I Followed The Gremlins Back To Malta – The Things I Do To Prove A Point
If you have read some of my other blogs then maybe you will know – a few times I’ve gone away now it has been with a group from my local area that I call the Gremlins. The Gremlins in WW2 were said to tamper with aircraft and make flying unsafe – I’m not sure they like this name very much but yes anyway so – I Followed the Gremlins Back To Malta (kind of).
It was another Impulsive drunken decision and strangely enough my last blog post – About how I woke up back in Gibraltar this flight I booked only 1 day after booking that flight.
Again it was another impulsive drunk decision that didn’t make any logical or financial sense but Teddy wanted to go and after a few beers – saying no to him is very hard to do lol.
It was pretty funny really (for me at least) because for months I had been hearing about the Gremlins going back to Malta and how they didn’t want me there. Last time I was there with them In Malta it is fair to say I caused myself (as well as them) a lot of problems.
One of them was I almost had Disco Dave thrown out of his hotel (I was led to believe) because of my silly behaviour and this was before I lost my phone and had my nightmare of a trip to Budapest on the way back.
Also, my next trip away that I went on with them (I didn’t write a blog about our holiday to Santa Ponsa, Mallorca) it was even worse because I lost both my phone (again) and this time my bank card as well. I was proper screwed and getting back home was no easy feat.
I am inclined to think that they should have been a bit more helpful to me given the circumstances. They say I should have asked them and maybe it is my fault for not doing so but I really believed they must have seen what trouble I was in.
Maybe I am right or maybe I’m wrong but they got a good shouting at on one night I will say that because I had my laptop I was trying to get someone back home to send one of them some money but they all got up and walked off.
I mean I would rather leave that all in the past but yes anyway so after all THAT the idea of me travelling to where they were going AGAIN was NOT something they was really happy about. To me really – the whole thought of it I suppose you could say why did do I still do it?
They didn’t help me last time when I was in trouble so what would make this time so different, but YES STILL I decided to do it.
I went to Malta the last time with my mother back in June 2024. My first time was with my nephew in 2020 and with my trip with the Gremlins as well this time would be my 4th time here in 5 years. The last time in 2024 was really great and there was so much I wanted to come back here and do – so that was my excuse.
I mean really and truly I could have gone any other time but after a night out with one of the gremlins (Robbie) that arranged the gremlin holiday – he was going on so much about how none of them wanted me there that I decided that none of them could actually stop me from going if I really wanted to go. I wanted to show them who is the boss lol
It was a quite irrational thing for me to do but well after I had booked the flight (and actually even before) I thought I can do my own thing and if it really was a case that they didn’t want me to be in their company then I could do plenty of things still without them.
So, the 2 main things of Interest to me were The Gjgantia Temples, and The Hypogeum of Hal Saflieni in Gozo. I booked tickets for both but unfortunately never got to go to either. One was cancelled and I couldn’t get another date and the other I booked on the wrong date for a month after I left.
I was very tempted to just go back for it but I admitted defeat and moved on although thid did not mean it was not eventful going away this time.
I was initially going to fly out with a stopover in Warsaw Poland on the 4th at 8AM from Luton airport. This would have meant going the night before and sleeping on the floor so I was ready to catch my early flight.
Nothing new for me – I’ve done this a few times before but it is never really ideal – as staying in any airport for this amount of time can be quite expensive. So I thought – what if I fly to somewhere else in Eastern Europe and make my way to Poland from there?
I looked at a few countries/cities to go to – Krakow, Vilnius and Riga. Places I want to STILL go to at some point but I ultimately decided that on the 31st I’d fly back to Prague, Czech Republic – just 7 months after my last stay here and for my 5th time here.
The flight I found was for £31 from Luton Airport at midday on the Saturday and it was Ideal really. Although, it was a lot of trouble to go through in hindsight. It would made more financial sense to just get an early morning taxi and actually staying at the airport overnight would have been less trouble but I really couldn’t help myself.
I left to go Prague, then to Poland and…
I Followed the Gremlins Back to Malta (kind of).
Now, so I say this because I actually got to Malta before the Gremlins. Technically I guess you could kind of say they followed me out here. I was here first and I’m sure this makes no difference to them but this was what I did and this will be another very long blog about how it all went down.
My last blog post was a 45 minutes read and I’m sure this one will be just as long, and I hope you feel it is worth your time to read it all.
I’ve had a lot of people say I should keep a travel blog and to be honest it is nice to write my story whether it is read or not. Some of it is a laugh I think (most definitely) and this trip certainly had its moments and it did not begin in Malta.
