2004
Friday, July 23
Lodging: Hostel Rosen (phone = +39 348 339 3199; email = mcmaxi@hotmail.com); plan to stay until July 26th.

1:10am Headed back to Roma. Train scheduled to arrive at 10 til 7am.

We finally boarded the train sometime around 1:10 AM. We had a bit of difficulty finding which coach we were to be on for our sleeping accomodations. We asked more than three train conductors, they just kept pointing to the back of the train and saying KEEP GOING. We finally got to the sleeping coach and were a bit surprised by the lack of accomodations. We were in the third bunk up (the top bunks) and everyone else was already in their bunks asleep. The conductor turned the lights on so we could climb up and get settled. After much arranging, we decided we were as settled as we could be given the space. We tried to turn off the lights, then a woman from the second set of bunks tried to turn off the lights, then she finally got the conductor who had to touch the switch just so to finally get the lights off. There were funny belts to try and help prevent us from falling out of our bunks. Gregg was pretty much hanging on to one of these as he drifted off...

Here we come Roma! ZZzzz....

We woke to a knock on the door (if we were really asleep) sometime after 6:00 AM. We fumbled around and eventually got down to use the facilities. We got off the train and worked to follow the directions we had gotten for taking the Metro to the Hostel Rosen. We bought a 75 minute pass and took Line A to the Flaminio stop, then worked to find the Prima Porte metro. Once we found that, we took that line to Due Ponti and got off. We could see the hostel across the street - one very busy street! We followed one woman off of the train who seemed to be trying to cross the same street. We walked along side this very busy street (no sidewalks) and worked to not get hit. We finally made it across and had to trek back along the other side to get to the hostel. Whoopee. We got there and they had us wait to check in. We were able to check in some time after 8:00 AM. We asked about tours and the lady at the desk (Gregg said she is from Utah) recommended a Stop and Go bus tour. We said Sign Us Up! (Goodbye 36 euro.) She told us we would have to take the Metro back to the Flaminio station and meet the bus near there. (Pretty vague instructions...)

We grabbed a free breakfast downstairs, locked our bags in the locked store room, and went to get on the hostel shuttle to the metro station. (So that is how you cross the street - in the van!) We took the metro back toward Roma and were a bit concerned there was no way to purchase Metro tickets at the station. Sure enough, next stop, we were apprehended by an official and later penalized at the Flaminio station. It was a terrible experience and I think we both agree we would rather not rehash it in this journal. We will remember it too well without a written reminder.

So now we are hot and tired and I know it is safe to say Gregg is pissed off. We finally located our tour bus - with Air Conditioning! We talked briefly, and we both decided we would ride the bus and not get off for a while. Gregg was upset and Erica was homesick and so close to calling Italy quits. Two weeks may have been a bit too much. We stayed put, enjoyed the air conditioning and Gregg dozed off while listening to audio of the sights that were passing us by.

Gregg saw an Internet Cafe (Easy Internet Cafe) and decided we would get off at our second passing of stop #2. We crossed the Piazza (a piazza with a Tritan fountain in the middle of the roundabout) and headed into the Internet cafe. This place is so cool! It is three levels jam-packed with PCs. There is a laptop connection area and a small refreshment stand. Gregg worked on getting connected to the system after Erica paid 5 euro (what a bargain) for an hour of access. Then Erica headed to the refreshment stand to purchase much needed nourishment for both of us.

Gregg did get connected after the usual setup questions. We munched on Pizza Bianca (basically good bread), stale potato chips and expensive bottled Cokes. Yum! Gregg decided he would like a Snickers candy bar for dessert, so Erica went and purchased one for each of us. Yummy! We seemed to be in better moods after seeing the cool cafe, hearing from friends back at home, and eating.

We headed back out into the heat of Roma to do a little shopping before the bus was scheduled to return to our stop. We stopped at a souvenir store and then moved on. Erica found a few good deals before stationing ourselves near the stop to sweat in the afternoon heat. We rejoined the bus sometime after 3:10 PM. We decided to ride the bus back to our stop (#11) and then head back to the hostel.

We made it to our stop over 40 minutes late because of the traffic. Gregg really did not want to get back on the Metro and tried to find a taxi to inquire on the cost to get back to our hostel. Erica browsed the stores. Gregg did not have any success in talking with any taxi, so we headed back to the Metro station to see what we had to do about tickets for the rest of our time in Roma.

We worked that out and hopped on the next Prima Porta Metro. We got off at the Due Ponti stop (with no sight of any conductors) and opted to walk the other way to the hostel. That walk was a bit less eventful, but we remain ever cautious.

We got to the hostel and got into our room. Pretty much like camping out. There were four beds in the room, two already set up by our new roommates, and the beds were side by side by side, no space in between and little space to speak of at all. But - blessing! There was a bathroom with shower for our room alone (No dorm showers and toilets - Erica never thought that would seem like such a wondrous blessing).

Erica and Gregg took showers in turn. Gregg made up the beds like an expert and we plummetted into sleep. Zzzzz....

Tomorrow will be a new day!