After 3 months in Bulgaria, where I managed to receive full Pfizer vaccination even though I am not a citizen or resident of Bulgaria or the EU, I flew to Malta on June 2, 2021, 2 days after my second dose (and my 3rd PCR test on the same day) and a day after Malta opened up for tourists, and stayed for 4 nights. 

This was my first time in Malta, and honestly I could not believe I had not been there after all these years of traveling in Europe. I didn't know what I was missing. 

As the site is already well described by previous reviewers, I'll focus on the practicalities. 

There is a helpful tourist office near the Triton Fountain in Valletta where I got all the info I needed to go around Malta by bus instead of doing online research for myself. I still can't rely on Google Map Direction alone as far as bus routes go. 

So I got on Bus 3 and got off at "Paola 2" bus stop for Megalithic Temple at Tarxien and Hal Saflieni Hypogeum. 

Hal Saflieni Hypogeum requires us to make online reservation for a tour of the site. Because the re-opening of the Hypogeum on July 1 was announced only a few weeks before, tickets were readily available online on any day, and I bought it 2 weeks before my visit. But I was outraged that the ticket price was 35 Euros! How can that be? Do they think by staying home during the pandemic people saved money?  I didn't! 

I was left with no choice but going for a student ticket. I had not done this for a while, but it was significantly less at 20 Euros. If they ask me for a student ID at the entrance, I could present my student card from one of my US universities that I still carry and that does not have an expiration date on it. I might look younger in the photo on the card, but I am wearing sunglasses in the photo. In the end they did not ask for a student ID at the entrance. 

I was somewhat aware that we weren't allowed to take photos, but what I didn't know was that we had to leave all gadgets in lockers before the tour started. I was taken aback at this protocol. 

As far as the underground Megalithic monuments go, as soon as I saw them, I was struck with a sense of deja vu. That's right, I saw something similar above ground at Tarxien only one hour before.