Hmmm, today was the first day I had to make my own way to the office. It should take between 15 and 25 minutes depending on traffic (and in my case, depending on how slow I have to travel through the water). I made one mistake early on, but was quick to correct it, then I came to a roundabout. I wasn't sure if we took the second or third exit yesterday, so I tried the second exit. Oops, definitely not right, so I need to find an opportunity to turn round and go back....
2 and a half hours later I arrived at the office. I wish I could say I was exagerating but I'm not. At one point I was only 2km from the airport (which is in the dead centre of the island) and at other point I was 2km from the capital Valetta (which is on the north-west coast). I was going round and round in circles, in heavy, early morning traffic sometimes 5 or 6 lanes wide.
The problem you see is roadsigns in Malta are not very helpful. Firstly they mainly do not exist. You approach a roundabout and it says 'get in lane' but doesn't tell you where any of the lanes go! Secondly, when a sign does exist, such as 'St Julian straight on' you think you're on the right track, only to find 'St Julian' has disappeared from the next road sign you come across!
For the first hour I was finding it funny. Maltese drivers are agressive, but they never bully. Despite being lost and heading in the wrong direction I never felt intimidated. For the second hour however I was getting frustrated. When you've seen the same three-arched structure go past for the fourth time it makes you wonder if you're trapped on Groundhog Day. In the end I pulled into a town to ask directions. I didn't actually know the name of the town my office is in so I asked for directions to St Julans instead. I thought if I could get home I could start again.
I went into a little newsagents and spoke to a lovely old man behind the counter. It seemed I was quite close to home (so I HAD come full circle) and he sent me on my way. What happened next is beyond belief.
I got into the car, set off in the direction he sent me and as I approached a junction I craned my neck left and right to make sure it was clear to go. As I turned to the left I saw it..... my office building.
By complete accident, and after driving for two hours down random roads and alleyways I had pulled up to ask for directions less than half a mile from my ultimate destination. I had approached it from the opposite side I was supposed to, but there it was! The two people I was training were there waiting for me (I wasn't actually late as I had set off two hours early in the vain hope of getting some work done in advance).
The drive home was less eventful. Yes I made another mistake, but one I could easily correct. It involved me going round a roundabout 3 times (National Lampoon's European Vaction anyone? 'Hey look kids... Big Ben!!')
Dinner came courtesy of MacDonalds (I know it's hardly exciting but I just wanted to get back to the hotel and I had to walk past it), and although I've wasted half a tank of fuel, I never once felt stress...
..just frustration.
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