Venice, Italy

I have made it to Venice and am spending two nights here. I got into Venice on the train yesterday and spent a little while trying to find the shuttle to my hostel/campsite. Yes, I am roughing it in Venice. On the internet it didn't look like there were very many backpacker hostels on the island of Venice, so I found this campsite that also has hostel beds. Really there are just two bunk-beds in a cabin out in the woods next to the airport. There are tons of cabins though. And when I say next to the airport, I mean, part of the view out of my cabin window is the runway 100 meters away. It gets a little loud listening to the planes landing overhead. It is a fun place, the rooms are cheap, they have just developed an art out of the nickel and dime-ing you. The shuttle is two euros, the wifi is 2 euros per hour, and the food is super expensive. Nothing is included in the price of the bed.

Venice is beautiful, but I am glad I am only here for two nights. You really can see the whole city in one day. There most be something divine about it, though, for the older crowd. They just want to stay here all the time. It is very touristy, very expensive, and there isn't a whole lot to see and do. But it is very incredible. I would just waste a lot of money really quickly if I stayed here that long.

The canals here are great. I wanted to take a gondola but it was 80 euros to rent for 45 minutes. So, it was a bit out of my price range. One of the guys I am sharing a room with and spent the day with, is a violin player, and is playing on the streets of the cities he goes to, to help pay for his trip. We thought it would be fun to steal a gondola and while he played the violin, I would sing, and the other guy would row. We didn't get the opportunity. Gondoliers are quite protective of their boats.

Tomorrow I am going to take my first night train to Zagreb, Croatia. That should be an experience, and allow me to spend another day touring Venice before I go.

I have included some pictures from Cinque Terra.

Mark, Simone from Sidney and Roberto from Brazil.