My First Day/Night Back In Prague
Now, maybe people who know me will know that I got a special love for Prague.
I was actually thinking it would be nice to come here again and stay sober this time. The last time I was here I never drunk any alcohol and I think it made my experience much better.
There is quite a big drinking culture here though so I suppose it is kind of an experience in this respect to have a few drinks but this time around I was kind of knee deep in it. I drunk pretty much the whole time.
I got off the plane in Prague and there was a bar as soon as I got up the stairs. Only minutes after getting off and I was already ordering a beer. I stayed here for maybe 2 hours. My excuse was charging my phone and working out what to do next but admittedly I may as well had not made any plans because 1st thing I did after leaving was catching the wrong bus.
I felt so stupid because wherever this took me was not the city centre. I must have just choose to get on a random bus hoping for the best. After what happened in Skiathos I should really know better but anyhow.
Fortunately I found a Holiday Inn near by where I got off and there I charged my phone (again), got Internet and done what I should have done in the first place – called an Uber.
I got to my hostel around 9pm. It was a pretty cool place with a bar. They had music playing when I got in and I just kind of decided to drop off my bags and carry on drinking.
The NOT so funny part was when I had my phone on charge (again) just sitting on the top of the wall covering. A 2-3mm wooden board with a massive gap in front of the bricks. It was stupid to think really I could just leave it here and of course the inevitable happened.
To my horror the weight of my phone dethatched itself from the charger cable and it fell down the gap behind the thin wooden board.
I tried climbing behind it but there was barely any room to move. It really felt like it would just be stuck down there with no way of getting it out.
The staff seemed like even they wouldn’t be able to help me but then an Asian guy at the bar went and got a screwdriver. There was a vent at the bottom of the wall and by screwing this off he was easily able to get my phone out.
I was so relieved – this would have ruined my whole trip on only the first day. I’m really not sure what I would have done if he didn’t help me. I felt very lucky – it was only my first day here so this was a relief.
Now, I had my phone back everything was full steam ahead.
Revisiting Prague Zoo
Well what can I say last time here (around 7 months ago) I absolutely loved it. This wasn’t my 1st time here but last time the Gorillas were so great to watch. I really wanted to get on a video call with my baby niece so I could show her them.
She loved seeing me (bless her) with the Barbary Macaques In Morroco – so this was my thinking. Although, Prague Zoo is NOT just about the Gorillas. It is pretty amazing just to walk around it and up the mountain. You also have other animals like the Honey Badgers, Polar Bears, Orangutans, Pangolins and Tasmanian Devils.
The honey badgers were so funny last time as they was really showing off in front of me. This time they wasn’t like this so much. It was a very busy day and it was a school holiday (I think) as there was a lot of families here.
There was a counter screen I see that said they had over 9K visitors here on the day. I would never have guessed that but I suppose it could have been possible.
Seeing The Gorillas Again
The Gorillas were again quite entertaining to watch. I unfortunately didn’t get through to my niece on the phone as she was sleeping but I still got a good few photos. I didn’t take too many really. I’d kind of felt like I was just taking the same pictures as before but I got maybe 10 photos of the Gorillas.
So, the day out in general could have been better. I only got a glimpse of the Tasmanian Devils, the Orangutans weren’t really doing much exciting and the Honey Badgers I think didn’t like all the people there so they kept running off and AGAIN I never see the Polar Bears.
Also, there is a dark room that has a big kind of rat marsupial walking about free. I would have liked to gone and seen this animal. The last time I was here I actually stroked it when it come up beside me.
It scared me when I see it the first time before this but it was very friendly the time after so I would have liked to see it. I kind of blame myself for drinking this time – it does kind of ruin things. Last time I must have seen everything but not this time.
Still, I left just before the place closed and got a Bolt Taxi back to my hostel. I stayed in for the night after this and got back to my writing on my last travel blog.
*Note waste of time this was – my WordPress was playing up and not saving. My tip for other bloggers – always be prepared to copy and paste to a word doc and back again. There is nothing worse than spending hours writing without saving your work especially when you are travelling to exciting places and could be out doing stuff. Like the ghost tour for example this is a good activity to do during the night.
Now… Back to this very long story…
My 2nd Full Day In Prague – What Happened?
My original plan was to leave on this day and get the Regiojet train overnight to Poland. A 9 hour and 20 minute journey this is but I was NOT able to cancel my last night at the Hostel so I decided to just do this the day after and spend one less night in Warsaw.
