Capri, Italy

Day two.  Yes, just day two.  

I was up at 5am this morning because the sky seems to be ablaze by 4 and the birds seem to start calling you lazy arse shortly thereafter.  The hostel has a huge open space in the center from which any outside noise (or song, if you will)  enters and swirls about the space.  Since every room is somehow connected to this opening ... sound just enters.  And so, the birds, the motos, and the sun found their way in.  

I have learned that backpackers are an early bunch and get to business quickly. The birds seemed to serve as their alarm and in turn, mine too.  Obviously not many Latinos do this backpacking stuff and I can understand why, if we did, I don't think we would get very far...say maybe to a café and there we would sit about talking up a storm about the morning and then hours later remember we were to go somewhere that day. So, today, I decided not to be Latina because I had somewhere I had to be and I had a very tight schedule.  I had to be in Rome again by 6pm to meet the official travel group. More on this later.   

My plan was this - be at the place when the place opened.  Be there before the tourist.  Be there and be ready. This means grab water, stop at the alimenteri (small deli type of store with yummy fresh meats, breads, cheeses, and what nots (olives yum) at very affordable prices when its compared to that of a panini at some counter - thank you hostel mates for yet again educating.  Plus, i had to walk a mile since the Metro did not reach this part of town and I was not certain which bus to take.  

Showered and packed with my joke of a backpack whose content was more photo equipment than clothes....I hit the streets by 6 en route to the Porto de Napoli and my minor food stop. I took the first hydrofoil to the island and gazed out to Mt Vesuvius and Sorrento as we passed them by.  A fairytale and still very surreal this all felt.  Surrounded by lively tourists and Neopolitanos heading to the island for work and holiday, I couldnt grasp how this had really come to pass.  One of those wow moments.    And then, for some crazy reason my subconscious only saw fit... I thought of the Etruscans.  Who the hell thinks of Etruscans and world history out of the blue like that and on vacation? Whatever.  But really, a quick look on wiki proved that indeed some history lesson must have resonated with me because the etruscans did indeed sail these waters.  Somewhere there is a world history teacher that should be proud right now. I know I was when I confirmed the data. Sorry, PBS meets History Channel moment now over.  Back to the journey.  

The boat ride took about an hour and 10 mins and the water was a cobalt blue the entire way.  Docking at the island was as if in a movie.  Just as I had imagined but BETTER.  Capri was one of my dream destinations in Italy, and now it was indeed  a waking dream.     Everything was picture perfect and the photos prove just that.

My first destination on the island was Mt Solaro accessed byway of Anacapri.  This is the highest point on the island and from which you could see all.  Getting there requires a bit of travel by way of an insanely winding road with hairpin turns that are beyond frightening and a chairlift that .... Well, you will see.  I took short videos and will upload because this just can't be put in words.

I was one of the first to reach Mt Solaro and in the peaceful solitude surrounded by the merging of water and sky, I had a delish Bellini with Graci who had just opened the drink bar to start the day and toasted to satisfying dreams no matter how long you postpone them.  Prego!

Little useless stuff that is more exciting than Etruscans - 

Capri is known as the playground of the fancy.  The retreats of the Clooneys and Hiltons of the world.  The spas and small dream hotels that litter the island are beyond glamorous- not to mention that it can easily rival and surpass Rodeo Drive in a heartbeat for shopping exquisite-ness.  And yet, with the jet set struggling in heels down cobblestone and very inclined walk ways, you really pay them no attention unless it's to get pointers on just how gracefully they are pulling that walk and not falling off of their Ferragamos.