Malta
I was in Malta on vacation for a week pretty much exactly one month ago. It put a nice finishing touch on my really great summer... I didn't expect to have 25C in the middle of October 
(back in Tallinn, it was something like 10C).
Malta is a funny little country. It's one of those places where you go from Estonia and you feel that you're coming from a big place. All in all, some 300 sq km, or as much as one of Estonia's larger islands.
It's all British. They drive on the left and have 3-pin electrical sockets. I go to London often so no biggie there, but for people who have only seen the "continent", it was overwhelming.
The last British troops left at the end of 1970s. We had great Estonian guides who told us a lot about not only the local customs, but how to relate to it. So the Brits leaving Malta was in a way like Soviets leaving Estonia, they got a lot of military junk and deserted buildings around and have no idea what to do with those.
It's one of the few places on Earth where I've been so far where tap water is genuinely not suitable for drinking. (CORRECTION: the tap I'm talking about had a "do not drink" sign.) In many places, they tell you it's not good and have a "do not drink" sign, but you drink anyway and nothing happens. Well, in Malta it just tastes so bad (it's desalinated sea water with lots of chemical traces left) that you don't want it and so you need to resort to cleaner bottled water. (CORRECTION: this certainly cannot be applied to Malta as a whole. I'm only referring to the hotel I stayed in, which admittedly was not the highest class. I have no idea about the quality of water in other parts of the island or Valletta. Maybe it's good. I'm only comparing the hotel's tap water to my home tap water and other hotels in other countries I've been to.) (CORRECTION #2: it wasn't clear from my initial text that the tap in my hotel had a clear "DO NOT DRINK" sign on it, and thus it wasn't technically drinking water at all. Changed above.)
Some random notes and recollections...
It felt a bit like California, with the palm trees and nice maritime climate. (It actually is on the same latitude as southern California, so no wonder.)
Culturally, the most interesting part by far were the prehistoric temples. I didn't know that these were to be expected, but turns out that Malta has some of the earliest man-built structures in the whole wide world, dating much earlier than Stonehenge, the Egyptian pyramids and all those other really old things. Mystery remains as to who, why and how built them.
There were cats lots and lots of cats in various sizes and colors all over the place. So if you're a cat person, Malta is definitely a destination.
The buses in Malta are legendary. They come from the 60s or something. They have no doors, just holes in sides where you step in. (You don't see the holes here, obviously, because you drive on the left side so the "door" is on the other side.)
I expected to have more beaches in Malta, but turns out there are just a few tiny strips with sand. But then again, if you go to the sea in a boat, that's really great and they say it's a divers' paradise.
And the Arabic-style architecture all over the place. You feel like you're walking right in Baghdad or something.
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Hi Jaanus, I’m a Maltese living in Germany and found your blog interesting. Interesting to see how foreigners observe the Island. The pictures are great. Pitty you didn’t meet any of the maltese to give a slight comment about our hospitality, openess and friendly warmth.
Mario - thanks for the comment. I did actually meet several Maltese natives and they are indeed very warm, friendly and hospitable people
and speak English too, so unlike in some other European destinations, you can get away just with English and don’t need other languages.
The Maltese lifestyle seems to be close to both Mediterranean and Arabic, and I also met many people from come from abroad, either as tourists or to live or study there. I heard that the British Commonwealth makes it easy for the Commonwealth students to travel and this is why you can meet many students in Malta from Australia, Canada, New Zealand etc.
If you want to see a nice short Video on Valetta, I posted one on youtube.com. Just look for naruwi, that`s my nickname. By the way, great that you work for Skype. Say thanks to the big bosses for such a great safe functional service. Regards
Thank you for your postings about Malta and thank you for visiting our island. Kindly allow me to clarify a few things… I do understand that you are frankly expressing your notions about Malta as a first time comer. I do sadly feel though that you have made a few sweeping statements about my country Mr. Jaanus from Estonia…Our country’s economy strongly depends on tourism and I cannot allow such statements lingering on the net without a full explanation.
