The week passed with no real unique activity. It seems like we are true Florentines now, waking up with all the regulars, catching the #25 bus to campus, taking classes, doing homework, and just trying to survive a weather that is as temperamental as the calm before the storm. Some days its a gorgeous 85 degrees, other days its freezing and storming. The weather definitely cannot make up its mind, and so we must suffer as her dyslexic self tries to right itself. However, Salman, Monish, and I cooked for Vidisha and Rutali, finally beginning to repay a debt that is long overdue. We cooked penne with frozen vegetables, oregano, red pepper flakes, and frozen vegetables, and the kicker: pesto. This pesto was so full in flavor that I was taken back by its sharp and full bodied flavor. Vidisha and Rutali made a dessert that consisted of tomatoes and bananas that was extremely spicy. It had an incredibly unique blend of spicy curries and sweet fruit taste, and it definitely capped a great meal.
Once Thursday came, I came home after Italian to get my packing done. I threw in a beach towel, a change of clothes, and basic toiletries. The worst thing I have come to find with traveling is bringing your passport. Although its just a small booklet, it literally weights 20 pounds in your bag and you are always hesitant whenever the thought of trying to find your passport comes up. It is definitely a hassle, but I guess life never makes things easy. Anyways, after BLaw, we all ran out of class and hustled down to Florence's Santa Maria Novella train station, where at the end of the last track and down a ramp we found our bus, EuroAdventures, where most people were already on since they said they either skipped class or didn't have a Thursday Afternoon class. Once we gave them our bags, we got on to the top section since it was a double decker bus and found our seats, knowing this might be one of the best weekends of our lives.
Dan, Blessie, Marisa, Vidisha, and Katie hanging out in the back
Once we got on, I put my iPod in and tried to catch up on some hours of sleep. I figured the trip would take 4, 5 hours at most. So when I turned and asked Dan, and he said it was 8 hours, my jaw dropped to the floor. The sudden thought of being cramped in a large bus for 8 hours was daunting, like, 3 OrgComm classes here in Florence back to back, with each 3 hours long followed by 3 BLaw Classes from a professor who, although she graduated from Harvard Undergrad and went to Columbia Law School, seems to have learned english yesterday. Needless to say, the idea is not thrilling at all. We tried to make the best of the situation, first playing charades, but then they played the movies I Love You, Man (slappin da bass!) and Anchorman (Dorothy Mantooth is a saint!), but they ended with a little known Leonardo DiCaprio movie called The Beach. It was a horrible movie, enough said. But we did get a chance to stop at an AutoGrille, which is Italy's version of a rest stop. The place was horribly overpriced, but I did fork over €2 for a foccacio type bread with sun-dried tomato spread on it. I ate that and then proceeded to pass out until the night drop of Sorrento, the place we were staying, came into view and we all woke up from our daze and stared in awe as an starry night blanketed a seaside town who's waters clearly were as blue at night as it was usually during the day. We arrived at our 3 star hotel, which was actually a set of buildings that were referred to as bungalows. We got settled in and passed out, knowing a day in Capri was ahead of us.
Dan and my room, Monish, Earl, and Salman slept outside. No one had to be top bunk.
This bathroom had an annoying problem of becoming a swamp every time we showered.
Our Bungalow, room 112
First morning of the epic weekend
We woke up relatively early and headed out, all decked out in swimming trunks, to the ferry from Sorrento to Capri. Oh wait, guess who forgot his swimming trunks. Yes, it turns out that while packing, I forgot my swimming trunks to the Amalfi Coast, quite possibly one of the biggest fails so far in this semester. We trek from the hotel to downtown Sorrento where we wait for the group to assemble, and then head down to the docks where it turns out we had to pay our own tickets, €27, not a small fee, just to get to Capri. I guess we could find some solace in the fact that it was for a roundtrip ticket? But what made things worse was that all ticket counters said they ran out of change, and so we had to pay exact amounts. I'm telling you, everything in this country will find time to siesta, from people to money to busses, at the most inopportune times. But after using our Stern mathematics skills, we covered each other and proceeded to wait for our ferry to come. Once it came, we shuffled into it like animals onto Noah's Ark, and departed for Capri.
