Horrible, Rotten, No Good, Very Bad Day

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This is my account of my horrible, rotten, no good, very bad day. Please be advised that this is just one day in a list of very amazing, fun-filled, exciting days. If you are planning on going to Rome, or anywhere in Europe for that matter this could be an interesting one to ready, but please don’t let it be the only one you read. I would still go back to Roma, Italia in a heartbeat, maybe after I learn a little more Italian.

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This day should have been a blank in the ol’ blog, but because of certain unforeseen events it has become one that I think needs to be shared. It started very early in the morning after a very late night of packing. I had already figured most things for today out, and knew I was taking a shuttle from Termini (the rail station) to Ciampino the airport just outside of Rome. I make my trip to the rail station which I was thinking was going to be the worst part of the day going by myself at 4 am through all the streets, but that was a breeze. I get to the airport and soon realize nobody speaks English at 4:30 in the morning in Rome. Minor glitch. I arrived early enough to get my Eurail pass validated because my Britrail pass was discounted because I would have a validated Eurail pass. So I thought it would be important to finally get that validated before leaving for the UK. Turns out they can’t validate them until 9am, I will be in London by that time so I had to give up my search, and just pray nobody would ask to see my Eurail pass with my Britrail pass.

I had originally planned to make the 5 am shuttle because it takes 40 min. to get there, and that would give me more than enough time to make my way through customs. Plus if I waited for the next shuttle at 5:30 I would be pushing it to get on the plane if I arrived at 6:10. I am there plenty early and I know the general area I need to wait to get picked up. Being a little paranoid I start asking security guards and other bus drivers where exactly I need to be. Through our broken English, Italian, and hand gestures they all point me in the same direction. So I go stand. Five comes and goes and there is no shuttle. I go around and start asking again, a little more frantically this time. Still I am pointed to the same spot. Feeling a little frustrated I run into a bus driver that speak a little English and he tells me I actually have to go to the front of the train station and wait for it there. Perfect. So I grab my bag and run through the train station to the front. Outside I stand and wait hoping I’ll be able to spot the bus and get on. 5:30 comes and goes and not a single bus showed up on the street. I was beyond frustrated now. I’m thinking I’m going to be missing my flight, and I have no idea how to get to ciampino now. So I took the only mode of transportation I knew I had left… taxi.

Originally I was told it would cost 30 euro to get to the airport. I didn’t have that much on me, so I went to the atm and drew out some more cash. I go to the taxi area and finally find the first person who could speak English, my taxi driver. I ask him to take me to ciampino, and he more than gladly accepts. After sitting down, he takes one look at me and shuts his meter off. He then proceeds to tell me that he has a flat rate. When I ask him how much he says 50 euro… great! I am now taking a $75 taxi to the airport. I am about to burst into tears because I am tired, frustrated, and I know I’m getting taking advantage of but I have no idea what to do. When I told him that was a pretty high flat rate, he says, “You have to get to the airport somehow, don’t you.” I was so pissed (American form of the word), and becoming broke. He did get me to the airport very quickly, which I did thank him for unenthusiastically.

Finally at the airport I scramble to find where I need to check my bags in. As I’m looking for my confirmation number I realize it’s not there. I run to information to clear this up, hoping I haven’t missed anything yet. They too cannot speak English, and I have to wait while someone who can is tracked down. When he finally shows up, he informs me my flight was never coming and I had been switched to a different plane. He then seems more than happy to tell me that because I was waiting in line I had “just” missed it! So now I have to pay a 72 euro missed flight fee, oh boy! The next flight wouldn’t be leaving until 10 so I had more than enough time to sit, wait, and be plenty early to make it. I could really punch someone right now.

I am tired, frustrated, annoyed, pissed, dumbfounded, broke, and at the complete mercy of everybody else. I am arriving later than I had planned on in London so I am missing all the trains I had to get to Bangor, and will have to pay an extra day to the rail station for storing my luggage for me while I was gone, and that was close to $280. I am flat out broke. I’ve ended up paying about $460, and that is not including the train from Stanstead to London another $30, or any of the tube passes I had to purchase to get around London…

The only things that brightened this day were the few people I managed to meet along the way. There was another Englishmen waiting for a plane at Ciampino. We talked about everything under the moon, really getting to know each other only to never see the other again. Yet we believe that we are related on the Brodie side, so really I just met some long lost relative of mine, small world. The lady at the train station in London was incredibly nice finding me tickets to get to Bangor, and not questioning my un-validated Eurorail pass. Even the workers on the train helped by grabbing my bags for me and putting them away for the train ride. I met two other Englishmen who were very interested in America and my travels. They were very kind and very entertaining to talk to. By the end of the day I still had a nasty feeling in my stomach about all the money I’d spent, but the majority of my mood was back to normal.
After arriving late in Bangor I was able to call security up and they let me into my room for the next week.

Finally in Wales, I decided the best way to end this day was to just sleep and wake up tomorrow. So there is the last chapter of my trip with Joshua and Johnson through France and Italy. I wouldn’t change anything, but I would be more than happy to do it all over again. (Well except for today) If you are reading this the couple of things I’m taking from this story are - learn Italian, money really is just money I’ll work off my debt once I’m back in the states, and while something’s really stink in life there’s enough good people around to cheer you up.

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