Friday, May 28, 2010

Malta / Gozo











This morning, we arrived in our first port of call Veletta, Malta. The view from our balcony was spectacular as the Disney Magic eased into the harbor. I must have taken 50+ photos before we even left our room!

The kids were reluctant to wake up this morning. I think they are still having trouble adjusting to the time change, but we finally got them dressed & fed in time for our tour. We met up with the rest of our group just outside the ship at 9:30am.

After meeting up with our guides, it was a short walk to a boat waiting to take us to the nearby island of Gozo for the day. The ride over was pleasant and we stopped along the way to check out some caves where pirates used to hide their ships and also the beautiful Blue Lagoon. It was so inviting, we all wanted to jump right in. The water reminds me crystal blue waters of the Bahamas.

After about 45 minutes, we arrived at Gozo and got into open-air jeeps for an island tour. Our jeeps climbed up the twisting roads to our first stop, the Ggantija Prehistoric Temples. Although the temples are really just ruins, it was a good stop for the kids to have some space to move around and be free. Next, we visited the Citidel, which was very impressive. Justin really hit it off with our guide and talked to her non-stop about his video games set in the medieval period.

After the Citadel, we stopped in for a delicious lunch at a waterfront restaurant. The owner had selected 4 or 5 entrees for us to choose from, which really speed up the ordering process. They also had lots of food for the kids such as pasta, chicken nuggets, etc. It was Isabella’s birthday today and they brought out a gluten-free birthday cake which was surprisingly delicious!

After lunch, we started winding our way back toward the harbor to catch the boat back to Malta and the Disney Magic. The wind had picked up a bit and it was a long, choppy ride back to Veletta, but we finally made it back around 4:30pm.

I have been totally unable to access the Internet here on board (unlike previous cruises) and I was hoping to grab my laptop, hop back off the boat and find an Internet café to upload my blog. However, there was a big line to get back on and it was after 5pm by the time I got back to the room. We had to be back onboard by 6pm, so I decided to scrap the idea. Who knows when I will get a chance to upload and if anyone will ever get to read this? Very frustrating!

At dinner tonight, we had all the kids sit together at one table and the grown-ups at another. It seemed to work out pretty well and I think we all enjoyed talking about our days adventures. I think I will go downstairs and give the ship’s Internet one more try before I call it quits. Wish me luck!

Tomorrow, we will be arriving in Tunis, Tunisia on the African continent. I am excited to step foot in Africa for the first time. We have a fun tour scheduled with a visit to a wild animal park and belly dancing lesson!

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