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We have made it. Our plane didnt burn down, we didnt lose our luggage, and we were not attacked by thieves the minuite our feet touched Italian soil. We left SF Airport at 6 in the morn on June 4rth and I havent slept since. (in case you havent noticed i have no idea where the apostrophe key is on this wack keyboard). Our plane arrived in New York after 5 hours and we instantly got lost in the maze that is JFK. This added to my worries that we would get lost in Italy seeing as we couldnt find our way in NY. Luckily we found two other lost souls who helped us on our way. These two knew where PLacerville was and even went as far to call it P-Town... Even in NY Hangtown follows me. We got on Iberian airlines to Madrid and soon noticed most everyone spoke Spanish except us. I was already feeling delirium from our last flight and came up with the game "Guess Where My Gum Is?" and Melissa would then guess where in my mouth I was hiding it. I think that game might even beat Ande Nutters "Guess How Many Fingers Are Under The Pillow?" in stupidity. That flight was really a mind numbing experience. We got the prime seats that everyoonnneee wants. Right next to the four bathrooms that instantly seemed to be clogged and wafting our way. The movie was a Spanish film that was dubbed in English and therefore lacked any emotion or good acting and made my head hurt. It was also punctuated by the constant flushing of the toliets two feet from my head. But hey they did give us navy blue socks. I dont know why. If anyone knows do tell me. Is it a Spanish thing? The hightlight of that flight was seeing the sun rise over Spain. It was really beautiful with the vivid colors seeping through the black. Spain seems to have ten different geographic terrains all jumbled together and then thrown around and sewn together that make up its country. It wasnt the symmetrical squares I usually see in the United States. We landed in Spain and then got on our flight to Rome.Everyone that worked on the plane was a male model I swear. Just wonderful. I sat next to a man from Brazil who got in a fight with a steward in Spanish and they were yelling in my face and I thought perhaps I should have payed attention in Spanish class. I thought this even more when the man and I tried to have a conversation and could only agree on the word San Francisco. We landed in Rome and in Melissas words, " Let the adventures begans"....(she was a little jet lagged).
In Rome we were to meet an Italian man named Luigi who would pick us up and take us to our hostel. All I knew was that he was a business friend of my uncles and apparently had a villa and a mistress. This intrigued me and I couldnà t wait to meet him. One problem stood in my way. I had no idea what he looked like and vice versa. We roamed around giving middle aged Italian looking men knowing glances to see if they would respond but this seemed to bring the wrong kind of attention so we decided it was up to Luigi to find us. We finally called him on my jack phone card that allowed me a one min. phone call in which we found out Luigi was at the exit. A man in a blue button down shirt, white pants, with olive skin and white hair said "Meelissa, Annah?" and we had found our man. He instantly said follow me and we went through many hallways and came to his car which contrary to my ideas was exactly like cars in the US. We got in the car and then I came to see that maybe walking wasnt all that bad. The driving in Italy is a bit like organized chaos. Cars do not drive in line. They swerve all over the lanes and pass and cut in front of each other so badly that I was suprised a beat down didnt occur. I believe we almost ended the life of 58 people with that car. Not including mine. You know my fear of crazy drivers. I had to supress the urge to yell out that we were going to die. It didnt help that Luigi decided to light up his cig while driving and choose to forgo the seatbelt. " I am all about freedom" he said, " It is my car and I do what I want. The policeman ticket me but I have money and I do not care." We then picked up his ladyfriend Elizabeth who we dropped off just as quickly. Luigi has a wife but as he says with a boyish grin, " I am a sailor, I have ladies wherever I go". He then spoke of his villa and his lake and his hate for Rome because of the crowded madness it had begun. He drove to Elizabeths villa which was so cute and she decided to show us how she vaccuums her cat and sucks up its tail and Melissa and I laughed so much I thought I might have to hide tears. She then told us to freshen up and we had no idea what to do so we found face wash cloths and rubbed them all over ourselves and decided that would make do. I saw the bidet and got scared and decided not to go to the bathroom which made for an uncomfortable ride in the deathcar. Luigi and Elizabeth took us out for lunch at an expensive seafood resturant on the beach where Luigi ordered for all of us some delicious wine, mussels, shrimp, octopus, anchovies, and real damn damn good not like at home spagghetti. I was unable to walk after all this consumption and so we got in the car and headed into old Rome.
Rome is breathtaking. It is unreal. I have only driven around the city so far and will explore by foot tomorrow but damnit it is amazing. The architecture is just gorgeous. Everything around me feels so old world and I wish it was less crowded here because if so Rome would have a wonderful vibe. It really makes us feel as though you have taken a time machine back in time. I saw the Colosseum today. Just drove past it. WHAT THE FUCK. Ive seen these structures thousands of times on tv and in books and to see them with my own eyes and in the scenery where the belong is just the ultimate. But really the amount of cars and people here sucks. I just want them to move out of my way so I can enjoy all the awesomeness around me. It is really refreshing to not have English swarming around me but instead everyone is speaking Italian or Spanish or German or whatever. Most people can speak English if we ask them for help but I like it that everything isnt English dominated. Just being a minoirty gives you a new perspective. Its only my first day damn and I have so much more to say but this is a public hostel computer. Peace out yo.
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Sew Kewl
Coffee and Hannah's blog....my new daily ritual...