In the morning really there was only one thing on my mind – go to see the Marshmallow Men on the Charles Bridge and the Prague to Venis boat trip.
Last time I was very surprised to see the wild beavers on the river bank. This was the main attraction for me really but you do also get given these really nice chocolate gingerbread cakes too.
So, I was not disappointed because I see several Beavers throughout this trip. Although I never actually got any photos whilst on the boat. There was 2 Nutria (River Rats) on the banks I got photos of. I thought these were Beavers at first but I quickly realised they were not after.
Although, I did get some Beaver photos in the end after I got off the boat. About 2-3 hours later I decided to leave the Irish Times pub and cross the Charles Bridge to get to where I knew the Beavers would be on the banks. Unsurprisingly they was right there.
There was a woman here with her little girl feeding them carrots. I think they hang about as they know the tourists will feed them. They are not intimidated at all. I’m sure anyone if they wanted to could come here and see them up close they could.
It was quite Interesting to come to this part of the City as well. I’ve walked up the Charles Bridge enough times before but never actually crossed over to see what’s on the other side.
It is like going back in time – there is a Gingerbread shop – and this whole area just has that traditional kind of archaic vibe where it is just nice to see what it is like here. Next time I think I will stop for a drink here Instead of just drinking one after the other at the Irish Bar because it is just something different.
I probably wasted a bit too much time at the Irish Bar. You can see so much in Prague and it is a shame to NOT just explore what is here but no disrespect to the Irish Bar because they have live music on during I think most days of the week – it is a good place to visit but it is not exactly cheap.
Just I guess my advice don’t waste your city breaks just staying in the same place – make sure you get out and explore…
My Last Night In Prague
I got very drunk on my last night. It was bad because I got right near to my hostel and I had to walk all the way back because I left a bag at the pub with magnets and postcards in. I got a bit lost as well, but I did stumble upon The Astronomical Clock which is always great to see.
So, because I ended back up at one pub I went to another one and another one.
The Oktoberfest Pub was the main one. I didn’t get out till late either and annoyingly the metro was closed when I did leave.
Not sure why the metro was closed because when I was in Prague before I always remembered using the metro at night. One time before I had a phone contract and google maps I was just using it so much. It was mad because I knew the area where I was staying Namesti Meru but I was constantly getting lost – I kept going there on the Metro and then getting lost and then going back round on the metro till I found my place.
How I got away without paying (I will never know). Thankfully I am a lot better at finding my way around Prague now with the metro but on this night it was not an option.
I used the tram to get back in the end on this night but the bad part was I had to be up early in the morning to get my coach to Poland. I really wasn’t doing myself any favours but I STILL got there to Warsaw and it really wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.
Getting The Coach To Poland
This went a lot better than expected. It was a long trip and my concern was what I’d do with myself for 9+ hours on the coach but it was fine. I had a bit of trouble opening the toilet door which was quite funny – the staff was laughing their heads off but I only actually needed to use this once so It wasn’t really a problem.
They had a vending machine for food and drinks as well. This was my saving grace I think because I had not eaten but it wasn’t very busy on the coach either and the scenery going past all these places in Poland and Czechia – it’s quite beautiful as a lot of it is still forest.
I initially wanted to get the night coach so I could sleep on my way there and possibly be there not long after waking up but it was fine. Poland is a beautiful country. Lots of countryside, and forests. It is a bit like the UK to a degree but a LOT less developed.
I googled what animals etc. you could find in Poland on the way. Just out of curiosity, and quite Interesting you have Bears, Wolves, Elk and Bison all living in the wild here. I was looking out the window hoping to see something – I doubted I’d see anything like this but I think I did see a Wild Boar.
So a good place to visit if nature Interests you. I see there is a nature reserve you can go near Warsaw but this time I had no time really to do much except spend the night here and go to a couple of places to eat/drink.
My Stay In Warsaw
My first night in Warsaw I ate in a couple places. I had polish dumplings at one place and a Salmon salad at another. It cost me around 50 euros with my drinks. Quite expensive for 2 small dishes but I was pretty hungry so I just went for it.
I was actually quite shocked at the prices because I always had in my head that Poland is cheap but I suppose it was just the places I went to and the fact that Warsaw is a capital city. Budapest is quite similar – it is cheap in a lot of places places but in certain areas it is not cheap at all.
It was a bit different in the morning actually. The bakery I went to – here I paid 5 euros for a bottle of water, a chicken sandwich and a cheese, bacon turnover with Asparagus. That was cheap I thought and more in line with the prices I expected.
