Rickshaws and Rome...and Hostile and Hostels

So a little over a week ago, I went to the Imperial City. Not Oz, that's the Emerald City and for the record I have nothing against that place (I've never actually been), but I went to Rome.

It was as beautiful as I had been told by my parents and my little brother who served his mission there. You would think that having a little brother who had lived in and around Rome for two years would have its advantages, like a place to stay, but alas, little brother didn't pull through and my friends (Matt and Paul) and I ended up staying in a hostel.

It was my first experience in a hostel and I'm not going to say it will be my last, but let's just say that I don't think I'd stay in that particular hostel again. It was clean and there weren't any cockroaches or bugs. That is, of course, if you don't consider the manager Mike as a cockroach.

Mike was from Bangladesh and Mike was a little bit creepy- and if you were a girl, Mike was a lot a bit creepy. I arrived the day after Matt and Paul I was traveling with so they had already been working the Mike schmooze which worked out well for us because he upgraded our rooms for free for the first two nights. (I never said I was above schmoozing creeps for my advantage).

So this guy gave us upgrades and I'm calling him a creep? Yes, I know you may be calling foul, but let me explain. I got to the hostel around midnight on Thursday night. I met up with Matt and Paul and first met Mike. There were some girls waiting to check-in and Mike immediately said to us, "These are my girls. Don't talk to them or I will get jealous." Dude, I just want to go to sleep.

I was too tired to care, so I got my key and was soon in bed. Well the upgrade meant that Matt and Paul had a room to themselves and I was put in a room with one other guy. Our beds were literally six inches apart so I was kind of wondering if this was really an upgrade for me or not because without the upgrade Matt, Paul, and I would have all been in the same room with just one other guy. (Seems like Matt and Paul got upgraded and I got...well, a night with a stranger sleeping inches away!)

The next day we got up and while Paul and Matt went off to do t

hings, I did what they had already done- Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Pantheon, Colosseum, Piazza de Navona, the Forums, and pretty much all the old stuff in Rome. We met up that afternoon at the Spanish Steps. After which we rode some rickshaws in a park that overlooks the city. I made a video of us racing the two-man rickshaws and against my better judgement because I sound like a complete hick, I am uploading it here for your enjoyment:

(Matt and I won the race- naturally, I am an excellent rickshaw driver/pedaler. The girl with us is EJ and we met her at the hostel.)

So we get back after a long day and I go to get the key to my room and there are some girls asking Mike where some good bars are. He won't tell them, but instead offers to buy them wine and tells them to come back so that they can drink it together. After they leave, he tells me that I have to tell them how cool he is and proceeds to tell me how much he "wants that girl" (his words, not mine- creeper).

The next day (Saturday), we wandered around the city some more and ate plenty of gelato. I think gelato was seeping out of my pores when I got back because I ate so much. As a side note, the gelato in this picture cost 7 euro because we wanted to sit down...it was worth it if you were wondering.

Paul flew back on Saturday night, but he had assured us that not only was the Vatican open on Sunday, but it was also free. Paul lied to us. Well, maybe not lied, but he was misinformed because while St. Peter's Basilica was open the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museum were not. I guess that just gives me a reason to go back to Rome now!

Saturday night at the hostel, Mike had to move us into a 4-person dorm room (out of our 2 person rooms) because they were booked. We were getting up early to get to the Vatican...so we went to bed early. At about 1:00 AM, a kid came bounding into the room making a ruckus. He was seriously so LOUD. Then he decided to turn on the lights and to top it off started to talk to us. He said (with a slight accent I didn't want to place at that time), "Do you know where is the power plug?" Matt wouldn't answer so I just growled, "No!" He didn't try to talk to us again.

He finally went to bed, but conveniently left the door to our room open and the light from the hall was shining right on my face. Maybe he needed a night light, but I needed a night's rest, so I had to get up and shut the door.

The next morning, we got up at around 7:00 and plug boy got up with us. We soon found out that he was from India and he proceeded to ask us more questions like, "Do you know of a better, cheaper hostel" to which Matt responded, "You can't get much cheaper than this." (we were paying 15 euro a night...)

Then, we started brushing our teeth and so I guess he thought he ought to as well. He went up to Matt and asked, "May I borrow some paste?" Matt was confused, until he pulled out the "filthiest toothbrush I have ever seen" (Matt's words, not mine). Matt didn't want his toothpaste to touch the toothbrush so he just kind of dangled it out onto the brush and shook the tube until the paste separated. It was hilarious! Sorry, no video of this :(

After we were ready, we went to the little cafe next to the hostel were we got free breakfast but it didn't open for another 5 minutes. As we were waiting, young paste-borrowing guy comes out, map in hand, and asks, pointing at a building, "Do you know the building where is?" He was pointing at the train station which was literally 25 feet away from where we where standing and in full sight. I seriously could have thrown something and hit it. We pointed to the building and said, "Right there."

He responded, "You go through that building," and we said, "No, that building IS the train station." Oh man, that was the last I saw of the young kid. I hope he survived. I did and, like I said before, I have an excuse to go back...the gelato...oh and the Sistine Chapel.

(This is what happens when you are alone and have to take pictures of yourself! Not too bad if I say so myself.)