pompeii

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Today we woke up to what was going to be our last full day in Italy. Today we were having a day trip in Pompeii. We boarded the bus at 10.00.am It was a 3 hour bus ride from Rome to Pompeii. We stopped off half way and refueled the bus, stretched our legs and got some lunch. When we reached Pompeii we all got of the bus at little market selling fruit. I saw some of the biggest lemons ever in that market along with all the regular fruit and vegetables. From here we walked to the entrance of the ancient city of Pompeii. With our tour guide providing information we walked through the city. The first thing I noticed was how well the city had been preserved. You could still see the brick that the slaves would have laid centuries ago. As you walked through this piece of history you couldn’t help imagining what it would have been like long ago when it was inhabited by people because so much of the city was still intact. Pompeii was a very well constructed town. It had four major roads; a north road, a south road, a east road, and a west road. These major roads were about 10 meters wide and would have been a hive of activity in the town. After explaining to us the roads system, our tour guide showed us what he thought was the first fast food venue. He said that the people working there would have made food and then stored it in one of three terracotta pots to keep it fresh and warm.
We walked ahead to a old amphitheater were the people of Pompeii would have held concerts and other productions. Our guide told us that the amphitheater could hold 5000 people when Pompeii was inhabited, but over time one stand had collapsed so now it only held 1000. In ancient times where you sat depended on who you were. Women and children had to sit high up in the grand stand. Men sat in the middle and ground levels, and VIPs and important officials would sit on the ground level which was closest to the action and so were the best seats.
From here we went to the old red light district of the town and we visited the local brothel. All over the walls of the brothel there was a menu displaying different pictures of positions that the client could choose from. These pictures were for the foreign customers who could point to what they wanted instead of trying to speak. As we walked along the big roads we noticed that there were groves in the roads. Our guide told us that these were made by the carts that were driven along these roads centuries ago. We walked up the south road until we reached the main piazzas and museum. At the museum we saw some ancient bodies of some Pompeii residents, animals, plants and pottery. It was almost the end of the tour but before we left the guide showed us one of the better views from Pompeii. We could see all the way to the ocean. It was a beautiful day. From here we walked down to a restaurant were we had some succulent pizza and drinks. We now had free time. We all walked to a tiny market around a square where there were stalls everywhere. We had free time for about 20 minutes. I think we all had fun looking and buying some of the obscure and funny items in the market. After this we walked to the bus and reluctantly left Pompeii. The ride home was spectacular scenically. We saw some of the best views and some beautiful beaches. I think we will all remember Pompeii.

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