Venice

I made it. Still not entirely sure how, but I did.

So today I'm going to tell you a story. One that starts just as the sky is changing to faint blue, and a new day is about to begin.
At this point, I wake up (I think I was dreaming, something abnormally real again I'm sure).
I go to check the time, and I do not know where my phone is. I keep it with me on the bed, that way in moments such as this, I can always know the time and be less confused. So I search under the cover and under the pillow, and beside the bed on all open sides.
Still no luck, so I open my laptop a crack to give me some light and then I shine it under the bed, trying not to wake any of my fellow hostelers. There it is. So far under the bed, I have to shimmy to get it. Like a worm. It must have fallen down the crack between the bed and the wall. I didn't think that crack was big enough.
So once the phone is retrieved, I check the time and it is 4:30 a.m. Back to bed.

I was awakened a few more times before my alarm went off. Mainly someone else's going off earlier. One of those buzzing obnoxious ones, that they let run for a good minute. I couldn't be too mad though, because they were a very sweet Asian couple, who warned me the night before they were getting up early.

So by the time my alarm goes off, it's 7 a.m. And I fall back asleep. But don't worry, I'm used to this. I wake up with 20 minutes to go ready before I wanted to leave. Plenty of time.
So I'm out the hostel doors by 8, and on my way back to the Munich Hbf. It's walking distance, about 1k.
The street vendors and shopping markets are just opening up and setting up their stands for the day. I've noticed that this seems to be a part of town with quite a few middle eastern run shops. But this morning there's all kinds of people, off to the daily routine.

I made it to the Hbf in record time (apparently I was on a mission), and had over an hour to wait for my train.
Which was perfect because I planned on grabbing breakfast and other snacks to. Well as luck would have it, I found a Starbucks!
Once equipped with a venti coffee, croissant, fruit cup and water bottle, I made my way to the platform to wait.
I had made a small search for Gummi Bears, but after pouting and giving up I found a vending machine on the platform that sold them. And even better was it gave me two bags for the price of one as the other one had been stuck. So far, I was doing pretty well.

I'm now sitting down, eating my fruit, drinking my coffee, with my backpack beside me on the bench. (Keep in mind there are two benches, both being occupied by one person and their bag right now.) So as I'm minding my own, and patiently waiting, an older woman, around 70 (who is in fine health I would guess), struts up, stands in front of where my bag is and tells me to move it (this is what I got from her motions). So I move my backpack and set it at my feet where it falls over, while the guy on th bench beside mine was already moving his bag of the seat for her before she arrived. But she promptly sits down right beside me and utters a haughty thanks. At this point I'm able to balance my fruit cup on my coffee while uprighting my backpack and then using my legs to hold it up. By using my legs to hold it up, I mean I can't touch the ground now because I'm sitting properly, and this was not as easy at it should have been.

Oh well, not so bad, I still have coffee and if she prefers sitting here, well I really don't have a choice. :)
As it's getting time for the train to arrive, I notice the man on the other bench start looking worried and he goes up and asks one of the platform attendants something.
They come back to where his bag is and he grabs his ticket and she tells him something. Then she asks me where I'm going. I say to Verona and she tells me the train I'm looking for is track 12. The one behind me. Apparently, it switched tracks. So I thank her and hurry to my designated seat because the train has already arrived, and I get comfy for the trip. I also happen to be sitting behind the sits-where-she-wants lady. Of course that's how it works. No worries though, she ignored me from then on out.

After six hours on the train, through Austria (they do check your passport while on the train), and then into Italy, I finally arrived at Verona Porta Nuova. This is where I catch my next train to Venice.

All through Italy so far, I have seen how beautiful it can be, but also how old it is. And that age is really showing. If I'm not in a city center or tourist locale, it seems that Italy is in some disrepair. Lovely, yes, but lovelier it was.

In Verona I patiently await my next train, which about an hours wait. Train finally arrives a minute after it's due to leave. I end up having to run (literally) to the other end of the platform to board the right car. I get on, find my seat quickly, and theres someone sitting there. There's three seats in a row, two old men, one on the inside and one the outside with the middle table down. I try telling the one on the outside he's in my seat. He doesn't seem to car. So after trying to decide what to do, because clearly him and I do not speak the same language, he motions to the rest of the car, which does have quite a few empty seats and we are just about to pull away.
I choose a different empty seat and leave him be.

The theme today seems to be that elderly people don't want me to sit down where I want or am supposed to.
I'd rather not make a big fuss though, as I'm in a foreign country and just want to arrive at my destination.

After a much shorter train ride (only an hour!), I arrive at Venezia Mestre.
After exiting the station I realize, this was not the right station I wanted to get to. Unfortunately this is where my ticket went to. I grab my googled map, which helps me little. Look at my written directions from the hostel, and then consult my Italy handbook. I walk a little ways, and see a sign that says Marghera. That's the direction I want to go, so I start walking. Why? Who knows. It's a lovely day and I'm quite enjoying it so far.

I end up at a bus stop and look at the routes for number six, the one I want to take. I can't find the stop I want on it. So I keep walking. I walk, and I walk, for a good half hour, in boiling sun with my backpack securely strapped to me. Finally I sit down at an empty bus stop. I look at my sheets and then up at the sign, and then at the location I'm sitting at. And I light clicks on. I look ahead in my written directions and realize that I'm on one of the streets I'm supposed to be at. Yay! After more map reading I also realize that the stop I got off at, makes a lot more sense to get off at and is closer to my destination. Fluky!

So then I start walking, I'm not sure whether I'm supposed to go left or right because I'm not at the point in the street where I should be, and after another good 15 minutes of walking turn around and head back the other direction. Lo and behold I find my next street. I turn down that and after 10 more minutes of walking, in which I realize that my sandals (oh you bet I'm wearing sandals they've been good to me so far.), have given me blisters. Right smack dab on the bottom of my feet. Now I'm getting to the point where I'm so close, and so exhausted.

I make it. I arrive at Camp Jolly (oh yea lol), and check in. It's literally a little campground that has small shacks (bungalows) and places for tents and campers, and then pr-setup personal tents. I get into my bungalow, and the air conditioning has been blasting so it's nice and cool, and I'm the only using it. I pick my bed and make it.

I left Munich Hbf at 9:30 a.m. this morning. I arrived at Camp Jolly, at 6:30 p.m.

I've spent the better part of my day travelling. So now after regaling you with my tales, I'm going to go to the campground restaurant and eat, and probably have a glass of wine. I deserve it.

Peace&Love
Chow