Sunday, May 12, 2013

Napoli & Capri


Watch out in Napoli! Was the warnings I got from friends in Roma. Napoli or Naples is rumored to be a dangerous place because of its "Mafia" presence and thieves but there is surely more gypsies, thieves and homeless in Roma.  Though, there is a lot more of the "typical stereotypical" italians with the babada di booti. Sat down on a tram heading to the hostel and two old italians get in a heated conversations with vaffanculo hand gestures.  Walking along the streets italians stare and ciao bella me. Just imagine Napoli with groups of 3-5 men in corners of streets arguing or admiring the foreigners that walk by.  Where are all the women in the Napoli?


At first arriving from the train station, Napoli doesn't look much with its dirty grey streets and construction sites. But if you pass by all this, there are colorful old buildings and pedestrian street along the shore and a 40 minute ferry ride to beautiful Capri. More on that later. There are funicolari (funicular carts) to get you the steep hills of Napoli where you can get a breathtaking view of Napoli by the Castle and Monk Museum.





If you have the time and the dinero, take a day trip to beautiful Capri. The trip 20 euros one way will take to you on a rollercoaster ride of the sea. I mean this boat that fits around 250 people seated, really takes off flying in the air as it hits the waves and the guests' stomach drops and you arrive to the port of Capri in approximately 40 minutes because of the 50knots fire power this boat has.  I observed my escape plan if the captain was to ever say abandon ship, then again we are in Italy and I am sure he would be the first to jump off without any warning of "abandon ship."  Too far?




Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Silenzio! No foto!

Vatican. A country on its own and enough money to have its own guards, post office and much more. Take a visit to the Vatican Museums and you'll be 16Euros poorer than you were before, unless you just happen to be visiting the last Sunday of the month when its free and triple the amount of people.  Also NOT recommended is the tour guides outside by the Vatican who try to convince the poor uninformed tourists to go with their group because there's this miraculous long 2 hour wait to get in the museum. Right, took me 2 minutes to buy my ticket and walk in while the groups awaited outside for the guides to hustle more tourists to get more bang for their buck and then you have to wait inside while they manage to get you the tickets AND THEN walk like a herd of cows through the museum while some guy blabs about God knows what about art you just don't give a crap or remember until you get to the Sistine Chapel, all the while you fill up your camera with endless photos of art you won't remember but hey you got 200 + photos of the Vatican museum. 




 After I paid 16 euros because the mean lady at the booth would not give me a student discount because apparently the Church is lacking money from all the gold and riches in the church that they can't spare any cost, I walk through the several museums. We know what we come for, the Sistine Chapel yet they  force visitors, who at this point have seen way too many Renaissance paintings and enough naked men sculptures around Italy, who just want to see the dang Sistine Chapel already have to take a 1.5 hour tour of the seemingly endless portraits and egoist sculptures.  Sure you're allowed to take photos through the museum of famous artists and sculptures, flash and everything but WAIT right before you enter the Chapel, the Vatican Police aka photo Nazis scream at you NO FOTO and SILENZIO. Yeah sure, NOW I can't take million of photos in the one dang place I want to. I mean what's the logic in that. I walk through the whole museum pay 16 euros, most expensive museum and then you tell me the one place I want to take photos I can't, even if I don't have a flash. I was in the art world, the work will not be damaged by some digital camera or iPhone. Yet still just try to even lift your camera and you get NO FOTOOOOO! Also they state this is a "scared place" so dress appropriately and be quiet. But yet they don't check what we're wearing through the whole museum until the chapel. And there's nothing sacred of charging 16 euros a head and filling a chapel with 100 plus people, who come from all different races and religions speaking in their own language and possibling getting into a fight as a Muslim couple did near me. Trying to silence over 100 people in a small chapel who are admiring the work of Michelangelo and his mockery to the church of gay men kissing in the corner. Take a look on the right side of the fresco Judgment day. Its one big fat orgy of gay men. Scared. Right!
P.S. I snuck all these photos, because if I'm going to pay 16 euros I need to take some dang photos so when my butt gets too old and I can't remember this day, I at least have some visual memories. Take you photos at the end after enjoying the work, because if then you get kicked out at least you got some kiss ass "illegal" photos.