Off to Roma!

Hey Guys,

We took off to Rome today. Kelsey and I got up early to make our flight. We took the metro to a direct airport shuttle train. I was worried about getting lost or missing the train, but we made it without any problems. It was a short flight, and we landed in Rome before noon. It looks just like Kansas from the plane window! We caught a train from the airport to the main metro station. It was a big place, but somehow we found our train, and switched three more times before catching a shuttle to our hostel. Pretty good considering it’s all in Italian! Knowing Spanish definitely helps, however, since so many words have similar roots.

We are staying at Happy Village and Camping. The train we took to catch the hostel’s shuttle took us way outside of Rome. It was so ghetto, as was the metro station we got off at. There was graffiti, rust and trash everywhere, but it didn’t really surprise me since that seems to be typical of the entire city. Rome is definitely not a clean place. I needed band-aids from a nearby pharmacy, and you weren’t even allowed to enter. You had to tell them what you wanted, and then they would hold up your choices to the glass. You exchanged the goods and money through a tray in the door.

After our Happy bus took us to check-in, Kelsey and I headed back into the city for a few hours. The best part about our trip is that we have no itinerary. We just rode the metro, got off at a random stop, and started walking. We stumbled upon a few palaces, obelisks, and eventually made it to the Spanish stairs. We watched the sunset up there before heading back for the night. There was this crazy guy at the fountain we were taking pictures of that kept jumping in front of our pictures. I talked to Rachel, and she remembered seeing him when she went to Rome during high school! Small world.

The hostel where we are staying is very clean and safe, but definitely has no frills. Maybe that’s why it was so cheap. We are staying in a tiny cabin without air or water, and share outdoor bathrooms and showers with the rest of the guests. It is definitely oriented more towards camping, and a lot of people have trailers or tents. That said, we have hot water, so I’m not complaining too much.

Arriverderci,

Becca