Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Tivoli: Because I Want to Live Like a Roman god

Spent a day last week exploring the city of Tivoli, a region outside center of Rome that takes a 30 minute train ride to a hilltop town. We had a group going with us and decided to meet at a certain hour by the train station. I was already 20 minutes late, had no italian phone and no means to reach anyone. I arrived at the train and saw none of my friends. I was worried they had already left. I walked up and down the entire train to see if they were seated. No luck. I have no wifi and no idea but I was hopeful. Train is blowing and no sign of familiar faces but wait... I hear frantic footsteps and heavy breathing and look down the tunnel and see the group running yelling wait!

Thankfully we all met and headed to Tivoli to explore the Villas of D'Este and Adriana. It quite a beauitful peaceful town. We followed the crowd off the train as we did not know where the villas were located or even which direction to walk to the city center. With my direction skills we got to Villa D'Este in no time. This Villa is known for its beautiful fountains. It was commissioned for a summer palace of... who cares some old Roman rich man/king. 



There is a long row of fountains that is called Le Cento Fontane, the hundred fountains, as you can see here as me, Captain obvious points out is a street of a 100 fountains. At the top of the hill is a large water organ fountain, where the water creates music through the pressure of fountains. Quite impressive I must say. 



After a few hours at Villa D'Este, we decided to grab a bite to eat. We looked at several restaurants menus, got hassled by restaurant owners to eat at "the best place" in Tivoli or Italy for that matter, because you know how easy it is to screw up pasta or pizza and finally decided on a place. But first we had to experience a real aggressive Italian who would take no for answer to eat at his overpriced restaurant. He would not stop blabbering in italian to me about eating at his place that I finally said Basta! (stop it) and walked away. He then proceeding to follow us only after telling be vaffancculo (fuck off) and gave us the evil eyes. My French friends decided to tease him and I had an imagine he would get mafiaoso on us at the dinner table outside, true Soprano style. 




There was no time to visit the other Villa (Adriana) as the sun was setting so we agreed to a hike up the mountains near the Train station. The group split up a bit up the mountain as I decided to follow the gringo, Frenchies and Belgium up the off beaten path. Bad idea, as we had no hiking shoes, the hill was steep and there was rocks to climb. I climbed almost to the top but as I looked down I couldn't see how I would descend except for tumble and roll. I scooted down with a friend to a familiar path and ran into our Chilean amigos. They continued on the marked path all the way up to the top of the mountain. Damn me for following the gringo on the dangerous path and not the Incas who were smart to follow the red and white paint marked on rocks. 

Apparently horses trail up the mountain as I never saw so much horse shit everywhere that likely all of us stepped on because it was nearly impossible not to but we all made it to the top of the mountain where a steel cross was implanted. The sights were unforgettable, we saw a beautiful sunset, took in the fresh air or horse shit and headed back to good ol' Roma. 


Friday, March 15, 2013

God Bless America

Being in Roma has its benefits because of its central location. I have plans to travel to countries most dream of going, but I also plan on traveling within my current homeland. I tried to book tickets online for trains to several popular destinations. The website trenitalia is pretty simple as there is a link to translate into English. But you have to be on top of your game to score a good price. It's worse then booking planes. If you know when and where your going, book 3 months in advance because if you don't you'll be spending 50 euros instead of 9. So I tried my attempts online. This country isn't really built online as the US or other countries are. My attempts failed has a error message in Italian appeared "can't process your request." WTF! I booked hotels/hostels on American sites, use the credit card all through Italy but booking a train ticket, in my best Italian accent, "forget getta about it."

So I went to the train stations as I hear you can book through the vending ticket booths. 5 minutes there, I was bombarded by foreigners, beggars, gypsies and sketches. I kept my bag tight close to me, my attitude on my face and viewed screens that warned "watch for pick pocketers." I got so annoyed I left to come back with only my card and keys, as I was with several electronics and a wallet. Third try back... You need a pin for your credit card. WTF! Who knows that? I walk back get my debit, withdraw cash and head back for a fourth attempt to get my tickets.