Downtown Sorrento
Single File all the way down to the docks, its like we're on our way to school
Squadush from an angle that makes her shorter than she already is
Single File onto the Ark
Capri in background? Check. Italian Flag? Check.
Greatest candid smile. It screams: President 2050
Capri Welcomes You
When we got to Capri, our excitement overwhelmed us and we all rushed in every direction. Our tour guides told us to get off the ship and congregate at the base of the docks. He said, in order to get to Capri Centro, we had to hike up about 500 feet. It doesn't sound like much, but the incline was steep, and we weren't ready to do this on a stomach that wasn't full in any way, shape or form.
Confused but excited
A trek that took the wind out of most
The view at the top
Turn yourself around and this is what you get
Welcome to my place
Welcome to the Good Life
And then we decided to climb to the tallest point in Capri, Anacapri
Once we got to Capri Centrale, most of us were too beat to continue on to the main trek. In fact, the very reason why we woke up early was to do this hike. Of course I was down, even though the sweat around my neck was already flowing like the Arno. I picked up a quick Caprese Sandwich with Dan, which is basically the Tomato, Basil, Mozzarella at Cosi only 1000x better, and began our trek. It was much steeper than Cinque Terra, and I thankfully was wearing sneakers this time. Backpack in hand and water in tow, the climb up 2000 feet would begin. In a single file, we kept each other's spirits up by screaming Jay-What? Jay-Soul! Also, we kept making fun of each other and at the fact that the people of Capri must have the most phenomenal calves by climbing this everyday. Our first scenic overlook, which was less than half the way up, was absolutely gorgeous.
The trek while it was easy
The first scenic overlook of Capri
Searching for the perfect photo-op
Amalfi-Borgo Boys
After the photo op, we continued our trek. However, the trail began a more intense incline, and we were literally leaning onto the ground to stay balanced. Luckily, I wore sneakers this time, but Zainab didn't, and I did get a chance to catch this fail.
This is how not to climb this mountain...flip flops need not apply
Once we were near the top, the sheer cliffs part started. Here, we literally had to throw our backpacks up first, and then either hoist ourselves up or have someone help boost us up. The picture below shows how vertical the last part was.
Had to make my groin do weird things to get up this mountain
Once we got out, we found ourselves at a clearing and the entire island of Capri was in view. It was quite possibly the most picturesque place so far. An island all unto itself with clear blue waters on a day where you could see in all directions for miles, we got a chance to witness Capri in all of its glory. However, we weren't even at the very top. We turned around and saw a huge grassy portion filled with brush that people were walking up, and the peak was in sight.
Second scenic overlook, had to use my tshirt as a sweat rag
Beautiful Capri
And then we stormed to the very top
Butt buddies
Of course the shirts came off
Finally feeling like no more 3x5s
Highest point of Capri
After reaching the top and resting for what seemed like 30 seconds, the group was ready to go back down the mountain again. Maritza and I were in the back of the group still taking pictures when we turned around and no one that was part of our group. Maybe we both panicked, maybe that was an understatement. But then we just decided to follow a random trail and head down that way because we yelled Jay-What? and we would try and listen to Jesal respond Jay-Soul! The voices began to falter really quickly and then when we would scream out no one would respond. So we decided that our "no sense of direction, full sense of fun" would have to kick in and, in the jungles of Capri, figure out a way back down the mountain. We walked into intersection after intersection of trails and just flew by the seat of our pants, trying to figure out how to get down. We walked all the way down the mountain and back into Capri and we literally turned the corner and saw everyone waiting for the two of us in a parking lot. Our spirits soared instantly, knowing that we blindly went down a mountain and still were able to figure out a way home.
