Advertisement
Published: October 11th 2008
Edit Blog Post
On the train
Had the whole 6 berth cabin to myself on the way to Naples Naples has a bad reputation as a rough town with a rubbish problem. Much of this is true, my first impressions of the city were not particularly good: Noise, rubbish, decrepit buildings, noise, no parks - NOISE! Geee-ssus gaaad man! It's so loud, ambulances screaming all over the city at all hours of the day.
I swear if I wasn't blessed with a saintly temprement I would have hated it. But, I liked it. I liked it a lot. (That was a very Jeremy Clarkson-esque statement....the cock....)
Finding my hostel was simple despite their best attempts to confuse me with wrong directions. It was only a small place with three dorms and one private room. Had a guid little kitchen for cooking too! Turned out there was one other Scottish person staying - Laura. Further turned oot that Laura's brother lived next door to my Mum - weird man...
I walked many miles thorugh the city the following two days, seeing the best and worst Naples had to offer. The art gallery at the top of the town was certainly in the former - works by Titian and Caravaggio and located in the only real park in Naples. Hell
Contrasts
This place was disgusting outside - needles/carboard/rubbish... of a walk from the centre of town though - lots of stairs! As seems to be the way with Naples you had to take the rough with the smooth, the area near the park is one of the worst in the city. I walked into it on my way out the gallery, performing a very quick u-turn, needles and drug paraphenallia all over the place, dodgy looking stairways - fook tht fur a geme o' sodgies. A young American couple from the hostel decided to ignore these blatant signs and were promptly mugged. To be honest I would have mugged them too. The girl looked ike Mary Tyler Moore and the guy looked like he still wet the bed, I couldn't set eyes on them without "oooo eee ooo I look just like buddy holllly - Oh Oh".....you get the idea. It was probably an old lady doing it for kicks. I also saw Naples jewel-in-the crown archaeological museum - some nice busts and statues but you really need the audio guide as most of the explanations are in Italian and nothing else. Didn't stop me going back to the hostel for my sketchbook and spending a few hours
Satyr
in the art gallery or maybe it was the museum? Fooked if i can rem in there though!
After a few days of Naples I was looking forward to something a bit more peaceful. I'd already booked the 7H hostel in Sorrento for three nights as it had some of the best reviews I've seen on Hostelbookers. I was not dissapointed. As soon as you walk in the door you realise this aint your average hostel, reception opens out onto a large atrium with fruit trees, wicker couches and a hint of marble. The rooms are spacious and secure, beds are acutally comfy. Comfy! The roof is the deal sealer though, fully decked and on multiple levels with loungers and circular couches - 20 euros a night for all that?!
I'd heard that the hostel did a Capri tour and that it was quite popular, I asked around but no one seemed to know for sure, plus, at 54 euros it seemed a bit pricey for me. I therefore decided to go by myself, more interesting that way I thought - I was right. Left on the first day for Sorrento port and the ferry to Capri, the crossing took around 20min, very picturesque all the way. Approaching Capri it's obvious the place
Dickhead
In the erotic room is dripping with money - lots of yachts, beautiful houses and the Royal clipper in harbour. Aye. I'd only just wandered 20 yard up the main street when I heard an Aussie girl say "theres a young guy" I was on the lookout for boat tours and it turned out they were hiring a private boat and looking to spread the cost - did I want to go? Yup. We needed another couple to bring the cost down to twenty euros each so I went into tout mode and started approaching random couples. The first pair seemed interested but ended up hiring their own boat (why did I not use that for leverage?) the second (a pair of young girls) had already paid 14euros for the crappy boat tour everyone does. Third time lucky - I got a young english couple and managed to talk them round to it. Lets call them Spanish boy Mcgroy an his Bird, can't rem their names!
Best twenty euros I've ever spent, the boat tour was spectacular. We swam in all three grottos - including the famous blue grotto, we dived off cliffs and swam to secluded beaches through caves. For 20euros? Worth
Soaring penis
A lesser spotted wing-ed penis (with tails) double that I reckon. Two hours later Alessandro, our guide, was dropping us off at the famed blue grotto as it was easier to reach Ana Capri from there. All the local guys who ferry tourists at 10 euros a pop in their little row boats were still there at this point. Alessandro suggested waiting 10mins for them to leave. Thank god he did, swimming in the blue grotto was surreal. It's blue as fook man, that's all I can say. The entrance is tiny, allowing only small row boats and even then only with the passengers ducking and the pilot using a chain attached to the wall. Swimming in requires a bit of skill, there is a shelve just at the entrance which I promptly gouged my foot open on. Leaving is even worse - waves often come right over the mouth of the cave so one must time ones exit with this in mind. Not me though, oh no, I decided to make my break just as a HUGE wave came crashing in and was slammed (underwater) against the wall. Nice. But what an experience though.
We jumped a bus to Ana Capri, where there is a
Bird wae harp
PURE haRPin it Up man! chairlift to the top of the island and spectacular views. Sea thousand feet below glittering like glass. This was the last straw for me, I decided to take up the offer of employment as a boat tour tout guy - I won't be coming home...
Advertisement
Tot: 0.072s; Tpl: 0.013s; cc: 8; qc: 24; dbt: 0.0505s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Gill and Mum
non-member comment
Jaysus H Christ!!!
Wah wah wee WOW!!! We are soooooooo jealous. In fact, not at all... blue skies actually very similar to looking out of the window here, in, ahem, Prestwick. :-( Photos amazin, was great fun to read your blog and enthuse at photos together. Mum thinks you're getting fat. I told you she is a complete freak!! What chance do I have lol? (you look great, very chilled!!) With lots of love, missing you loads, Gill and Mum x x x