I had a bit of an incident after this. A very Important lesson learned. So, I ordered a Bolt to Warsaw Airport. It was NOT a pleasant experience. The driver cancelled my fayre on the Bolt app when I got into the car and he drove me to the wrong place.
Not anywhere near the airport and then he was demanding cash because he cancelled my payment on the Bolt App. I did not have any cash on me and he was horrible – I thought he was going to hit me because I couldn’t pay him but thankfully he left swearing his head off after I got out the cab and walked off.
I fortunately managed to get an Uber to Warsaw airport after this without the same issues. I made it clear to the driver I had no cash and not to cancel my trip on the app – I told him about my last trip and he understood what happened.
The other driver was shouting at me telling me to speak Polish but I didn’t have this same trouble with this driver – although there was another Issue (kind of).
Whilst I was waiting for my Uber I got a text from Trip.com saying my original flight I was supposed to get from Luton to Warsaw was delayed by 10 hours from 8AM in the morning until 6PM at night. It was quite funny because If I had stayed in the UK to get this flight as originally planned I would NOT have got my flight to Malta.
I had a feeling that I should make my way to Poland another way. It was kind of like a premonition because I had a dream where I think I went to Albania before I went to Malta and this is why I decided to go and see another city first. I actually did it as well so I could spend a bit more time in Poland but this never quite happened.
I can Imagine the Gremlins shaking their fists about this. Perhaps they tampered with the plane from Luton thinking I was getting on it still lol – but it didn’t matter I was in Poland already so I was at the airport when I needed to be there to catch my flight to Malta.
I definitely see the funny side because on the day I was supposed to be here I was!
Getting Back Into Malta
I got into Malta from Poland at about 8PM. It was pretty easy – I got the bus and headed straight for the hostel in St. Julians. The Hostel Malti it is called. It is a bit of a walk getting up to the Triq. Birkarra area but I got here quickly enough.
The place I never realized was the sister hostel of the Marco Polo Hostel where I stayed a couple years back. I could have come here for a free drink but I really didn’t fancy it. I was a bit boring really because another thing this hostel does partnered with Marco Polo is daily tours.
I am still getting WhatsApp notifications showing what all the guests are getting up to on these tours – I really think I missed a trick here.
Besides this – it was a good stay – Although one complaint I did have was once again I was stuck up on the top bunk. This caused me a lot of hassle having to get up and down, and on my first night it was the worst because I was woken up several times by my room mate who didn’t like my snoring.
I think he was out of order really because I was so tired. He didn’t stay any longer after this night and actually I had no more problems besides getting up and down from the top bunk.
Visiting The Bird Park and Spending the Day In Sliema
The first main thing I did on this trip was to visit the Bird Park just past Caghaq and the Marine Park. It was a small place and I wasn’t in here for long but it was cool to check out.
My highlight was the Parrots and Cockatoos you see when you walk in. I’ve never heard a parrot say more than one word before but this one said “Hello, How Are You?”
I had read some not so great reviews about this place but I thought it seemed like a lot of care went into this place but it was maybe a bit understaffed.
It had quite an interesting mix of birds here. There was Owls, Vultures, Storks, Cranes, Peacocks and Flamingos – 2 different species I think.
I was not here for long but I’m glad I went. Especially to see the parrots and Cockatoos at the start.
After this I got the bus back and ended up sitting on the beach in Sliema. I think maybe I should have gone to the marine park on this trip but I just thought I would head back. There isn’t much at the marine park really apart from the dolphin show – once you see that there isn’t much else to see but I do like to come here.
There are a lot of beaches in Malta and actually if you head up this way St. Pauls Bay is quite nice. Maybe I should have come here Instead but I went back to Sliema and I spent quite a bit of time just sitting relaxing here.
I felt I was kind of wasting my trip a bit because I was drinking a lot but I suppose just looking out at the sea on a nice hot day isn’t so bad. Plus I see a lot of lizards running around AND you don’t get these in England lol
Day 3: Reading My Book and Briefly Meeting The Gremlins
On this morning I made a point to read what I could of a book I brought with me with me that I was really getting into. Carlos Casteneda – The Teachings of Don Juan a Yaqui Way of Knowledge. I started reading this on my first night in Malta and I really found it quite fascinating.
The book is about Carlos Casteneda, a Peruvian born anthropologist and writer, and his real life experiences spent with a Mexican Yacqui Indian Don Juan Matus who kind of initiates him as a protégé.
I’d definitely recommend reading this book. I am so glad that I made the time to read it but getting back to my story – so I started the day in the Dubliner Pub in Spinola Bay.
I stopped here most days during my stay in Malta for breakfast and on this day I stayed a bit longer. In my head I thought I will give it a few hours and I will see what the Gremlins are up to.
I spent a few hours back at Sliema Bay after this and then I see on Facebook they was in Valetta. Really they said enough times they didn’t want me on there holiday but wow – I did not take this well.
I put on one of their Facebook posts that I would see them in Valletta and I got a reply saying NO. I was very upset by this because STILL I had come all the way out here and was getting this kind of response.
It really annoyed me because they are nice enough when they see me but what a bunch of XXXXX
I got the same cold shoulder the night before and they will probably say “all is OK between us” because I did see them (not all of them) in Paceville at Hugo’s Bar later that night. I got very drunk in their company and that was it – last I see of them.
I guess I still had a nice week away but when people act like your friends and then don’t want you meeting up with them – even though your miles away from home its a bit horrible I think but STILL this was my excuse to come to Malta and it was a good week otherwise speaking.
What Else I Got Up To
The next night I got drunk again over Paceville. The night before I had some real trouble finding my way out there and I did exactly the same again. Its pretty wild in this part of Malta – I ended up in a bar next to the mueseum of Illusions – it cost me about £28 for 2 cocktails in here but it was a good laugh.
The next 2 days after this I was recovering from being drunk and just floating about between St. Julians, Paceville, Sliema and Valletta. Really I felt these days were such a waste but STILL I can’t complain Malta is lovely just to be there.
On my last day after this – I wanted to do something. I decided to get on the bus towards St. Pauls Bay – the ferry port that goes to Gozo is here along with Popeyes Village and quite a bit more.
I ended up NOT going straight to the ferry to go to Gozo or Popeyes Village as I was thinking of doing but I instead settled on going to the Marine Park. This was a bit boring really seeing the same dolphin show etc. but it is still kind of like a tradition for me when I do come to Malta.
I made my way to Popeye Village after this, thinking I might get in for the last hour it was open. I got right near the sign post but I spent so long looking for it I gave up. Instead I stopped for a Maltease Platter and 2 for 1 Cocktails at a restaurant across from the beach.
I had a bit of trouble after this. I kept missing the bus so I started walking and when I did get the bus I ended up all the way back in Valletta. This was funny because I see here there is a sign that you can go to Gozo from Valletta. I had the impression you had to go right to the other side of the Island which I actually did but I could have just gone to Valletta and I’d have actually got to go there.
Although, I really am glad I got to see a bit more of the other side of the Island. One thing that I would have liked to explore that I see on the bus was Wignacourt Tower. I felt like last time I was in Malta I wanted to come back again – now the feeling is still the same.
So Was It a Good Trip or Bad Trip?
I can’t really moan at the gremlins too much because I said I would do my own thing but it still bugs me that they can be such (enter swear word here) – I don’t hold any grudges but if I hear as much as a joke from them about me going on their next holiday I really do need to tell them to go @f@ themselves.
It was a good week other than this though EXCEPT I was booked to go on two trips that were both cancelled. One to the Gigantia Temple and One To Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum. This was my big excuse to come to Malta so this kind was a let down for me but I definitely got a lot more Ideas for coming back.
Like I never went to Gozo and I never realized till my last night you can go from Valletta which is much quicker than riding a bus for 44 stops to the other side of the country. I spent a long time on the bus finding that out but the other side of Malta – Melihua and St. Pauls Bay has some good places to explore – that would be good to come back for.
Also, there was my hostel with daily free tours that I shamefully never took part in. I see that you can buy a 7 day Tour Pass as well that will get you in a lot of places but then is 7 Days in Malta enough? I thought this last time but it was much better staying in an AirBnB then top bunk at the hostel. I think it is cheaper to if there is more than 1 person so see if you can find a travel companion (not a gremlin) if you want to have this experience.
Maybe, for me, this will be the plan next time – I want to actually get to Popeyes Village too and some of these churches here too are pretty impressive. There is a lot to see in Malta so I would say go and come back and try to see as much as possible!
In Conclusion
So I will know finish up this blog post here. I apologize for any Gremlins feelings that might have been hurt after reading this blog post. I’ve been to Malta now almost every year since 2020 – 4 times in 6 years. I know should be going to new places but Malta is quite special so I think if I can I should try to keep coming back.
On a final note I hope you have enjoyed reading this blog and if you would like to buy Teddy a Coffee for his next trip you find my link HERE<<
Keen traveller and digital nomad looking to share my stories from my international trips with my faithful companion Mr Bean 2.0 (Alex Chivers).