Eurotrip Day 2: Naples Italy

The following is an excerpt from my travel journal for the second day of my European trip in Naples Italy.

Napoli 9-13-09

"Woke up early, and had breakfast at the hostel. Set off to visit Pompeii with 2 British girls, German guy, and a Dutch girl. Took two trains to get there and 45 mins. First was a metro to the Napoli Central, then the circumvesuviana to the Pompeii Scavi station. Pompeii is amazing! The sheer magnitude of the amount of history and ruins there is hard to comprehend. The city is very big and takes a long time to navigate through. The dead bodies were harder to locate then we had expected. Eventually we did manage to find some rather charming specimen. Also, there are stray dogs and puppies all over Pompeii that sleep so still on the marble floors that they too look dead. After we finished with Pompeii, we trained to Sorrento to take a dip in the Mediterranean Sea(my first ever dip in the med). Sorrento is beautiful, quiet and clean. The water of the sea is crystal clear. We had quite a swim out to a rock breakwater where we dried in the sun and dove back in. We could see spear fisherman in the depths as we swam over them. We had a nice spot on a small beach, where we listened to music and played frisbee for about 2 hours.

The Beach and Jetty in Sorrento, Italy.

On our way back to the train, we stopped for gelato, which was excellent. After a train back to Naples, myself and my new German friend, walked through the city for some traditional Napoli pizza. It was delicious. In fact, it is the only thing they eat here."

After this entry, my new group of friends and I played some American and European drinking games for a while with wine, that only cost 2.5 Euros per bottle at the hostel, which was a great deal if you ask me. Then I slept, because the next day, I had a change of scenery. This time it would be Rome.

I had a great time in Naples. Every moment I was there is a cherished memory, that I won't forget. Although before going there, many people had warned me that Naples was dangerous and scary, Never for a moment was I worried or scared, and I found the people to be extraordinarily friendly. And I never met any Italian mafia people although I hear there is a mafia controlled district. I highly recommend a trip to Naples for anyone that is traveling through Italy.

Italy: Women so hot, your face will melt off!

Italy: Also has volcanoes to melt your face off!

Eurotrip Day 1. Naples, Italy

View from my room in Naples

The following entry is an excerpt written directly from my travel journal Day one in Europe:

Roma-Napoli 9-12-09

"When I landed, I already had my bag(I had not checked it, which saved my skin). I pretty easily managed to find the Leonardo Express train to Rome's Termini Station. From there, I had a little difficulty finding the booth to validate my Railpass. Once validated + ticket bought, I hopped a bullet train to Naples. When I got there, I decided to walk from the Napoli Central Station to the hostel(La Controra Flashpackers Hostel) because Google Maps said it was 3Km 30 mins. It was not 30 mins, very hilly, and got slightly lost, but all the Napoli people I met were very friendly + helpful, although a part of the city I walked through was covered in graffiti, and looked post-apocalyptic, like 'Mad Max'. The area where I stayed was much nicer. Immediately after arriving at the hostel, I met several nice people that I will tour Naples and the surrounding towns with. There are a lot of Germans here.

Observation: Naples is loud, people honk horns constantly,

As I write this, horns are honking.

-Traffic in Naples stops for NO ONE!

No such thing as crosswalks. "

Later this first night, I drank a bit of wine with the new friends that I had made, and a few of us decided to hop a few buses to get to an Italian rap concert in the city's main square. We took a jug of wine with us, and had a great time. The Italian language is a romance language. Italian rap music is not a romance language, and sounds pretty gross, but to me, life is about having new experiences, and a rap concert in Naples was a new one for me.

Below is my new North Face Terra 60 backpack on my room's balcony in Naples.

The Flight from Hell

On my trip through Europe, probably the most miserable times were related to time spent at airports, and in my flight to Rome. Although I usually have a great time at airports, people watching and reading, this time was different, I felt like I was on 'The Amazing Race'.

My flight was intended to leave O'Hare Airport in Chicago at 1:50 PM. I was then supposed to have a 1 hour layover in Philadelphia before embarking to Rome. I decided that I did not want to take any risks in missing my flight, so I left my house in the city around 9:30, which was almost pathetically early. I took a bus and the El, and made it to the airport around 10:15. I checked into my Us Air flight, did not check my bag(which was super clutch thinking on my part, and crucial for my trip), and zipped through security. I was reading a book at my gate by 10:45, which was about 3 hours before the flight was supposed to board.

I waited patiently reading my extremely boring book(about an old geezer walking the Appalachian Trail), and about 30 minutes before the flight was about to board, they changed the time on the screen to say that the flight was delayed an hour and a half. Therefore, I would be unable to make my connection, and would have to spend the night in the Philly Airport, and delay my trip. I stormed the desk and sweet talked the lady into booking me onto an Al Italia, which was direct. I was pretty happy about this, as I took a tram from terminal three to terminal five.

When I got to my new terminal to check in, I was told that I would be flying standby on the Al Italia flight, and that the flight was full. The lady at this booth recommended that I go back to US Air and demand to speak to a manager. She also said that I should hurry because 2 other people from my original flight would be quickly on my tail. The race was on! Back on the tram to terminal three.

Back at US Air, I talked to a manager, and told her to get me on a flight to Rome that day. She was able to book me in a confirmed seat on an American Airlines direct flight to Rome, leaving at 6 PM. She said it was the last seat on the last plane leaving for Rome that day. I had made it, I had won my mini Amazing Race.

So I waited for a few more hours, and eventually, it was time for me to board my plane. I was completely ready to leave Chicago, I had been at O'Hare Airport for nearly seven hours, and had eaten three meals there. I walked triumphantly down the aisle with my North Face Terra 60 backpack that I had thought ahead not to check. I walked further and further through the fuselage of the plane for what felt like miles, and as I neared my seat.....Oh Shit... This can't be true....A huge fat man was sitting immediately next to me. What rotten luck.

I not-so-delicately smashed my pack into the overhead compartment, and took my assigned seat in the way back of the plane in the absolute middle seat, sandwiched between the gargantuan man, and a know it all cougar.

For the next nine hours or so, the obese man's enormous arm and elbow were touching my chest. The heat controls didn't work in the plane, and it was hot as Hades in the back of the plane---The man was sweating on me the entire flight. I almost was brave enough to take a picture to document him eating a wheel of cheese during the flight, but I chickened out. The in-flight movie was 'Mama Mia' which sucked, but was only made better by the fact that the sound system did not work in my section, so I did not have to listen to Pierce Brosnan sing. Unfortunately, my reading light didn't work either, so I had nothing to do except think about the amazing adventure that lay before me, as I try to ignore the beads of sweat(not mine) rolling down my right sleeve.

European Trip to be continued....

Next Stage...Naples, Italy.

Europe Trip

About a week and a half ago, I got back to Chicago from my adventure in Europe. On my trip, I toured through Italy alone, then met with friends in Munich for Oktoberfest, we went to Austria for a brief climb of a mountain, and finished off the trip in Prague, Czech republic. Then I had a 14 hour layover in Dublin on my way back home. Getting myself out of my comfort zone while traveling alone, as well as the great party atmosphere of Oktoberfest, combined to make this the best trip of my life. I will continue to post more detailed accounts of my trip, country by country in the coming days.