So please, allow me to comment…
It makes me think, you do not actually have a deep insight of the European Continent moreover of the whole world…For goodness sake - one of the FEW places on earth where water is not genuinely suitable for drinking…consider that comment again please – cause it can scare people… You probably meant that in some parts of the island the water HAS A SALTY taste which makes it unpleasant for drinking…
Have you been drinking from every city, town and village on the island?? No, maybe you have been drinking from every corner of this earth… At least the water is not full of Hepatitis anywhere on the island as it is in some parts of the world (including Eastern European countries!!…)(with all respect, in some parts of Albania, Bulgaria, Romania it is banned to wash fruits in water or to brush your teeth with tap water moreover drink it - i was warned by locals all the time)…Did not your so intelligent Estonian guide tell you this? So PLEASE stop SCARING our tourists for goodness sake. Tell us a bit about the state of water in your country for example…..
In some parts of the Maltese islands, sea water is treated by reverse osmosis, that’s why the persistent taste - but that is only in some parts…Malta is a dry island - we are lucky that we all have waters in our taps to be able to shower and cook. And if it has ever been of a health hazard due to high levels of salts then the citizens are immediately warned. In some parts of UK for example, the tap water is so hard that it can make you suffer of kidney stones…I wouldn’t dare make a sweeping statement like yours about UK, wouldn’t I? At least the water in some parts of our island has optimum levels of Fluoride (especially in Gozo), making the GOZO kids having the healthiest teeth according to the W.H.O(World Health Organisation)…That is not the case everywhere, I’m sure…
Comparing Maltese Architecture to JUST Baghdad….You are sitting in front of the TV so much that that is the only place that could come to your mind?? Have you been to our neighbouring island Sicily or South of Italy for example to see the similarities? Have you seen the movie ‘MUNICH’ by Steven Spielberg? In a single movie, Malta played the role of Greece, Lebanon, Italy and Israel…that’s how diverse our country is…
So - Let’s be prudent and say that Malta has a long history of colonisation which left a mark on the culture and architecture and that Malta lies between Italy and North Africa and that you can feel a combination of both.
Malta is an island, with a 360 degrees of coast which can be reached in a very short time – be realistic, cannot expect long strands of beaches on such a tiny island and definitely it is not possible considering its coastal geography…
Malta is both part of the Commonwealth and the European Union. It is a socially stable country, blooming with history, full of diversity, good food and lovely people with huge skills and multilingual…Let’s take care of our gem. I hope you fell in love with my island and will visit it again. Your photographs are beautiful by the way - though again, Malta is SO DIVERSE that a few photos cannot give a generalised view…
I do not want to sound cruel Jaanus, but it is widely known that in some parts of Estonia(your country), the local drinking water contained radon and other dangerous gases, heavy metals and microelements above permissible limits. So please - I do urge you to drop/correct your comments about the state of drinking water in beautiful Malta if you would like to be fair…
Guys - thanks for your comments. I have narrowed the statement about drinking water to the hotel I was in. I have indeed no idea about other parts of the island.
I know the taste difference between just salty water, and water containing chemicals. Sea water is salty. The hotel water was containing chemicals. Maybe it would have been harmless, but I just didn’t like the taste at all. I’m used to my home tap water, and other people coming from places with different water also tell me Tallinn tap water is not good. Go figure.
Well I’ve been to Malta a couple of years ago and I must say I enjoyed the stay. Maybe you were too much on a tight budget to be able to enjoy it.
Have you been to Bagdhad lately btw ?
I appreciate your clarification Jaanus. Do come and visit us again. Once is not enough.
Just for your peace of mind Jaanus and to clarify further: Water quality in Malta is based on the EU Drinking Water Quality Directive.
I have checked the European Environment and Health Committee website and was supplied with this information:
“Nearly 100% of the Maltese population has access to an improved water supply and improved sanitation. On a Mediterranean island with an average annual rainfall of 578 mm and with rain rarely falling during the summer months, one can easily understand that potable water has always been a challenge. However, this seems to have been won, through the use of boreholes and reverse osmosis plants. The potable water supply is already dependent on desalination for over 50%, entailing a high cost to the consumer and to the national economy. The Institute of Water Technology (IWT) laboratory takes care of the routine check monitoring programme as part of its role in the WSC. Each month, at least one water sample is collected from each village in Malta and Gozo, as well as samples taken from each distribution reservoir and other water sources such as boreholes, pumping stations and reverse osmosis plants. The samples are analyzed chemically and microbiologically. Microbiological parameters analysed are Total Coliforms, Faecal Coliforms, Faecal Streptococci and Total Bacterial Count.
