, the wedges, they were less than half an inch high. I looked at my wedged heel, and I said to her, “You'd have to be pretty desperate to try and get anything in there,” She replied, “You would be surprised.”

Thank God, Meghan nor I were ask to remove our footwear, while our box went on rollers, we had to go through the metal detector. Meghan's box went through and came through its x-ray, mine on the other hand ....... didn't. Meghan said, “They will be checking the contents of your bag.” I could see my bag, it was out of my reach, my mind was racing, what could they possibly want with anything that is in my bag, I hoped it wasn't my precious Tablet, I needed that for writing on ABC Tales and I has two tiny Bibles, two different versions, if I was in a country where Bibles aren't allowed,  but this is England and Malta is famous for its beautiful old Churches, still my mind raced, I knew whatever, they thought they saw on the x-ray, they would see it was a misunderstanding.

She opened my beautiful thick leather bag and moved an item to the left, then she put her hand straight down to the bottom of my bag, and pulled out my glassed, coconut oil jar!!!! My mouth fell open, when she said, “You cant have this,” I replied, “Its for my hair and skin,” She said, “It will have to be thrown, “ Still hopeful, I said, “Its sealed and its solid, I made sure not to bring any liquids.” She said, “You can put it in your suitcase,” I said, “its gone, it’s on the airplane.” She already knew that. She took it and threw it in the bin! My carefully chosen, expensive item, she threw it away, like it had cost me £0. Inside I was fuming. Later on when I had calmed down I was grateful that I wasn’t asked to remove my sandals. I was also thankful that she and all the others, had done everything to keep us all safe.

I don’t like flying at all, as we went to the aeroplane, it was morning,  from scale from 1-10 it was 0 I didn't want to fly. When I had confided with my brother about my fears, he replied, “Well how are you going to get to Malta?” He had a good point. That was the only way I was going to get there.

Meghan had kindly and thoughtfully booked me a seat by the window.  One of my Managers, has a degree in French, she is in her 60’s and has never flown in her life, for she has a fear of flying, she has missed out on SO much richness in the world.

It always amazes me, how a plane takes off and flies in the skies and lands again. As it taxied, then it took off, it seemed like suddenly it was 300 feet in the air, it was too much for me, it was too high I thought I was going to faint, I didn't like it, I had to quickly turn away and look inside the plane. Three hours of this I thought.  I just want to get there. Then after about 5 minutes it felt like we were freefalling down 100 feet, it was AWFUL, it was like at the fair, but worse. Then the pilot introduced himself, and added, “Please keep your seatbelts on, as there will be a bit of turbulence.”