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Two men & the host.

Pre my trip to Malta 🇲🇹 as things go I was sorting through the limited search results for accomodation. Mister BnB was the weapon of choice for my search. I came across the one who drew me in. Luke was the name. There was an uncanny likeness of someone very close to me which I thought to be very comforting. There was mention of a sunny room with seperate bathroom, and the company of a fellow creative artist. This drew me in immediately. We connected online & he was very friendly with a sense of humour as well a keen ear & helpful nature. I was at ease & ready to meet my host. Upon arrival he was incredibly generous to assist setting me off onto my first venture. He was amazing. The first night in we hung out & lounged talking smoking, sharing thoughts. He told me of his family, he has a twin brother Matthew if my memory serves me. Who plays in a folk band & lives in Mullumbimby. Of all places. The one place my Mako moon once rose from. These subtle ties, these signs to light the way to these pure amazing experiences that just keep coming in. Second night in I decide to hit some of the more glamorous parts of the island. Predominantly Mdina, & Valetta. Unfortunately I didn't catch Mdina at night, though a complete gentleman by the name of Paul met me in The Fortress city at the arrival of nightfall. Once a stranger now a newfound friend. We talked over a beer in the fortress gardens. He showed me the island lights at night. Beautiful like an old time renaissance painting sprung to life as we walked the pavements of this old beautiful city. Like a true gentleman he had me home by midnight. Just after showing me one of the highest look out points on the island where you get a complete 360" view of the city scape, & at night it's a view not to be missed. It's called "top of the world " by the locals. Paul if you're out there reading this thank you for showing my your island home. I will never forget it. So my last final full day was packed with the Blue Grotto & the neighbouring ancient sacred sights Hagar Qim Temples & Mnajdra Temple. Such energy in old places like this. I was a little disheartened by the fact the sight was completely gated & covered in a huge tent. It somehow detracted the natural beauty of the site. Though this was one of the highlights of my trip. Recommended by Luke of course. For the night of my last full 24hrs i wanted to experience the vibrant colourful nightlight Malta had to offer. It was exactly that Kevin introduced me to. We bar hopped from one side of the island to another. St Julian's being the main bar & club hub set on a beautiful Bay Area. Kevin was originally from the UK he had landed in Malta approx 5years ago & had refused to leave. I can't blame him. Such a magical place. Kevin was also a man of good humour & a big friendly giant. We drank all night with much conversed & many laughs. Hahaha I can still see him guarding my bag in his over the top completely British humorous way as I had numerous bathroom visits. Kevin if by any chance you catch this. Thanks again. You're a true legend! So the men of Malta of whom I had the absolute pleasure of meeting. Call me crazy however I see you all as Saints in your own right. Saint Luke, Paul, & Kevin. Funnily enough after doing some research all three are legit Saint names. You were all majestic brilliant men in your own unique individual ways. Glad to have met you all & to remain in touch. Thank you all ever kindly & sincerely. Your brief guest. Qu. Peace.

#men #malta #friendships #stlukes #stpaul #stjulians #mdina #valetta #bluegrotto #acommodation #StKevin #guardianofthebag

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M A L T A

A swift short escapade to this beautiful star in the Mediterranean, a dream indeed. Malta for me was a refuge of sorts from the current journey I'm on. Call me a creature of particular familiar comforts; English, beaches, smiles, Arabic numerics, sunshine, ancient cities & sites, soy milk, & that care free island life. My memory & experience of Malta 🇲🇹 definitely a positive one. Walking through Valetta at sunset 🌅 the way the light colours in all the ancient buildings & city walls. That sunset orange gold. As the city lights begin their somber soft glows. As the sun sunk under the that deep rich azure water. 🌃 Being there for long Easter weekend there were processions throughout the city. There were holy chants & bells heard as well as performance re-enactments to be seen. The tiny island laying amongst other lost forgotten diamonds 💎 was swarming with tourists. I just felt bad for not only the people of Malta, but the island itself. 🌴 The locals would tell me this ain't nothing yet. Wait till June the place is packed. Hearing such a thing only broke my heart further. 💔 I enjoyed venturing solo most of my time as there was so much to see. Wasn't hard to remain busy at all. So many ancient sites & beaches as well as the city scape itself. Plenty of restaurants & cafes to please. With my limited time I didn't manage to see Gozo or much of the north island. I'ld love to return with much more time on my side. Also meeting Maltese people was uplifting. They are very generous kind & warm with a sense of humour. Completely & totally what I needed during this transition juncture in my life. Such a pivotal point. Simply trying to make a man of myself, digging in the dirt of raw life trying to find my place of where I fit. It's trying & tiering, spending myself away day after day. Feeling like my spirit is at a breaking point, then a simple sleep is hitting reset. Restarting the backdrop in my minds eye. . . ... . . .. . . . P.s. Malta 🇲🇹 I love you and hopefully shall return at some point in time. Take care friend. P. E. A. C. E.

