Day 4 Pompeii the best thing that ever happened to Italian archeology

Day 4 Pompeii the best thing that ever happened to Italian archeology


This was how the guide book we got from the ships library described our scheduled outing today. Not sure the residents of Pompeii who numbered around 8,000 would have agreed as the hot ash from Vesuvius rained down on them for three days killing every living think and burying it under several meters of the stuff.


We are woken at 6:30 with tea and coffee brought by our Thai steward. Just enough English to get by on he is pleasant and courteous which is more than I can muster at that time in the morning. I am normally limited to grunts so early. I need some caffeine and nicotine to kick start my day and I like to do in quietly on my own thank you very much. The reason for such an early start is we need to muster on deck 5 at 7:30 to depart. Ok drag myself together double check we have everything, camera spare battery so I am ok. Judi can worry about the tickets, sun cream, hats, money, etc. Off to deck 5 half way there Judi suggests we should have water. When I say suggest I mean decides, (they are very close) so I double back to get some and we still make it in good time. An hour later we are still there. We have our colored stickers K3 in Red. The reason for the tardy start is that we are using tenders which is a code for the lifeboats to get to the dock. We are moored in the bay and there are all sorts of customs and official stuff the ship has to go through and not point in getting agitated it will sort itself out.


By 9 am we are at least on the dock but managed to lose some of our K3 team on the way down two flights of stairs to the little boat shuttling back and forth. Another 20 minutes and the gang is all there. Now on to a shuttle but to take us to another bus. Think the guy has a relative in Moscow as he can pack them in and I can see Judi getting anxious as more and more people push us towards the back of what is actually a very small bus with 90% of the people standing. Up quite a steep slope to the town of Sorrento which looks cute. Through the town at pace and to the bus depot. Our coach is clearly labeled and as we board we get handed some small radio receivers and ear pieces. This is a fairly new idea I think. It allows the guide to give us the shpeal without actually needing us to stop and gather close. A few glitches as people fail to manage the technology of plugging in the ear piece and switching them on but it gets sorted. The driver takes us on the “scenic” route which is along the cliff tops. Quite spectacular the way these Italians can dart in and out of the traffic on their scooters. They are like bees buzzing out in front of the cars and darting back in at the last second and the scenic views are good as well. 40 minutes later we pull up at Pompeii with its usual ensemble of stalls and cafes and a “Cameo” shop. The toilets are downstairs at the back of the shop which of course means you have to pass by around 30 sales people before you get there. A tip is to let everyone else go in first and as they get picked off by the sales people you slip past and you end up being the only one getting to the facilities.


Our guide a tiny elderly lady is fending off silly questions like a professional. Was the Cameo Factory dug out of the ash as it has electricity, Can I call the US on this radio, and many more just as interesting. We chat to some people whilst the guide tried to herd the cats back into some order. Some people have taken the time to make purchases and ar enow laden with bags which they are going to have to carry around with them. There is a family with two small kids and a push chair that going to be interesting. A family in team shirts the eldest with a cap proudly baring the words ex Marine Veteran. Slow on his feet but staying with us none the less. Into the ruins and the radios work fine as long as you are within 40 feet of the guide. This seems to manage the mob and we can still wander off but once it goes quiet we know we need to rejoin the pack. Within the first quarter mile we have 6 people drop out and head back to the exit. It is very hot, it is elevenish and there is no shade to be had in the ruins.


If you are not familiar with Pompeii google it. The story is legend. The most interesting thing for me is that it was not as such ruined it was just covered. No earthquakes not burning down, no hoards of barbarians sacking the place and not taken to pieces to be used somewhere else. Many historic sites supper these fates and you are left to “imagine” who it might have been. Now that is not to say Pompeii is exactly how it was but all the infrastructure is there and you can see how it hung together as a working town. You can walk the streets and see the wheel marks worn into the stones. The fountains set at regular intervals overflowed into the street to wash them. The stepping stones used to cross the road even the no entry and one way systems. There were 60 odd bakeries and you can see the casts of people they found whilst excavating. Whilst all this was happening the English had only learnt how to paint their faces blue. The sophistication of the Roman empire is something to behold and something which has fascinated me since childhood. A point worth noting is the American veteran is still managing to keep up but the guy with the pushchair is struggling with the cobbles.


An hour later we are back at the cameo factory and we are let loose on the vendors. 15 minutes and back to the bus. The guide miscounts us and someone says loudly “has anyone seen my husband” Forgive me whilst they might be an accurate social status it might have been better to say has anyone seen a 6 ft man in a red shirt with a beard. I mean can you imagine searching and asking someone “are you a husband”. Anyway he turns up 10 minutes later (without an apology I might add) and we are off back down the cliff road to Sorrento. We arrive around 1pm and we have around 3 hours. We find a little place to have lunch which reconfirms my theory of fresh produce and simple preparation are the key to good meals. A small amount of wandering around although we decline the linen shirts at 3 times the price I paid yesterday. We do replenish the peanuts and diet coke which was good.


Onto the small shuttle down to the dock to get the tender not quite as packed as before but still a little sticky. The tender takes us quickly to the ship and we can relax. We are due to sail at 4:30 a schedule delays by 6 people who are late. There were several announcements looking for them on the ship but the way they check people on and off there is little doubt they are still in the town. They turn up 45 minutes late which in many cases would have meant they would have missed the sailing however as our next stop is Egypt in 2 days waiting will not disrupt our trip much. The people turn out to be from the Dominican Republic and it seams three are nearly 80 of them on this trip. Total guests are around 700 -750 so the majority on the tourists are from the Dominican Republic which I think is interesting given its economic status.