Well, it's day three in Rome, and I have to say - it is a neat city, but you HAVE to be on your guard.
We've encountered lots of persistent street vendors and beggars, and Rick Steves warned us about pickpockets. It was good advice, albeit unheeded, because I WAS pick-pocketed. And I'm so angry about it.
We made some friends at our hostel, and they invited John, Janeane and I to join them downtown to celebrate New Year's Eve. I will say, the atmosphere in downtown Rome is great - really chaotic, but pretty amazing. Everyone is speaking different languages, and popping champagne bottles, and setting off fireworks (However, no bathrooms - when in Rome, use an alley!).
Once we got to the main piazza, it was very crowded. Nonetheless, we were in a large group, and circled up, so everyone felt safe. I transferred my camera from the front pocket of my purse to the main pocket, thinking it would be safer, and only took two pictures downtown - those photos were not worth it! When we were trying to leave, a fight broke out on the street, and the crowed started to exit, and it got a little (and then a lot) pushy. Once we were out of the crowd, I realized that my purse had been opened, and my camera was gone -
With all 200 Rome photos on it.
It is so terrible, because my photos were REALLY wonderful - we had done a ton of sightseeing on New Year's Eve, and the lighting was fantastic. The thieves didn't even get a good deal out of it, because without the recharger, the camera will be worthless in 30 minutes, and one of the buttons didn't even work anymore! So it's not even like they will make money off of it - so pretty much, its a crap deal for all involved.
To make the day worse, a bird also pooped on my head. Icky.
So until I can replace it, John is letting me drive him crazy by borrowing his camera every few minutes. And today, we backtracked a bit to "replace" some of the photos, but everything was closed.
Other than that - Rome is a neat city, and the food is delish. We think we're going off to Pompeii tomorrow, which will require an early morning, and the Vatican Thursday.
Mucho Love!
Chao!