In order not to contaminate groundwater, there has been a development of engineered facilities for the recovery and disposal of waste. Such facilities are being designed and developed in such a manner that will avoid the release of any contaminants into the surrounding environment, including groundwater.”
I hope this is of some help.
If you feel that you were in any way dissatisfied with the condition of water in your hotel, you can always email the respective authority in Malta.
They would be more than glad to help clarify any concerns which you might have regarding drinking tap water in Malta:
• Local authorities have the main responsibility for water-related disease prevention activities • The Water Services Corporation is responsible for drinking water supply • The Water Services Corporation and the Department of Public Health (Environmental Health Unit) are responsible for drinking- water quality • The Malta Resources Authority (Water Directorate) provides a standing interdepartmental coordination body.
The respective emails and phone numbers can be easily found on the net.
Hi Jaanus,
I’m currently living in Malta. I have done for over 2 years now, and I have to say that the negative comments of the Maltese commentators is typical of the small-mindedness of this island. They are from such a small island that they have no idea what the rest of the world is like. Comparing Estonia (a northern central European country) with Bulgaria (a Baltic country) does not make sense, not least because of the vast distance between them.
The comments by Jacquie Portelli are very typically Maltese - arrogant and derogatory, and typical of the inferiority complex the nation suffers from, wanting to be an important country. Malta is small. There’s nothing wrong with that. But they don’t have a real sense of the size of the world. Not even when they live abroad.
The Maltese are very sensitive about comparisons to Arab countries and culture. They like to think that they are European, but they are really just provencial, and in a lot of ways, very Arabic in their behaviour. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but their paranoia with the comparison is curious.
The mention of the film Munich is funny, and really shows that the Maltese don’t understand why Spielberg chose to film in Malta. It is not because it resembles these other countries, but rather that it didn’t take much work to make Maltese streets look like the Israel and Lebanon of 40 years ago. For God’s sake, they didn’t have to do anything with the buses. The buses in the film are the ones I take daily.
As for the comment “Pitty you didn’t meet any of the maltese to give a slight comment about our hospitality, openess and friendly warmth.”, well, I have found the Maltese to be very open and friendly, when they think that there is some money in it for themselves. But generally, they are no different from others. Some are very laid back, but it’s not like the whole island welcomes you. When they feel the need to comment on other people’s blogs to point out how open and friendly they are, one has to wonder if that’s brainwashing or reality. Malta was the only EU country in 2005 to suffer a fall in tourism. Why is that? Why aren’t people coming back?
Anyway, I’m living here, and there are many things here that I like. But they are a little over-bearing at times. I don’t want to pick on Malta, rather the comments posted above.
Oh, as for the water. No-one I know drinks it. It’s not poisonous, but everyone drinks bottled water.
Malta is a country with one of the most ancient histories. Your comments reflect lack of culture and education. Saying it has aan Arabic culture shows that you no idea that after 300 years under the Arabs the influence was still minimal - this proving that Western civilisation is deepy enbedded in the Maltese psychi. As my fellow conational said Malra widely respects the Drinking water directive - do they in Estonia - I greatly doudt it - and I am a scientist by profession not a layman. The Maltese always fought and sacrificed their lives for their freedom, freedom never came as a cascading effect due the fall of an ideology - we are to be admired and respected, especially given our small size.
For future reference, inform yourself before you comment. Remember that when you are visiting a country you are an ambassador of yours.
Jean Pierre Fava - Marsascala - Malta
Mr. foreigner in Malta
Well done - I am so glad that you have chosen Malta as an alternative residence and that you have not left us after 2 years.
Any positive endeavour to make my beautiful country a better one would be much appreciated.
The fact remains that Maltese tap waters are non toxic, Malta is not Baghdad, and that the Maltese people are of mixed descendencies and influences, the majority with a heart of gold and sense of passion. All other stuff posted by ‘foreigner in Malta’ is mere stereotypical prejudiced waffle and out of context. Next time ‘foreigner in Malta’: put your furore on the respective Maltese Authorities, or pack your bags and leave our country!
S. Miles - Sliema - Malta