Day 5: Wasted day

May 25th-

We left Hotel Siracusa very early, around 6:30 AM, and drove to Naples so we could catch a ferry to Capri.

On the way to Naples, I realized that nothing says PICKPOCKET ME!!! Like a bright blue and orange money bag that says, "Hello there, I'm a tourist!"

I didn't like Napoli at all, I was very tense while we were there. There's a distinct stress there, partly emphasized by the trash that is everywhere, almost strategically scattered, draped and overflowing practically anywhere you look. Jason told us that there was a garbage strike happening. I s'pose it gives a visual on how badly the city needs to clean up its mafia vs. government dilemmas. Pretty epic.

Unfortunately, I did a terrible job getting photos that really show what it was like in Napoli. Maybe this can give a small idea of what was everywhere.

We had a few minutes to kill before our ferry left, so Pat, Seth and I wandered over to the castle across the street. We did almost die crossing the street, but, after all, it was a castle,right across the street. I'm fairly certain Patrick would have stopped a moving car with his face to get a better look.

It was eerie seeing the stone turrets and parapets amidst abandoned wheelchairs and strewn plastic. But, there it was, and the walls desperately needed weeding. I wonder if they had a man to do that when the castle was functioning.

See? vegetation!

It seems like the castle got blasted


A better view of the castle.

We walked around for about 45 minutes, then grabbed our tickets for the ferry and boarded. I was very curious to see whether or not I was prone to seasickness. I've never had motion sickness in my life, so while my mom and Paula Eagle drugged themselves on Drenamin I found my seat, expecting to throw up.

I didn't feel queasy, but I was nervous. The boat was rocking (I didn't think it was bad, but others did), but it was more the Italians that sat next to me that made my stomach churn. I had no idea where anyone else was, we'd all scattered as we boarded. There was no place to stand, so I slid into my seat, and was soon joined by two Italian men. I was sketched out, thanks to my first experience, but they really only wanted to chat. (This might have something to do with the fact that I was asked first thing, whether or not I had a boyfriend. So I lied, and they were nice from a good distance of 3 1/2 inches, respecting the Josh Holloway they thought was waiting for me at home.)

Capri came up fast chatting with them, maybe it's why I didn't notice any of the rocking. Some people said it was really making them feel weird. Hopefully I'm just a born sailor, but I know we have a few more boat trips coming up, so I guess I'll find out sooner than later!

Capri was pretty, but dull. We took a boat around the island, then wandered around a lot in some freakin' hot heat. The water was actually reasonably priced [1 euro for 1.5 liters, whereas in Rome it might have been 6] so it wasn't as awful as it could have been. We could at least be simultaneously bored and hydrated.

Slurping energy

Something about these rocks is awesome

At the end of our really boring guided tour, Pat, Julie and I went swimming, and I got zapped by a jelly fish. I didn't pee on myself though, it didn't hurt that bad.

Julie and I, after our quick exit from the jellyfish-laden waters.



Looks cute doesn't it? Try cuddling with it.

The beach was very, very rocky. Pat and I didn't wear water shoes like Julie did, so we have Capri wounds on our feet. I also totally forgot a towel, so I had to sun-dry. I had a hard time not licking my arms and fingers, I was crusted with sodium.

A spiffy house and the mother of all Aloe Vera plants

View of Capri

One thing I've noticed since I've been here: the light is different.
Sometimes you walk outside into the afternoon sun and it feels like the rays punch you in the face. It's very intense compared to Upstate.

Sunburned and salty, we boarded the ferry to Sorrento. It was beautiful, standing in the open part of the boat watching a slow zoom out of Capri. It is a lascivious island, full of long legs and shopping; generally useless things. As we pulled away it looked like a trinket. A jade set in a blue velvet sea; nice to look at, but not good for anything. I thought all this as I wedged my back against a wall on the boat. My swim-shorts' rear are rocking serious dirt stains; I hope they wash out. Not a romantic sight in the romantic setting.

As a precursor to what we'll see tomorrow, I was really proud of myself; I located the volcano that decimated Pompeii on my own. No one pointed it out to me, I myself scoped it out. Volcanoes really look like volcanoes. So far everything I've seen here hasn't looked like what I expected it would, but Vesuvius is very volcano-ish. It's still active too. Pompeii may be destroyed all over again. Sucks for the hundreds of thousands of people that are living on the side of a natural disaster. Seriously, who sets up house on an active volcano!

I have an eye for volcanoes.

Sorrento

We arrived in Sorrento around 7 and walked up the 150 steps, which had been slightly played up. It wasn't that big a deal though... I'm not sure I would have even been winded if this dumb asthma didn't have separation anxiety (but for the most part, I've been feeling loads and loads better). The really hard part came when we rushed to wait for the bus, then haul our luggage through a precarious route to reach our hotel.

Join me in these moments:

Lay out on your front porch, slightly damp, and cake yourself in salt. Cultivate a nice sunburn. Throw a backpack on your blistered back, pack a 90 pound suitcase (make sure it has skimpy wheels) and trudge along cobbled roads.

Cobbled roads. (stay with me)

Imagine a checkerboard with crevices between the squares. These squares have been smashed down at intermittent heights and angles. Now try that with 90 pounds on skimpy wheels.

You can barely contain the flood of relief when you realize your hotel is near. Shower, putting feet up, slather in a soothing moisturizer, sleeping. It's all just around the corner.

Imagine when you round that corner and the first thing that greets you is 2 flights of stairs before you can even reach the stupid hotel. It was like rock climbing with half the cliff on your back.

Awful.

But a great dinner and beautiful rooms made up for it. Now that I have breathing time and my salty flesh isn't pleading to be cleansed, I would love to spend more time in Sorrento. It's a neat place.

A nifty ravine in Sorrento

Which contained this creepy abandoned building

First thing tomorrow morning though, we're going to blow this joint and head to Pompeii. I'm beyond stoked for this! Pompeii always fascinated me from the first sentence I read about it. I never, ever thought I would be able to see it in person.

Anyway, dinner and shower wasn't the end of the night like I'd thought it would be. Patrick's foot is insanely swollen. He was nearly in tears because he was in so much pain. When the guy at the front desk looked at it (he was very helpful and nice) he decided it was just a mosquito bite. I laugh at Patrick, in tears because he was nibbled by a bug.

Pompeii! I'm still a little dazzled... This is happening! Serious!

-E