Pompeii, Sorrento, and Capri!

This week I took a trip to southern Italy visiting Pompeii, Sorrento, and Capri. I really enjoyed the trip and the fact that it was organized by UH. This trip was included in our tuition, which made it extra special since everyone from our school got to join in. It is very challenging to get everyone together in a room and organize a trip on our own. So, the fact this was already organized and planned out was amazing. 

Thinking back about the trip, this was definitely one of the places that you would want a third party to organize your trip if you aren't looking to do extensive research and pay a good amount of money. The challenging part of any trip, in my opinion, is figuring out the transportation. Catching the right bus here, transferring to a train there,making sure you are on time to catch your flight. It can get overwhelming, especially when something runs late and throws off the rest of your plans. This was particularly the case for this trip. But, before we get to that let me tell you how it started. 

Our first stop was Pompeii. Walking through the ruins was like stepping back in time. It’s mind-blowing to think that people were living their everyday lives there 2,000 years ago, and then Mount Vesuvius erupted, burying the entire city. The scale of the disaster becomes so much clearer when you see how well-preserved some of the buildings are. While not in perfect condition, they’re incredibly intact considering their age. I am glad we had an administrator come with us from LDM to give us a more detailed history about Pompeii as we walked throughout the area.

Next, we took a bus to Sorrento, and arrived around dinner time. The drive to the hotel was insane. I am amazed that buses are even allowed to drive on these tiny roads. At one point the driver had to drive in reverse to get to our hotel because the turn was too sharp for him to make. We did make it in one piece and a huge shout out to that driver because that was impressive. We didn't have too much time to explore Sorrento, but we were able to walk around a little bit, check out the views and get some dinner. We finished off the night at a rooftop bar with the rest of our friends from UH. 

The next morning, we took a ferry to Capri. The boat ride was a little rough, and a lot of people were feeling seasick. I heard that the ferries had been canceled the previous two days due to rough waters, so I am glad we were able to make it out. Capri was my favorite stop on the trip. We got to explore the island, got some food and of course got a little bit of swimming in. A group of us found a secluded spot away from the crowds to do some cliff jumping.  

Now for the rough part of the trip. The ferry was 30 minutes late, which caused us to miss our train back to Florence. Our directors quickly made alternative arrangements, and we ended up on a six-hour bus ride to Florence that would get us back around 3AM. However, the bus did not have a permit to enter the city, so he drove us as close as he could, and from there, we took taxis to finally make it home around 4AM. This trip was definitely eventful but I wouldn't want it any other way. 

Stay tuned for next week in Budapest… 

• Thermal baths in Pomepii