Trying to figure out a way down the mountain
The view while we went back down the mountain
Once we got back down to the docks, everyone was chilling, waiting to rent a boat. It was cheap enough and there was no way that we were going to come to Capri and not rent a boat, so we all pitched in and got into a boat. While it was revving to go we all daydreamed openly about our future lives and how epic it would be if we would all just travel to Capri on the weekends to live the good life. The boat took us around the island, and we had the time of our lives hanging off the side of the boats, sitting with our feet in the water, and having the sun in our face. We drank beer and smoked cigarettes while the boat took its time showing us the sights, with daunting cliffs and mountain peeks that have houses of all colors that dot the landscape. We were looking forward to going to the world famous Blue Grotto, but with high tides we ended up going to the Green Grotto. Once the boat stopped at what looked like a cutout in the side of the mountain with an entrance closer to us and an exit on the other side, he said we could jump out and swim. So without thinking I just jumped into the water. Now, remember when I said I didn't have any swimming trunks? Well the fact that I jumped in with khaki shorts meant that I was sinking rather than floating since my cargo shorts were soaking in so much water. Also, with this fact I had to tread water more frequently than others. The tides were really tough and I definitely had a hard time staying up because of my lack of energy from climbing Anacapri in the morning. But my adrenaline kicked in and I swam with everyone else into the Grotto. Salman and I were definitely have trouble and so we hung onto the rocks, not thinking there would be any consequences and so we just held on, trying to catch our breath. The toughest part was swimming into the grotto itself since the waves were going against us and my khakis were weighing me down. Once we got into the grotto it was really cool to see surprisingly calm waters, but since I was exhausted I held onto the side and Salman held on as well. After catching our collective breaths, we both pushed off and I literally floated out of the grotto, staring straight up at the bluffs that looked down upon me. As I continued to just rest and stare in awe of this natural wonder the boat came around and I climbed in. I was just resting until Rutali pointed at my legs, which were bleeding profusely from about 2 dozen cuts. It seems like the rocks in the grotto were razor sharp, and my adrenaline must have blocked out the pain because I neither felt any pain or thought I was bleeding. However, once Rutali showed me and I looked at it, I saw that blood was literally pouring out of my legs. Vidisha sacrificed a towel and I just covered myself up, trying to wipe it up. After stopping most of the bleeding, I just sat back, relaxed, and just enjoyed what seemed like another summer day in Capri as he continued the tour of the Island. We came up against these rock formations protruding out of the water with one having a tunnel part to it. It seemed narrow, but the captain of the boat sailed right through it, and it was so close we felt like we could reach out and touch the sides of the rocks. We snapped pictures galore at the island at all angles, and once we got back to the docks, we got off and went to the beach. Now we thought that the beaches at Capri would be better than Cinque Terra, and by better I mean it would actually be totally covered in sand. No such luck. It seems as though all the sand in Italy has been on siesta and almost all the beaches are covered in rocks. We found a huge bunch of rocks and played Chinese Poker while Capri looked on in the distance.
Welcome to the Good Life, Welcome to the Party Life
El Capitan
Wilin' Out
The other boat...can you see who is on it?
A lighthouse on the other side of the island
Jumping off the boat and into the green grotto
Sailing through huge rock formations coming out of the water
Sick boating skills
A monument to Capri on the top of these rocks
Chinese poker with Capri looking on
After we got back to Sorrento, we all washed up for dinner and we went out to dinner, and we all were in the mood for Seafood. We found this cheap and inviting place with outdoor seating that served seafood and we all ordered seafood. I got the seafood linguine with shells and mussels, which were fresh and although the linguine was al dente, had a full bodied flavor and was phenomenal.
Seafood Linguine
After dinner, I walked around with Salman and saw downtown Sorrento at night, and ended up chilling with Zainab at the docks for awhile. Then, I went back to the bungalow and passed out. The plan was to go to Positano for tomorrow.