#maltaphotography #malta #valleta #bluegrotto #mdina #stjulians #takeoff #landing strip #istanbul

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The G A L A T A Experience...

So, the area of Istanbul of which I'm currently residing in is called Beyöglü, there are two metro stations on either side of the world famous Istiklal Caddesi; Istiklal the Turkish word for "Independence" a place of many protests, and demonstrations of freedom of expression by the people. Forgive me I digress, on one side is Taksim, and the other is Sishane. I have walked the entire stretch of Istiklal for six weeks in both directions even jumped on the metro trains on both sides, and ever since I first gazed upon the tower of Galata, I had always wanted to get to the top and witness the vast beauty that is Istanbul. Well finally I managed to get the time as well as the right weather conditions for beautiful revealing photos of the city skyscrape. I wanted to capture the sunset with all its raw colour and beauty pouring over the city and to witness the city as night blankets over our heads above and to see as far the eye can see, all the city lights blinking on. It was just as I had hoped. Just for a little insight about the Galata Tower, a brief history in my own words. Galata was first built in 528 by the Byzantine Emperor Anastasius Oilosuz. It was firstly built from wood, and to serve as a lighthouse. In 1348 Galata was rebuilt by the Genoese out of stone masonry and dubbed Christea Turris (Christ Tower). It was then used as a prison to detain Christian prisoners whom were impressed by the Turks when Istanbul was conquered in 1453. This amazing historic piece is 66.90 meters high from the ground and 140 meters from sea level, and has a diameter of 895 meters and the wall thickness of 375 meters. Galata from my knowledge has fallen in both a fire and an earthquake, rebuilt and remains as one of the oldest and beautiful towers of Istanbul. It was quite a satisfying experience to witness the city from up high as Istanbul's night life was awakening. He's got a vibrant busy fast paced nightlife to offer. If only you're capable to keeping up, the night life here can swallow you alive. If ever in Istanbul I recommend the Galata Tower as well as its surrounding areas filled with cafes, restaurants, shops, street art. Or if you just enjoy getting lost amongst the cobble stone alleyways and lantern strung corridors, then I'm sure theres something for you. Peace.

#galatatower #galatakulesi #galatasaray #alleyway #istanbul #mosque #cityscape #sunset #taksim #turkey #history

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Cairo town

I just wanted to share some photos from my time in Cairo, Alexandria & a place called the Hot eye on the Red Sea as well as Giza of course. The experience itself was a kind of pilgrimage back to my Homeland after 20years of absence. The place was rich, vibrant full of colour & movement, people were always warm & wore a smile. I connected immediately with this place after being away for so long. In Egyptian culture family is very deeply important, and with my relatives back in Australia I don't get on with a lot of them due to me being me. Mostly the fact I'm queer alternative doesn't gel with them so much. Though it was the total opposite in Egypt. All of my aunts & uncles, cousins and everyone in between were eager to know me, take me out, or even just sit and have a conversation. This blew my mind. I fell in love with being around family and having them as a back up. Just being able to be myself and not have to worry. Of course it wasn't like I could get away with certain things I could do in Australia, however they truly seemed to love and show respect for me unlike most of my uncles & aunts do back home in Australia. I will share more photos of Egypt again soon. Happy following. Peace. 👍🏾👌🏾✌🏾🙏🏾

#egypt #egyptian #family #pilgrimage #cairo #giza #alexandria #nightlife #mosque #ancient

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