I gave Naples Three Days

Wednesday, 21 April 2010

I didn’t want to get up this morning because when I awoke I realised I was still in this shithole, Naples.

I gave myself three tasks for today,

One, to get a ticket out of here

Two, to get some cash

Three , to sort out what’s not working with my phone

I walked down to the port after a sparse hotel breakfast. I switched lodgings yesterday to be closer to the station. Staying at the Garden Hotel. I chose this hotel because of the name. However there is no garden except for the planter box outside which I’ll try and take a photo of later without my camera being snatched. So I walked down to the port. The excruciating thing about Italy is that there’s nowhere to take a piss. And the few public toilets that you do find you have to pay to use. So I walked down to the port and by the time I got there I really wanted to go pee. I was wondering what everyone else does.

Yesterday when Erin and I climbed mount Vesuvius, along with about 10,000 other tourists, there was one toilet in the shop where the buses stop. The queue was long. By the time I got to use it my bus was about to leave and they had to wait for me. Must have been nice for the ladies, no toilet paper, no seat and the flush didn’t work.

This is turning out to be a whinging blog. But you’d think someone would figure out that toilets are necessary.

Anyway, I went down to the port to see the sea, but you can’t see the sea from down there. It must be one of the ugliest seafronts in the world. Found the ferry office and bought a ticket to Palermo in Sicily leaving tomorrow at 9am. I am so excited about getting out onto the ocean for the 11 hour trip and a long way from Naples.

Achieved the other two to do’s without a hitch. My unlimited data plan for the phone is unlimited until you reach the limit, then it stops working.

I have a new disguise. It’s the Don’t Fuck With Me look. I’ve abandoned my beloved Akubra and bought a cheap cappelo . Talked the vender down. I wear a permanent scowl, which I really mean, spit in the gutter (a lie) and launch myself into the oncoming traffic with purpose whilst mumbling out loud to myself. No one has harassed me all day!

I went back to my hotel and slept for most of the afternoon. Hard work.