After waking up from a deep slumber, I took a shower in what became a swamp afterward because the drain in the shower refused to let any water go down. But after a makeshift shower, we all headed out to the train station, where busses to Positano were ready to go. We tried to get on the bus but it was really full. However, Sid somehow got on but there was no where for him to sit, and he had to sit on the dashboard for the entirety of the trip. We ended up waiting for the next bus to come, and we ended up having to stand anyways. The bus trip was windy and scenic which made the 40 minutes go by pretty fast. Once we got off, we walked down picturesque streets of Positano, and we finally made it to the beach. We found a patch of sand where we camped out, and because of my cuts on both of my legs I just watched people's stuff and worked on my tan. It was great. Then, Cynthia and Sam came over and I took Sam's Vespa helmet and wore it since it was dangerous to lay out and tan without proper headgear. After we chilled for a few hours, other people who rented Vespas showed up and we played some frisbee before we decided to go to Naples for dinner. So we headed back and bought tickets from a random person who also didn't have change, and we barely made it onto a bus that was on it's way back to Positano. Luckily, this time there wasn't anyone on the bus and we all got window seats. I ate a sandwich that I picked up on my way to the bus and, with the twisting and turning, I ended up passing out. Katie woke us all up when we were in Positano, and we headed to the train station where we bought tickets to Napoli (Naples) and barely made it onto the train as it was leaving. The train was definitely old, and we could feel its rickety self as it flew itself down the tracks. We caught a few good views, and had some good conversation to carry us over since it was more than 30 stop before our stop, which was the second to last stop: Napoli Garibaldi. One interesting thing was while we passed Pompeii on the train we saw Mt Vesuvius and that was really cool. The volcano was larger than life and for a second I imagined it erupting but the loud noises made by the train quickly brought me back to reality. As we got off in Napoli, it was definitely not picturesque in any way. In fact, it was very industrial and we could feel that it was a different world. Not only was the Italian spoken in a very heavy accent, but the people's attitudes were very different. Men everywhere were more forceful with their women, and PDA was definitely being dominated by what the men want and it seemed like the women were only reacting to what was happening to them. We stumbled around for about an hour until we walked into a hotel where a nice concierge helped us get to a more touristy piazza, Piazza Reale, and told us about a pizza place called Brandi that was a hit with the locals. We sat on a really busy bus, and we were luckily helped by a local who was getting off at the same stop. Once we got off, Dan had an accident where his bookbag was caught in the seat and he ripped it out, taking a piece of skin on his finger with it. He had a really bad cut, and when we put some hand sanitizer on it, he screamed out. However, it was important to flush out any germs, and after the pain subsided, we continued on our way. I found Brandi through some magical map work, and it definitely didn't seem like it aged a day since its opening in 1780. There was a string band playing some soft italian music, and as we sat down and they gave us our menus, the pages were so tattered and torn that I felt like had we come back in 1780, the menus would have looked exactly the same, only in more pristine condition. We all ordered the Margherita pizza and although it wasn't mindblowing, it was definitely nice to eat pizza in a restaurant that has been around for about as long as the United States has and has been serving pizza since it opened its doors. After dinner, we hitched a ride on a taxi, which was where the adventure begins. He zoomed us to the train station, and when we were behind a large slow moving bus, he overtook the bus by driving into the next lane over, with oncoming traffic, and barely missed getting by an oncoming car before he zoomed back in front of the bus. I thought that we were in a Speed movie with Keanu Reeves. And then the taxi driver decided it would be a smart decision to do it around a van, and again he ventured into the lane next to ours and we almost hit a Vespa coming the other way. But again he came back into our lane at the last second. The girls behind us were screaming, and Dan and I just looked at each other with smirks on our faces, feeling the adrenaline pump through our veins. We made it onto the train in time, and on the way back Dan and I had an interesting conversation with Ambica, Sonali, Blessie, and Katie about the differences between men and women, and I even shared some of my "don't worry about it stories." Everyone had a great time pitching in their view points into the conversation and it was a phenomenal way of passing the time. Needless to say, by the time we got back to Sorrento, we were all exhausted and I passed out soon as I crawled into bed.
