Day 11 – Bari/Naples

I hardly got any sleep on the boat but my girlfriend did of course, wrapped up in my jumper (they really need to learn to turn off air conditioning at night) because it was rather chilly. As the Americans said their farewells, using google maps, we disembarked and travelled through the back streets and main streets, past very expensive shops and 3 McDonalds to arrive at the train station, albeit 4hrs too early.

We got our train reservations and went for breakfast, where I had a slice of pizza (it was basically lunch for me now) and my girlfriend had pure orange juice, which was supposedly ‘too’ pure, whatever that means. With nothing else to do, we went to the nearest park and played cards, which was actually right outside the University. It took this trip to figure out how bad my girlfriend is at any card game, but I didn’t complain, I like winning. We played a variety of games and people watched, passing the time until it was close enough to go inside the train station again.

The next part of this story still puzzles me but I shall try and explain anyway. We boarded our train and took our seats – for the first time we were not together, although we were in direct eye contact a few seats away – but apparently the train was delayed by 1hr due to ‘police investigations’, even though we got on at the right time, and followed the same route, same stops and same time, yet somehow added an hour onto our arrival time? The delay occurred the stops before us but we were on time, how did we lose it? Never mind, apart from the man beside me snoring, the food man knocking the coffee of said snorer over the old lady’s white Dolce and Gabbana handbag opposite, and my failed attempts of conveying what I meant in Italian when asked a question, it was rather uneventful compared to our usual train journeys.

Not to worry, we got off at Casserta to get a connecting train to Napoli, except there were like 3 different ones so we picked the busiest platform and got on. All of them said Naples and all left at basically the same time. The ticket man in the station said it was a communal free train and to go to any, but I had no faith in him. The two American girls that were being entertained by the other chatty vineyard Americans on the boat were on the platform opposite to us. I think they saw us because next thing we knew it they came over to our platform too, we must be getting the right train.

When the train came, we got on and the attendant asked to see my interrail pass, went to the driving cabin and didn’t even say why or anything. Thankfully he came back with it unchanged after 10mins. Perhaps he was nosey and wanted to see where I had been, or wanted to show his friend what it was or maybe he was a keen traveller himself and looking at the possibilities open to him? It still scared me for a while.

As I said, this train made up for our uneventful one. A train further up the track had broken down and blocked all lines going to Napoli (you couldn’t write it). I had worked out the problem in Italian, using the words that I knew, but a very loud New York ‘energy economist’ she called herself, had made a friend called Mr. Kim, (Mr. Kim was a poet and a pizza maker from Korea) and was loud enough that she could inform the whole train what was going on without even trying to. She was fluent in Italian. Suppose you can’t be annoyed at her after she helped us translate?

As the train was parked, I took a run out of the station and we were actually in the middle of nowhere with no shops or buses. We were stranded as it were. Thankfully we got on another train that was ready to drive through this train up ahead but luckily it was fixed and the tracks were clear. As the last train was free, I don’t think this one was and the train attendant had a bit of a quarrel with 4 African-Americans, which basically consisted of them not needing to get a ticket “because they are black” and that they can’t be fined because they have no money anyway. Somehow they got away with it, and we didn’t even get asked for our tickets.

It was only another 15mins and we were in Naples, only 2hrs later than expected. We exited the station to find pickpocket central, one of the dodgiest looking places I have ever seen! Street markets, magic tricks and thousands of people all crammed into small spaces, no wonder it is renowned for pickpockets. We safely made it through the designer handbag stalls and sea of sunglasses and found refuge in our hotel (was actually cheaper than a hostel).

The hotel had a bed, free towels, balcony etc…basically perfect! We showered and headed to find a shop (except there hardly are any in Naples unless you know where to look or go to supermarkets in the outskirts). Instead, we conceded to eating at a safe looking restaurant having pizza and pasta. What else when you’re in Italy? We retired to bed after another walk through the streets where I don’t think my girlfriend has experienced so many men look at her all at once before. Luckily she has me to defend her…probably not though!