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Mon, 25 Aug 2003 10:30:00 +0000

It has been quite an eventful couple of days! As I sit at the Colosseum typing and reflecting, people give me curious looks. Do I care right now? Not at all. Why? Let me explain. The story begins a few days ago, with Kelvin hungry, lost, smelly, and effectively homeless on a train going somewhere he did not know. I got off at Garrista, or somewhere with a similar name, but because it was urban and had no beach, I took another train to Civitavecchia (I planned to confirm the exact names later). I got off, found the beach, and was immersed among locals. By this stage of the trip, I could rarely go anywhere without hearing English, but for about 15 hours I heard none at all. I bought some food and sat in what appeared to be the town’s fashionable area, a beachfront community seemingly built in part around industrial manufacturing. Eventually, I made my way to the beach, curled up on a pile of rocks in my sleeping bag, and fell asleep. Concerned about my safety, I did not sleep particularly well, but morning eventually came. I jumped on another train to Rome and, after arriving, headed to the Beehive near the station. But wait: it had moved. I went to its new location on the other side of the station, but it was full. The staff suggested a few alternatives, and I stopped at one advertising free internet. Promising, but it was also full. I tried another place that seemed less likely, though after sleeping on a beach I was not especially picky. An American man there told me that the hostel was full, but another property owned by the same people had space. I went there, once again on the other side of the station, and checked in. I dropped off my bag and immediately headed to the Vatican. The metro system was not nearly as pleasant as Barcelona’s, but it got me there. I bought a little food and toured several churches around the Vatican. I had no money left for admission, but I still enjoyed myself. Being young and energetic, I walked through much of the city and reached the Pantheon, which was extraordinary. I met a woman from Malta, and we talked for a while. She spoke some Maltese to me and used my map to show me where Malta was. How many people have had Maltese spoken to them? Good times. A tour group has now gathered around me, perhaps amused by the sight of someone typing at the Colosseum. Enough of that! After the Pantheon, I wandered back to the hostel and arrived around 6:30pm, just as food was being served. Pizza for everyone, and plenty of people to meet. This was where I started making friends. I met several people in my room and organised all but one of them to join a pub crawl. Two English women and then two English men also came along. I was the only American. The crawl included a tour, drinks, and a late-night stumble home. George and Louis were there, and I snogged George (the word still sounds funny). She was very cool, so all was well. I woke, ate breakfast, met two Mexican women and another Australian, and went to the Colosseum with BJ. It is extraordinary here, but I am only halfway through exploring. For now, I bid farewell. Adios!

Vatican-City on Kelvin Nicholson

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