Sardines
Standing on the bus on our way to Positano
Views out of the bus on the way to Positano
First legit scenic overlook of Positano
Vagabonds
Life's for living, not for living uptight
Tiny postcard streets
The famous town carved into the side of the mountain
Action shot
Rocking Aviators and a Vespa helmet. Positano: We go hard
Overlooking Positano on the way out
Salami, Basil, Buffalo Mozzarella, and Tomato
Train to Naples
Brandi: Since 1780
Placemats haven't changed since the day it opened
The Mecca for the Margherita's Birthplace
We finally found the birthplace of Pizza
A castle while on our epic taxi trip back to the station
Going back to Positano
The last day of our trip saw us go to Pompeii, where we all packed up and checked out at a reasonable time. I was later told though that I left my glasses, bracelet, and shirt in the room. Thank god Monish and Salman have eyes like a hawk and saved those from being confiscated and sold in a market somewhere. But anyways, the train ride there was uneventful, and once we got there it turns out it was €11 to see the ruins. It was horrible considering there wasn't a student discount and the only discount was for European Union citizens. That was definitely not a surprise we enjoyed, but we paid anyways and walked into this ancient and storied city. Ruins that tell of that fateful day lay silent as we walked around, going into ancient residences and enjoyed a nice and quiet day walking around through a once bustling town. Mount Vesuvius clearly did a number on this town, and as we walked around we pretended what rooms did what, and tried to live the lives of ordinary citizens, trying to figure out what we would do, if there was anything you could do, had we been there on that day. We walked aimlessly around with no direction until we stumbled upon the amphitheater. The interesting thing about this structure, besides being a nightmare to give a presentation in, that there was an echo between the two entrances that bounced our voices perfectly. So Earl and I started screaming, "Somebody call 911, shorty fire burning on the dance floor" and people were giving us dirty looks. We were thoroughly amused. We then walked around and decided to leave because we were starving. I left Pompeii, and basically the entire weekend, with no money in my wallet. It was perfect, to come with €100 and leave with €3 although someone else needed it before. Once we got back to Sorrento, we chilled for half an hour, and then walked to the bus, where it would be 8 hrs back. They played some great movies like Forgetting Sarah Marshall, but the best had to be The Shawshank Redemption and then half of Blow. We did stop in Rome to drop some people off, and we were told to use the hotels' bathrooms. We all went into some hotels and they all rejected us, until we found one without a concierge at the desk and we snuck into a bathroom. But while we were using it we could hear the concierge come back. So as we went one by one we tried to be as quiet as possible. After I was the last one to use it, we all walked out, and the concierge stopped us, asking who we were, and then backing up asking if we were in room 37. We all just said yes, and he said ok have a good night and we ran out of there. Our successful bathroom mission was definitely the highlight of the trip home. We also stopped at an autogrille, which had only one person working the register and there were about 80 of us so while in line I talked to Nikki, and we ended up reminiscing over Call of Duty of all things. We got back at 130AM in Florence, and we all headed home exhausted, burned out, but totally aware that we all had one of, if not the very best, the most memorable weekends of our lives. The pictures don't lie.
Welcome to Pompeii: Lava not included
Entrance to Pompeii
A region of the city
Shenanigizing #1
Say word
Shenanigizing #2
German tour guide reading out of a book word for word while giving tour
Cook off circa 70 A.D.
A Villa lost in time
The Amphitheater
Stage for singing: 9-1-1, Shorty Fire Burning on the Dance Floor
Brothel with famous paintings of sexual positions
When game over gains you world wide fame
Dog doing yoga position: lying in lava
Best sandwich so far because the bread was soft and not rock hard, bread was soft because it had salt in it like all bread should have
Sneaking to use a bathroom at Hotel Stromboli in Rome
The weekend was epic, and most of us are still currently recovering from it. Tired minds, tired bodies, and some of us even got sick. But it is ok, because within 48 hours we will be at Oktoberfest, one of the biggest parties in the world.
So High - John Legend
Maybe later we can go up to the moon
Or sail among the stars before the night is through
And when morning comes we'll see the sun is not so far
And we can't get much closer to God than where we are
We'll go to a place only lovers go
To a spot that we've never known
To the top of the clouds we're floating away yeah
Ooh this feels so crazy
Oh this love is blazing
Baby we're so high
Walking on cloud 9
Or sail among the stars before the night is through
And when morning comes we'll see the sun is not so far
And we can't get much closer to God than where we are
We'll go to a place only lovers go
To a spot that we've never known
To the top of the clouds we're floating away yeah
Ooh this feels so crazy
Oh this love is blazing
Baby we're so high
Walking on cloud 9
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