So we arrived in the Naples train station with our new Canadian travel mates and set off to find our hostel. We had booked 2 beds at the place and they where hoping to stay at our hostel as well. So we took the "subway" 2 stops and got off. Right away it felt like a very different city than any we had been to north of Rome. Hard to describe, but it just felt a little more dodgy. So we found our hostel fairly easily considering the small street it was on and went to check in. The man running the place was busy with some other people, so we were told to wait. Eventually he got to us and checked us in, but not before explaining all the things there are to do in Naples as well as the areas to stay away from and how Naples gets an undeserved bad reputation. In 2006 there where 84 murders in Naples (much less then many other European cities) and 82 of those where mob related, so really it is a safe city for tourists. Luckily the girls where able to get some beds as well. So after we checked in we went and took a walk around the area the hostel was in. We eventually found a street market and ate some food in a park. It was sitting in this park we realized why Naples has a sketchy feel. People where driving their scooters without a helmet on the walking path, rottweilers where free to roam without a leash and there was garbage all over the place. We soon headed back to the hostel and hung out for a while as we waited for our free hostel dinner.
As it worked out the guy running the hostel sat everyone staying there down at a big table to eat some delicious pasta together. It was free and there was wine so where happy. To our surprise, after we where done eating they guy busts out the guitar and gets us to sing some songs. At little different, but why not. Once the sing along was done we went out on the terrace to enjoy the evening. Not too long after he called half the people we where with to the inside. We figured they where on dish duty or something. Then he called Joel in and Scott was outside alone. Joel was sent to the main room where everyone else from the hostel were. After seeing the cake he quickly realized we where going to surprise Scott because it was his birthday (he noticed it was Scott's birthday after looking at his passport upon check in) . Joel figured Scott would catch on, which he did but was still a pretty good sport when we all sang happy birthday and he blew out the candles. A birthday Scott is sure to remember. Later that night we where hanging out outside and came to a consensus that we did not really want to travel with our acquired travel mates. They where nice enough girls, but were a little immature and did not quite travel the way we did.
As it worked out the guy running the hostel sat everyone staying there down at a big table to eat some delicious pasta together. It was free and there was wine so where happy. To our surprise, after we where done eating they guy busts out the guitar and gets us to sing some songs. At little different, but why not. Once the sing along was done we went out on the terrace to enjoy the evening. Not too long after he called half the people we where with to the inside. We figured they where on dish duty or something. Then he called Joel in and Scott was outside alone. Joel was sent to the main room where everyone else from the hostel were. After seeing the cake he quickly realized we where going to surprise Scott because it was his birthday (he noticed it was Scott's birthday after looking at his passport upon check in) . Joel figured Scott would catch on, which he did but was still a pretty good sport when we all sang happy birthday and he blew out the candles. A birthday Scott is sure to remember. Later that night we where hanging out outside and came to a consensus that we did not really want to travel with our acquired travel mates. They where nice enough girls, but were a little immature and did not quite travel the way we did.
Luckily, the next mourning we slept in later then them, so they had already left the hostel. We only had one full day in Naples so we basically decided to walk around the city and see what there is to see. The day started off at the place where pizza was first invented. We happened to get there right when it opened. The pizza was amazing and by the time we left the place it was packed with a large group of people outside waiting to get in and waiting for there pizza to go. From there we walked towards the water front through downtown and checked out the peer. After the peer we walked the board walk and saw the fortress. From there we walked through the shopping district and had an espresso. A ritual that was quite enjoyable and we where not sure why it took so long to catch on to. That evening we had some delicious sea food at a restaurant by the port and did not make it back to the hostel until later that night. To our delight the girls where already in bed meaning we would probably never see them again.
The next day we got up and took the half hour train ride by Mount Vesuvius to the ancient city of Pompeii. It was pretty cool to walk the old streets that where so well preserved by the volcano blast. After Pompeii we hopped went back to Naples where we hopped on the high speed train to Bari where we would hop on the ferry to Greece the next day.