Wednesday, February 23, 2022

Day 108 : Malta (Manoel Island, St Julian's, Top of the World, Sliema)

I am supposed to be returning the car tomorrow at 9am but as I have already seen all I needed to see with a car, there was really not much more need for one, and so I decided to drop it off at the end of the day instead of waking up early to make the trip up to St. Paul's.

The first thing I needed to do was to go back to the petrol kiosk to see if I can get my money back for petrol which was never dispensed.

Driving around Sliema is a pain with way too many one way streets, and so I struggled for a while to get out of the area. It was also really busy around where the petrol kiosk was located, so I had to illegally park for a few minutes.

Thankfully the person at the petrol kiosk office was very easy to deal with. Without me even saying anything, I was given back my money very quickly. The guy recognised me from yesterday when I tried to get his attention to open the door but he wouldn't open it and asked that I come back the next day.

I headed over to Manoel Island, just a few mins drive away from the petrol kiosk, and explored the island. 
It's said to have a Fort but the entrance to the Fort was blocked off for maintenance. It is however probably the best place to get a view of both Sliema and Valletta, and it's recommended to walk round the island edges. 
I then headed over to the Asian supermarket which was just a few mins walk away and managed to pick up a few Asian stuff for the road.
Time went by really quickly and it was soon past mid day and time to get lunch.

The only other section which I haven't yet seen was St. Julian's so I made my way over. 
Parking was equally challenging here but I managed to find one and found a restaurant with a great view of the sea to have lunch - a burger on Brioche bun and Apple Cider.
While looking at the map for other options to visit with a car, I came across a place with the name "Top Of The World - Għargħur".
Intrigued by the name, I made my way over. It was a panoramic view spot with great views all around. The only challenge was trying to stay put in 1 spot, as the winds were crazily strong here. Even while seated in the car, I could feel the car being rocked strongly by the wind.

Time to head off to return the car, with a last stop at Qawra Point, the very first spot I went to on my 1st day of arrival. Because the winds were so strong, the waves were also smashing against the rocks and the walls.
I was told by the car rental company there is a direct bus to Sliema from the bus terminal at Buggiba. I hopped onto bus 203 and I practically took the bus all the way to the last stop, with the entire trip taking about 1 hr.
Off to explore bits of Sliema before night falls. I really enjoyed walking around Tigné Point, and catching the sunset while having a different view angle of Valletta.
And then I found a place to have a Matcha milkshake and also a Thai take away place. I ordered a green curry chicken and when the staff asked how spicy I wanted it, I said "very spicy". 
It was certainly a manageable very spicy level, although it tasted sweeter than the usual Thai Green curries I've had. 
I couldn't finish it all, so it looks like I will have some leftover for tomorrow! 

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