Once in a while the present can hit you right in the chest and you recognize instantly how amazing this very moment is. This week in Malta has been exactly like that.

On Land

The country of Malta is actually three inhabited islands: Malta, Gozo, and Comino. I skip over the main island of Malta and head straight to Gozo, the smaller and more laidback option. Gozo is known for being the location of many films and TV shows: Parts of Troy, Game of Thrones, and Brad and Angelina’s new movie By The Sea were all filmed here. There’s a very distinctive landscape with rocky limestone cliffs, which are reflected in the scenery under the water as well. It’s evident the cities here were built long ago because the streets are impossibly small and difficult to navigate. Vehicles constantly have to pull over to allow oncoming traffic to pass and I’m still in awe that busses can fit around even the tiniest street corners. Not to mention all the roads look the same and curve in confusing directions. One night I spend a full hour walking in circles trying to navigate the 1km from the town square back to the guesthouse. Quite an adventure!

Though the island is small, the busses run so infrequently that I learn it’s actually better to walk the 2.5km to the dive shop in the morning than to try to navigate the bus schedule.

 

 

Under Water

There’s lots to explore on the island, but my sole intention is diving so I spend five of the six days here underwater – exactly where I’m happiest! It’s my first time diving in Europe and it’s very different than anywhere else I’ve been so far.

Different equipment – Namely, steel instead of aluminum tanks. Much heavier than I’m used to. My first time in the water it sinks me back like a ton of bricks! I’m quickly able to readjust my weight distribution, but not before my dive guide has a good laugh at me with my feet flailing buoyantly up in the air.

Super strict rules – This is the only place I’ve been where the shop tracks every diver’s air consumption on every dive. Apparently PADI will do spot inspections. Our first day, our dive guide comes up to me and my dive buddy Jason during the lunch break to let Jason know he’s not allowed in have a beer at lunch in between dives because it’s illegal. Granted, most of my diving has been in Asia where rules are made to be bypassed, but the safety standards here far exceed my expectations.

Scarce sea life – Diving in Asia has spoiled me for life and nothing much compares to the natural underwater aquarium of the Pacific, but Gozo’s specialties are the gorgeous limestone topography, cave formations, and blue-colored water (“Gozo Blue” they call it). Breathtaking in its own way.

Tricky entry & exits – Boy, do I get more than I bargained for on this one! Being used to boat dives, where you literally drop out of the boat onto the dive site, getting in and out of the water in Gozo is one hell of an adjustment. All but one of our dives is done from the shore, which usually involves climbing over rocky cliffs and either sliding down or doing a 2-3m jump into the water – all with full gear on! This whole process is exponentially more exhausting than any of the dives themselves. A unique aspect of Gozo diving that definitely keeps one in good shape!

All in all an absolutely wonderful five days and great way to explore the island.

 

 

 

 

 

At the End of the World

I have a few awe-inspiring moments in Gozo. One night Sascha, a German friend from the guesthouse, and I go to Azure Window for sunset. It’s a cloudy day so we don’t see much of a sunset, unfortunately, but the scenery is stunning nonetheless and we sit at the very tippy top of the arch looking out over the open sea and talking until it’s pitch black. A couple days later on the boat out for a last dive, I see the Azure Window from afar on the water and instantly picture Sascha and I sitting atop there, like two tiny specks of dust at the end of the world. How amazingly blessed we are!

 

 

 

 

Our very last dive here is at Gudja Caves. Not many divers go out that way since it requires hiring a boat and is a fairly advanced dive. We drop into the water straight into the caves, but the most spectacular part is coming back out. From the darkness inside you look out past the archway opening of the cave into the most amazingly blue color water, expanding out as far as the eye can see. One of the most stunning views I’ve ever seen. In that moment I’m struck by how lucky I am to be able to experience this place in this way. The luckiest little traveling diver in the world!

On the walk home I find a dirt path that leads around the mountainside to a quiet spot overlooking the water. I sit there for 2 hours – watching, listening, meditating, soaking it all in. Gozo, you are magnificent!