Lala In Italia: Naples is screwed...

This weekend I headed back to Sorrento and Capri plus Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii with the planned API excursion. It was really nice not having to plan anything. API really hooked us up with a great hotel located in the central piazza (I'm going to miss those). We stayed at Villa Di Sorrento for Friday and Saturday night. Friday we met at our typical meeting spot, Piazza Trilussa, and took a private bus to Naples/Mt. Vesuvius. Let me just say that the bus ride was not the most pleasant experience. Italians drive like maniacs and our driver was definitely no exception. Just imagine driving up a mountain with endless winding roads on a street the size of a shopping isle while passing other cars. I was basically in constant prayer hoping that this excursion wasn't going to turn into a Lifetime movie. My freaking out was not helping my poor friend Sasha because she is deathly afraid of heights, but we were fine because we are still alive…clearly. I was aware that it was going to be a little hike to the top and our program manager told us that it is pretty easy. Well, she lied. I was suffering a little bit. You would think that after all this walking and step climbing and Cinque Terre hiking that I would be in shape by now. Nope, I'm not at all. I was huffing and puffing quite a bit but there wasn't much complaining. I realized that no one likes a complainer :). There was an old lady and man giving out hiking sticks - but we thought that we wouldn't need them. I really could have used that stick. It was crazy at the top.

Mount Vesuvius is considered one of the most dangerous volcanos in the world and is still considered active. The last eruption occurred in 1944 and was responsible for the destruction of Pompeii in 79AD. According to scientists, Naples is screwed. The volcano could erupt any day now and the eruption is expected to be almost as destructive as the 79AD one. They predict that the wind will blow towards the city of Naples and instead of Pompeii again. Naples has a population of about 3 million people and the evacuation plan isn't that great. Apparently, the city of Naples pays people 35,000 euro to move away in order to better protect it's citizens from the possible eruption. In my opinion, I would take that money and run because Naples sucks. Yeah, it is pretty but there are prettier places to live. That was a little scary to think about while standing at the top looking down into the volcano. It brought me back to the time when Lunsford took us to the volcano in Hawaii... I didn't really appreciate it much back then but now I think witnessing the moving lava was pretty cool :). This volcano did not have any lava flow which we were told makes it more dangerous because that means there is more pressure cooking up inside. I'm sure Lunsford will be able to tell me all about that when I return. Maybe I won't fall asleep while he is explaining this time because I'll actually know what he is talking about-ish? Well, here a few photos from our hiking adventure up Mt. Vesuvius. I hope you enjoy my tourist shirt, nike shorts, and tennis shoes. I'm really cute these days...