i did a good job of packing the night before
but there is always the bits in the morning:
putting away the computer
and just shocked at how much shit i’m carrying…
how much does this all weight?
i figure i weigh something like 70kgs
joshua weighs double that
and our luggage together is probably the weight of another me…
still
i tell him not to worry
the elevator in the hotel will carry us fine
hotel.
ugh.
we leave our luggage at the desk
and i go off running around to buy some electronics:
a head-phone splitter so we can both listen to the iPod
on the way in the mall next door
i see a bunch of bears
.. that cute british guy who reminds me of robert…
we hug
and they tell me where to go shopping..
a super-super market
got everything
not just the splitter
but an adapter to plug regular RCA cables into the european TVs
cheap
so i get it
… and some oranges
i hate malls.
i leave and decide to walk around that bland park thing between the sea and our hotel
the oranges make my fingers sticky
and they aren’t very good
mall food
the boats
the chaos of construction…
found a water fountain that works
to wash my fingers
i find jeff back at the hotel:
he was waiting anxiously
having had a bit of breakfast at the place we sometimes ate…
we’re ready..
so we take a cab.
of course
the driver wants to know which terminal?
we have no idea
and she doesn’t know our airline..
when we get to the airport
she drives us to where she THINKS it probably is
and i jump out to look around.
strange: lots of little booths
it looks like a bus station.
the trains work like planes… the planes work like busses? Oh NO!
i ask a guy at the desk
he tells me it’s here, gives me the number
so i run out and assure jeff…
but then we can’t find it
we ask again..
we walk around all the little booths
we ask again
maybe we’re asking the wrong question?
and eventually
panicking…
we get pointed to where we need to go..
a mile long line at the other end of the building
we wait and wait and wait and wait for a while.
wait and wait.
we’re pretty much the last people to check in
and the does us a favour
even though jeff’s bag is over the limit
she doesn’t charge us.
so nice
we run up to the security gate
having about a half hour to make the flight
and the line up there is insane as well
but what’s even better
is i ask jeff for my ticket
and he shows me both, not sure which is mine
i see my name and take it
how’d you know?
he asks…
coz i see my name.
where’s my name? i can’t find my name on my ticket…
i look
oh, i say, that’s because your name is
Soama Koundis.
WHAT?
yeah, you’re Soama Koundis, didn’t you know that?
SHIT!
so off he runs
back to the counter
to get HIS ticket…
he gets back to me just before i get to the machines
they inspect me, ask to see my ID
check to see if i’m some hippy they’re looking for from Switzerland..
not me.
and down at the terminal
we get on a bus…
(grin)
out to the plane
no hassle
but there are two gay boys sitting across the aisle from us
a muscle daddy and his cub
so cute
they fall asleep on eachother’s shoulders
their big mustaches and tight clothes
we listen to music
and i watch out the window…
i notice the ocean is filled with white things..
are those waves?
they don’t look like it:
they’re not moving.
it’s like chunks of ice
there’s no possible way there are chunks of ice in the sea right now
what the fuck is that?
i take some pictures
but it doesn’t make it any clearer.
the flight is short
we land in venice
and wait for our luggage
police dogs sniffing around
but no troubles
we put our stuff on a cart
and push push push
a half mile to the dock!, damn!
we have to leave the cart there
so i take the luggage up to the dock: our boat is there, looks like it’s loading up to leave
so jeff walks in
and i run back to grab the rest of the luggage
when i get back
the boat has left..
“Jeff, why didn’t you ask him to wait?”
… “what?”
he didn’t even notice that was our boat
didn’t ask the guy
didn’t say anything
just sat down against the wall and waited for me
oblivious
ARGH!
i kinda freak out a little
i mean
come on
if you pay just a little attention we can travel together
i’m not a fucking tour guide..
but what can we do
i walk around a bit
then sit back down with him
and we wait a half hour for the next boat.
… and what a strange adventure
to arrive into a water city on a boat
the houses approaching..
little outcroppings of buildings
old
dilapidated
industrial looking, even..
there are roads…
bit wooden pylons marking where the boats are allowed to go…
to keep it from just being a mess…
or because there are lots of shallow areas and these have been dredged or something?
dunno.
we arrive at the Fondamente Nuovo
and have no idea where to catch our next boat.
i leave the stuff with jeff
and go off running to find the dock for the #13 Vaporretto
there are stairs here…
a bridge
over the water
i turn and look
… oh, the tiny water alley of venice
the brick going right into the green water
wow..
where the fuck is the dock?
oh, there it is
loading up
i run back to find jeff and we rush off to catch it…
and we do.
they let us buy the ticket on board:
5 €
geeze.
but it’s a nice ride
very exciting
i pile my luggage against the seat in the front corner
and watch the water…
it’s calm
all these little islands
Morano..
light houses..
old church things..
we move away from all this civilization..
pull into a weedy place
big house
big daddy..
umm
the next port is ours
modern brickwork dock
many people get off with us
all get on their scooters or bikes
and roll away..
where is the Simone?
the guy who’s supposed to pick us up..
we wait.
we’re alone.
we take stupid tourist pictures
“happy in s.erasmo’s island!”
where is he?
after a half hour
jeff calls
“oh, sorry: i forgot”
and when he arrives a few minutes later
he’s not Simone
he’s a guy named Manuel
Simone has left and is traveling australia
this whole time
Jeff had been talking about how great Simone was…
how he’d really connected with him on the phone
and how he was a five-star guy
when he forgot us at the dock
he lost a star
and now he’s not even there!
oh boy..
(laughs)
but it’s nice
we arrive
they give us a bigger room with a balcony
it’s nice
simple
has student desks in it…
Manuel leaves us there
and says he’ll be going down to eat
and dinner is ready any time
come down when we’re ready..
so we do some minimal unpacking
arriving..
then go down to eat.
the food is actually pretty good
but we’re sitting in a corner table by our selves…
we had the impression this was a community place
no one has introduced us
or told us anything about how things work..
they just serve us and say thank you
so that’s nice
but we head back to the room to relax
the night comes
i light a candle
and oil up jeff’s belly
then he rubs his belly on my back for a while
we start wrestling when he starts crushing me into the bed
it’s fun and hot, but kinda scary: he’s very big
we collapse
expired
and cuddle for a bit before i move to one of the small beds so he can sleep well in his sleep chamber.