Success! But only with two trips. Third time was not a charm as it stated "system not responsive. " I tried several machines, and didn't understand. I cursed under my breath. I attempted to go to the information booth. WTF! You have to get a number and approximately wait 40-50 minutes as there is a few dozen others who can't book their tickets, or who knows what problems they are also having. My thoughts, God Bless America that my home is there because this shit is cray! Nothing is simple here or explained in the right manner. I tried other machines because my time is valuable, time is money, as most Americans think. Finally success but only through the help of a gypsy. My problem wasn't that the system was unresponsive. It was because I was not to choose the seats on specific trains. What a simple solution of not giving the option of choosing a seat could save a dozen of people to not wait for the information booth for such a SIMPLE problem. A simple message of do not choose your seats instead of system not responsive would suffice. But like I said WTF. The gypsy requested money but I like to change the world one person at time. One should want to help someone without asking for anything return. Four attempts and five tickets later, my trips are booked. But all in all, Italy should hire the gypsies to explain the machines so the average costumer gets in and out of the terminal, the gypsies are paid and I don't think that America is the greatest country on earth to live, because I was raised I want something and I want is done yesterday, efficiently and economically.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Ostia Antica: A Civilized Past

Thirty minute metro/train ride away from Piramide, Roma takes you back to the 7th century BC in a large town of Ostia Antica. This archeological site is a playground/maze. It was a beautiful day to visit Ostia, a Saturday ago and I invited some friends along. You meet so many people from different cultures here and really get a practice at other languages.  At the end of the day after visiting Ostia, I was speaking something in between Spanitaliaenglish and didn't know what language I was speaking in the end. I met several friends from Chile, Belgium, France some Americans and we all try to practice our Italian.
You can only imagine a night out with us.

Ostia was truly a unique place to see. It starts off as a long road that grows bigger to what once was a Port city. It stated that over 1000 people once lived in this city and I could definitely see it. Surely you're thinking only 1000 but this is B.efore C.hrist time we're talking.  There were large squares still intact and several commercial areas. It definitely had a feel for a Walking Dead Episode as the area is so large that you don't pass by many visitors. 




There is a large amphitheater where I'm sure once fat ladies sang Opera. I tried to imagine what life would be back in those times. No internet, no tv, no telephone, no books, no connection from the outside world.  The people of Ostia would have laughed at the idea of some web universe where we all are connected by a touch of a button. Hell they thought the world was still flat back then. 


Currently, I don't have a working cell phone so I too was disconnected with the outside world and quite enjoyed it. I have been delaying getting an Italian number because I enjoy leaving my apartment and hopefully meeting at the proper place and time with friends.  Having drinks and dinner without the use of facebook or the web. Bit of excitement the unknown, if your friends left you because you arrived to late or you don't know where the restaurant is because no two streets are alike, so you find yourself wondering the streets of Roma, asking for directions to other people who also don't know the street you are mentioning and they're ITALIAN!



I knew this would be a town I'd like to live in because there was a bar in this hip trendy town of Ostia in the 7th Century. There are shelves in place and there even looks to be like a cooler bucket. This place gives you peace from the daily hustle and bustle of Roma. Hours spent mazing through the ruins really beat me up but well worth a sunny Saturday afternoon walking through a town built before Christ. 

Thursday, March 7, 2013

From the Darkness Comes the Light

As I am sitting in class currently thinking about my troubles God slaps me in my face as a gentleman walks in my classroom, the same student that I saw yesterday in my class whom I thought was being rude sleeping in class in the front row, walks in with a blind cane.

All my worries washed away as I thought of this man's daily struggle and I am inspired by his strength to attend school. He sat in the front and struggled to enter his password for his computer. He struggled for 10 minutes, 5 minutes longer than I would take throwing my computer across the room. He records the lesson and navigates on the Internet. I could only imagine his patience, his long dark walks in the city and his morning and nights are no different. He can never drive, his relationships are limited to people who are truly accepting. There are no sunrises and sunsets, but HE IS the sunshine in the many lives he doesn't even know he touches as he is to me.

Sometimes you think that life is too difficult, your problems you think you can't handle. Your mind and heart is full of worries then God slaps you across the face and says appreciate each day, the friends and family you have, even if the numbers are small. Appreciate your eyes and the legs you have that you have an EASY life. And if life seems difficult close you eyes and lay down for 15 minutes and think how much life could be worse. Now get up take the breath you are given and keep it movin' because life is to beautiful too keep worrying.

I look forward to seeing the sunshine in my class, especially on these dark rainy days.