21st of August, 2019.
So now let’s finally hitchhike in Italy! Next morning, when I am walking to the spot where I would hitchhike, I see a car stopped in there. I walk a little fast to try my lucky and the guy is actually a road worker and he says I can come with him. He is not going far but he can drop me in a gas station. It would be a perfect plan in any other country in the world. A big gas station, where a lot of people stop before a long journey (I was trying now to go to Naples). But not in Italy, no.
I wash my t-shirt and wash-up myself in the bathroom and then start. I talk with the people in the cars, caravans, and also hold my sign time to time. I am getting too many “no” but I had hope. Until the police shows up. And then a whole play starts. First they say “You cannot stay here.” So I argue that it is a gas station, not the highway. “No you cannot. But in the restaurant you can.”. OK, I go to the restaurant and start to talk with the people there. A few minutes later they come back. “No, you cannot stay here either.” What? Are you fucking crazy or just stupid? OK, I need to take it easy with them because they were not bad at all. Not rude or anything, even nice, but they just not speak good English and / or were smart. So they call a car with some employees who work in the road and they would give me a lift to somewhere nearby, a smaller road, where I could either take a bus (but I do not know if there is one going to Naples because they also do not know plus I would need just to sit there and wait because there is no time table anywhere) or there I could hitchhike. At least they say that. They guys in the truck are nice, of course and they drop me in a kind of parking lot, with a bus stop.
I have my breakfast. I jerk guy annoy me a little bit. I decide to walk a bit and star to hitchhike. The road is horrible though. No good spot where somebody can see me and stop. Always police officers fucking me up! A nice guy stops though. Very friendly. He says there is not good, people cannot see me… Really? So we drive for about two minutes (laugh) and he drops me in this little intersection. Also not good but he says that at least there, everybody is going in direction of Naples. We say goodbye and he goes to his car. But them he comes back with something in his hand and I think it is a business card or something but it is a note of 20€. I refuse, of course, but he drops on the floor and run away. Now, I never now what should I do in this kind of situation. Should I not take the money from the floor? Should I take and give to a street person? But would not that be an offence to that person who was just trying to help me? I take the money and carry on hitchhiking.
A long time pass, no one stops. But them a car finally stops. They do not care too much about the space (again, when someone wants to stop, they will stop anywhere) and when I run to the car and ask about Naples, the drive just make a sign that I can come and he laughs. They seem very friendly.
And they are! Oh Loki, Rafael and Sara are this two beautiful and wonderful people going to Salermo, a town just before Naples. Rafael is an actor and they are together for a long time already even that it looks like they just started to date. They look great together and have a beautiful connection. Plus, they are both so nice and happy, smiling all the time, funny and smart. It is as I always say: if I am waiting for a long time in the road, and start to lose my faith in people, is because some incredible people will stop for me. It is always like these. This time, it is Rafael and Sara.
We chat all the way long, different topics, related or not with my travels, politics, cinema, people. We stop for a quick coffee, I get a cappuccino by courtesy of them, and we carry one. So the plan is from Salerno to take a train to Naples, because is just 3.4€ and I will save loads of time. But before get in there, Rafael and Sara will stop to have some original Mozzarela di Buffala in a small town nearby. Again, they invite me to taste and Oh My Loki! What a delicious thing! Even now I can remember the taste! Simply incredible! Definitely the best one I ever had! We had also a special type, with a creamy milk inside. Oh, so good..
In Salerno, they drop me in front of the train station, picture and hugs and goodbyes. I got the ticket and went to, which apparently, it was the right platform. I change my t-shirt because I do not want that my brand new and beautiful Native American t-shirt to get dirty. I hang in the sun, to dry, and suddenly I realize (do not ask me how), that it was the wrong platform, and the train it is already in the right one. I grab my stuff very quickly and leave. Just two days later, in Rome, I would realize I left my t-shirt hanging in the wall. I hope someone nice had found.
In Naples, I would like to drop my backpack and go for a walk and finally get my pizza Napolitana. I ask in this backpacker if I could leave in there but the nice receptionist say no. He offer me to use the wi-fi and rest if I need, though. As I said, he is really nice. So I decide not to go around Naples and just organize my mess online. I also take the directions to the cheap and nice Pizzeria Di Matteo. Huge queue to eat in there, take away it is better. Just 3.5€ for a nice size Marguerita. I grab the pizza and allow myself to also by a Italian beer (Nastro Azuro) and go to the Descartes Square, just nearby. So crowded, Oh my! And a lot of people playing football… ? And I also see a lot of Indian people. Anyway, I make a picture and then I have my wonderful pizza with the nice Italian beer.
I have decided to also take the train to Rome. After my searching, I realize that it is the last Sunday of the month so I can visit the Vatican Museums for free! Oh! I will save 17 Euros! I will need to be there early morning, around 6 a.m., but who cares? So because of that I decide to take the train. I arrive there on Thursday, with time, settle myself in town (still do not know how) and then I have two days (Friday and Saturday) to go around Rome and on Sunday is Vatican Day! To do that, I take a very early train, at 6 a.m., so I decide to take my chances at the train station. Earlier, the lady from Information told me they close at midnight. She was not completely wrong. They do close but if you have a ticket you can remain inside. That it was what I did. Bye, bye Naples, capital of the pizza.
