When in Rome: Um guys.. who is Lui?

Ok Ok Ok! I've been really bad about this whole blog thing!! I am NOW updating about my trip to Ischia, even though it happened like the first weekend in October... yikes!

So that is Ischia! Hiiiii Ischia! It was a wonderful weekend. I've thought many many times the past year about what going abroad would be like and never did I imagine my time being spent on the beach. My roommates and I took the train to Naples( and somehow got put in first class woooohooo) after grabbing paninis from this wonderful place in Termini Station. Seriously, they are so good! The train was about a couple of hours and upon arriving we hunted down Tram #1 and where to find tickets, to take to the port. The tram delivered us the port, using its "ahooogaa" sounding horn to scream at the people that filled the busy streets of Napoli. The port was filled with huge cruise ships which was really fun to dream about, but we headed on a smaller ferry off the Isle of Ischia! The ferry took a little over an hour, and unfortunately for me I'm now apparently prone to boat sickness. I could not wait to get off. A short bus ride later and we arrived at the Forio port and main piazza in search of the The Ring Hostel.

Easily found, we immediately liked the staff ( and their mention of free Internet and breakfast) and we took off to the beach! A crazy photo shoot followed as we just acted silly enjoying the sun and the HUGE waves. The water was warm and the waves were wonderful. I enjoyed myself immensely. We later retired back to the hostel to prepare for dinner. The owners of the hostel also own a restaurant on the island and they offer rides there to the guests every night around 8pm. ( Pretty much they are guaranteed people to go to their place!) We met in the lobby and ran into a bunch of other students at AUR and all journeyed over together. And by "journeyed" I mean 16 people in a very small van! I should also point out that the streets in Ischia are more like alleys and rarely can a person even walk by a car in the middle. They are EXTREMELY narrow. Needless to say, no roller coaster will ever be thrilling after this ride. Our driver Lorenzo loved every second, especially when he exclaimed," Uh-oh the police! Duck!" Every twist and turn had me scared, but also laughing hysterically as I was thrown around in my place sitting on top and squished next to others. I don't think I have laughed that hard in months, which was very refreshing and much needed. The restaurant was absolutely amazing too. Every dish was home-made fresh and we lingered for about three hours getting to know one another. It was literally the best food I have had in Italy so far!

Ischia is a very relaxing, pay no attention to time type of place. The silliness continued with this "family pyramid" in the restaurant. ( I'm still not sure why it was called that) As you can see I am struggling to stay with the weight on my back and collapsed just a few moments after the photograph was taken bringing others down with me! Lorenzo then took us for death ride number 2 back to the hostel and we walked down to a bar inthe main piazza. We were a little hesitant with the lack of people there, but the piano man ( plus synthesizer) soon broke into some great hits including I will Survive, YMCA, All Night Long, and Frank Sinatra's My Way ( a karaoke hit around the world I hear!) so it ended up being great fun. We stumbled home tired and happy and ready for a full day in Ischia.

Unfortunately, the next morning I was not feeling well, I seem to have a virus every other week here! :( My roommates left for Negambo- a hot springs resort with natural and man made pools heated with the heat of the volcanic fluid that formed the island itself. I started to feel better in the late afternoon, and being very very brave and independent found my way there all on my own ( where to buy the ticket, where to get the bus, where to get off the bus, where the place was- it was such a process!) Anyway woo go me! It ended up being great fun and the quote of the day is when they were talking about "Lui"and I went along with acting like I knew him. I eventually asked Um guys, who is Lui again? and They stared at me dumbfounded as the reminded me that it is the pronoun for He. Clearly, my Italian is not fantastic. The night followed much like the evening before, minus no bar visits because we wanted to get up early to explore Ischia. The next morning, we shopped around the main piazza before boarding our hydrofoil boat back home( more expensive, but must faster and no seasickness=worth it!)

A Few final pictures for you: