Italia

Oh my $*!/")? God do I hate Italy.

So I arrived in Italy this morning after three delayed flights. Of course no one here speaks any of my languages so it was an experience getting through the airport, which was a breeze compared to getting to this hostel.

From the train station in Rome I was to get on a 427 train to Naples which I couldn't find so I got on a different train to Naples with assigned seats. I must have looked pretty homeless because the lady who was supposed to be in my seat looked at her friend like "maybe we should just sit over here" and thank God they did. My only worry after that was that they might check tickets and not understand English then kick me off the train. My next problem was where to get off the train, I stayed on until there was no one else on the train. I found my way to the plaza to get on a bus, which of course I couldn't find so I walked around til I found the right one.

When I was situated on the bus I got out my phone to look up the directions to the hostel ans all of a sudden a kid no older than 14 grabs my phone out of my hand and takes off running. I chase him for about two seconds before I realize 1 I'm not going to catch him and 2 my camera bag is still on the bus. I turn around to see the bus pulling away, I ran to the door and banged as hard as I could with the biggest look of desperation I could muster and yelled "my bag please" and pointed at it. A man saw me ans yelled for the driver to stop. The door opened, I grabbed my bag and realized I had no idea how to get to the hostel so I figured my best bet was to catch a taxi.

I walked back to the taxi station begging myself not to burst into tears, found a taxi and told him where I needed to go. Just my luck he had no idea what I was talking about and had to ask his taxi driver buddies, he eventually figured it out and we were on our way.
Not a minute later I saw the little fucker who stole my phone, I begged the driver to stop for a minute because my phone was stolen. He was confused but agreed. I asked him to open the trunk so I could grab my camera bag just in case he decided to drive off, but I left my bag with all of my clothes in it so he would know I was coming back. I crossed the street and came up behind the kid and saw he was talking on my brand new $200 phone which roams in Italy at $2 a minute. My adrenaline was pumping, I punched the kid in the side of his head and dug my finger nails into his hand then pushed his hand against a cement block. I said "it's my phone thanks for finding it." He was so confused he just looked at me as I walked away- I turned around to see what he was doing-he still looked dumbfounded, just to make it clear I showed him my little birdy friend ans saw my driver waiting right where he left me. We managed to communicate the story and he kept saying what I think was "your phone got stolen and you got it back, bravo. You must be happy with yourself, bravo."

We got to the hostel and I paid the guy, he told me to wait and he went into some store and came out with a cold water for me, he said thanks and drive off. He was a really nice guy.

I walked into the hostel and two girls and a guy said in Australian accents "hey welcome, don't worry we looked like that five minutes ago. I told them my story and they said "shit mate, that's awesome."

I find my room and knock on the door to find an Italian prancing around in her underwear.

So now I'm sitting in the lounge writing this from my blackberry trying not to think about how much I smell, how hungry I am and how much I'd rather be in South Africa.

I miss you all terribly and want you to know I'm trying to keep the same blog as last year it's at habbosh.blogspot.com.

I will keep in touch as long as I don't lose my phone again. (And yes I will be more careful, it also helps that we have all the rest of the directions printed out.)

So that's all for now...