Italia: Napoli

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Ciao ciao
I just got back last night from a wonderful adventure down south.
We started out on a good note by taking the train to Rome without buying a ticket, we played the dumb tourist, which i hate but you got to do what you got to do. Luckily the guy was nice enough to sell us tickets on the spot. We got to Rome but we had to make a transfer to the the main station, then we waited for our train for about an hour and i bought 2 peaches for 2.50 euros, normally 80 centesimi, such a rip. Anyway, we finally got to Napoli. I was wearing my super cute money belt under my skirt after multiple warnings from Italians about the possibility of getting ripped off in napoli, luckily it didn't happen to us. shortly after getting there, some of the stereotypes we had heard were proven true. Trash was everywhere and people do not follow driving laws, if they even have any. The police were standing around hanging out while people were running red lights all over the place. Within the first five minutes we saw a man get hit, he was fine but pissed and the lady just sped off. We finally figured out what bus to take to get to a piaza to meet the lady whose house we were couch surfing at. We finally got there and met Lindasi. She is 29 and so wonderful. She took us to her apartment and set up beds for us in her room. That night her and her roommates made us dinner. It was pasta, wine, bread, then the guy made us the most wonderful egg ever, with cheese melted on top! and we sat around and chatted, mostly in Italian! Later she took us out on the town. We went to Piaza balini, which was full of music and artists of all kinds. All of her friends were friendly and hippyish, with instruments strapped to their backs. We listened to this jug band of 5 cute boys who played mostly southern american music. Everyone was dancing and having fun. Around 1:30 Lindasi was heading back home so she could wake up at 6am for work, we decided to head back too and he 40 year old friend was making fun of us, saying "the night is still young ladies". In Napoli the nights are long and full of energy, it is normal to stay out until 6am on a weekend.
The next day we woke up around 10 and saw a man passed out on the couch, snoring.
I got a cappuccino and sat at a cafe then we got the most wonderful pizza! we wondered around more and noticed a million wedding stores and baby stores, a little glimpse into the priorities in Italy, shortly after we saw a fancy wedding with the most amazing car. We went back to the apartment to rest for a little, this was around 3pm, the guy was still passed out.
We got up and wondered around some more, we walked along the pier and into the fancy shopping areas. We couldn't afford anything but gelato, so of course we got some. We saw a cute couple we had met last night, the guy was playing his accordian, but we were too shy to say hello. Then we saw a pope looking guy, everyone was kissing his hand and taking pictures as he entered this church, the bells were going crazy. After looking him up just now, i found out he is the archbishop of Napoli.
So we kept walking as the day turned into night and the streets filled with people. We heard drumming and came across a drum/dance circle of guys from Africa. There, we saw the same couple again and didn't say hi, we must have looked like stalkers. Then we wondered home. Lindasi wasn't there, she was sick and staying with her boyfriend. So we hung out with her roommates, they insisted on making us dinner. The snoring man and his friend were there too, awake by this time.
We went out by ourselves and walked to the same Piaza as the night before, the same band was there playing the same songs but it was still fun. We walked to other Piazas, checking out the scene and we came across our friends we were staying with, we hung out for a while with them then wondered on. The next piaza was packed with people mostly drinking and smoking and talking. This guy who had kind of been following us brought over some American guys for us to meet. We had no interest in talking to these Americans who were stationed there for the Navy. One guy had been there for 2 years and could only order in Italian, that made me want to barf. So we talked to the cute guy who had stocked us, he wasnt actually creepy like i am making him sound. He only spoke italain, and it was the most amazing feeling to be able to communicate in italian while the americans had no idea what we were saying. We met more of the americans from the navy, some girls too. The italian, Sami told us of a disco and we wanted to go but he was shy and wanted to bring more people and by the time he got some more, it was 2:30 and we were over it.
The next day we went to Pampaii. We were not sure what train to take so this old man from the bus walked us to the right train, and even got on with us for a few stops, he told us he was going to Positano on Tuesday and we should wait to go with him, but we didn't. We got to Pampaii and had to pay 11 euros to get in, which we didnt expect. It was ok, but honestly i rather wonder around random alleyway of italy than pay 11 euros and wonder around ruins surrounded with tourists. its something we had to do i guess.
That night we had the most wonderful, nourishing meal at a vegan restaurant we found near Piaza Balini. We had gone the night before to check it out, i wanted to buy everything but only got whole wheat pasta and sesame seeds. For our dinner we split a black bean soup and pesto risotto. We also ate lots of bread and stole some from the table next to us for later. That night piaza balini was alive again, the same band was there but also fire performers, it was amazing!
We also went to another piaza where a band was playing and singing in the napolitano Dialect, it sounded so cool. There were also two dancers, doing a traditional dance, specific to the region. Everyone in the audience knew it as well and were dancing on the sides and some got up on stage as well, even this group of teenage boys got up and were dancing together on stage. Katie and I were trying to do the dance and a guy came over and was trying to teach us.
Napoli was so much fun, i loved it!
We headed out for Sorrento on Monday. We caught a bus that of course we didn't pay for. This time we were not so lucky. Two ticket checkers appeared from no where and came straight for us. We were obviously tourists with our backpacks on. In stood in a way that was impossible for me to get off. He kept asking for our tickets and we tried to play the dumb tourists again but he wasn't buying it. All of a sudden about 5 locals started yelling at them in our defense , one guy even slipped me his ticket. But it was too late. They threatened to take us to the police who were in clumps everywhere. So when the bus stopped they escorted us out, and we ran. I ran across the crazy napoli traffic as fast as i could with my backpack and all. I glimpsed behind me, expecting to find kaite, but she wasn't there, So i had to turn back for her. In those few seconds the fat bus police man spotted me and brought me over to three other guys, they didn't seem as serious about their job as this one guy but they made me show them my passport, which i only had a copy of. They told me the fine was 37 euros, until i told them i was from California and then he told me the fine was 110 euros. I laughed and just kept refusing to pay, not like i had that kind of money on me anyway. Finally they just let me go. I was all shaken up and stood by a fence to try and call katie who had been calling me frantically. The whole time she had been hiding in a shop calling me non stop. the people working there thought she was crazy. Finally we met up and burst out laughing in relief and disbelief.
It sucked at the time, but made for a great story. Not the best way to leave napoli. Overall it was a great place and I would go back for sure, and I think everyone should go there.

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