WAMU has put fraud alert on my credit card for the third time, and Ive spent three hours now trying to call them to tell them AGAIN that I am still in Europe. Jackholes.
I have a flight in London to LAX Thursday morning and no way to get there. Oh, and all the cheap hopper flights have now triple to quadrupled in price, so by the time WAMU releases the hold there may not be enough money in my account to cover the plane ticket price.
Unfreakingbelievable.
Venice was great; two days were perfect. The other hostel customers were absolutely amazing women (oh, we figured out how THAT happens...the cute males who run the place conveniently book female dorms, then take whoever will go out drinking at night...there were only 2-3 male hostelers at a time, versus 20 women!). The second Venice day was spent with Sini (traveling from Finland), Monica and Lexi (NYU Tischers in Dublin this semester) .
Fantastic conversations and strolling and espressos(which is terrible because I didnàt have caffeine the whole month of September, and now look at me!). I had met a man named Andi when I was alone the day before, and they met him and approved him for a date with me last night. 
Andi and I had a nice time, and it was interesting to hear about his experiences as an Albanian expat living in Italy for fifteen years now. Andi speaks six languages and says the only thing he loves more than languages is women, so I think that officially makes him an Italian man. But a shy earnest one who wants to get married and start a family. Too bad I dont want to have kids.
Today I traveled by train back to Florence with amazing Pia and Caitlyn (and left my brand new, absolutely perfect pair of jeans in the hostel back in Venice. Dammittttt!!!!!!).
Freaking love Florence. I could live here. Which is nice, because I have the phone number of two local hunks who wanted to see me again for dates, so if Im stranded here perhaps I shall have time to be saved by one of their heroics.
Im in a coed room again tonight and am a little nervous after my experience last night. I was the only woman in the only coed room (Please. I would have slept in the same room as my crew guys on the shoot if I could have, you know I love mens company). So the creepy guy who came in the middle of the night started moaning in his sleep and coming...freaked the hell out of me and the two sweet guys whose beds I was sleeping in between (Cant remember their real names, but we ladies called the drunker one Batman because he looks just like Christian Bale).
It was just the four of us in the eight person room, and we'd already been freaking each other out earlier making hostel horror story jokes because the night had just felt off with the owner. Then this strange little guy is on the other side of the room having loud wet dreams throughout the night...It was okay though, my guys took care of me of course. Batman started making jokes about at least someone was having fun, and the sweet guy from Mexico reached across our little cots to grab my hand and tell me it was okay. Then we all just got the quiet giggles and fell back to sleep until the second time it happened. Sooooo creepy. Oh, and who complained to the hostel owner the next morning about the room being insufficient? Yup. Wet dream guy.
No really, how am I getting home?
8 comments:
Oh fun, a blog that utilizes problem-solving skilz!
Start with the Digi-Hitch Board(go to babelfish & figure out how to say "Put Down That Axe"...dunno what you do about that Chunnel tho;
http://www.europe.hitchhikers.org/
http://www.autostop.it/
http://rome.it.craigslist.it/
You technically have no idea that guy was having wet dreams, you really get a lot closer to the World than you ever intend to when you crash in a dorm-style hostel. And you find out deep down inside we're really all drunks that snore
easyjet.com
Rome(Ciampino) to London(Gatwick)
177 Euros (don't know what, if any, other fees may not be included) but only on tuesday the 29th (it gets higher after that).
You might want to contact said Credit card company and see if they'll up your credit line to get you home. If all else fails, try the US Embassy, for a possible "repatriation loan". If all else fails, they might be able to get you in touch with family to wire you money.
How about all those travelers checks? Did you find a way to cash them, if not, then the embassy I'm sure will help you cash them.
skyscanner.net
ROME to LONDON
easyjet
WED
depart Rome 20:55
Arrive London 22:25
$225.35
followed by Ryanair
WED
depart Rome 22:05
Arrive London 23:45
$255.63
If you get to Milan or Pisa it's ALOT cheaper.
www.skyscanner.net
easyJet
Wednesday
Depart Milan (Malpensa) 07:30
Arrive London (Gatwick) 08:30
$113.31
[189.99 Euros from Easyjet's site.]
Ryanair
Wednesday
Depart Pisa 06:40
Arrive London (Stansted) 08:00
$139.14
[199.56 Euros through Ryanair's site.]
Pisa being obviously closer to you.
Prices of course may not neccessarily include everything.
Considering the higher prices on the airlines sites, those may include everything. That would convert to dollars as: out of Milan $242.52 and out of Pisa $254.74. That includes the typical +2% charge for using a credit card in the conversion.
Oh my god, can you imagine me hitchhiking with my HUGE suitcase???! Ray, you rock. Thanks.
Oh, I hope we were right about the wet dreams. Didn't hear any masturbation slaps, but maybe he's a talented yogi who can just think about cuming and make it happen...
Yes, we are all drunks who snore.
H, thanks for all the info. Finally decided on Pisa, just booked it. I have a loooong, bitter story about this Pisa business. Will make it a post.
Ryanair's Baggage Policy:
Note: 1kg = 2.2lbs.
If all else fails, it might be cheaper to stash a change of clothes in your carry-on and ship the rest by freight.
Checked Baggage
Checked Baggage is any item accepted for carriage in the aircraft hold, including bags, musical, sports, mobility and infant equipment, etc.
Passengers travelling on a reservation with checked baggage are required to check-in at the airport and are subject to an airport check-in fee of £4/€5 (or local currency equivalent) per person/per one way flight.
Each passenger is permitted to check in up to a maximum of 3 bags (combined weight of 15kgs) subject to the payment of the applicable checked baggage fees. Checked baggage booked online is charged per bag/per one way flight at a discounted rate of £8/€10 for the first bag and £16/€20 for each additional bag/ per one way flight. If checked baggage fees are paid either at the airport or through a Ryanair call centre, the standard rate of £16/€20 per bag/per one way flight will apply.
No pooling or sharing of baggage allowances is permitted, even within a party travelling on the same reservation.
Any passenger exceeding their 15kg personal checked baggage allowance will be charged the prevailing fee on the day of travel. The excess baggage fee is currently at the rate of 12 £/15 € per kilo (or local currency equivalent).
For health and safety reasons Ryanair does not accept for carriage any individual item exceeding 32 kilos or with combined dimensions of more than 81cms (height), 119cms (width) and 119cms (depth). This weight limit does not apply to mobility equipment.
Ryanair does not accept responsibility for unsuitably packed, perishable, damaged, or fragile baggage or for minor damage to the exterior of baggage (e.g. scratches, stains, soiling, dents) resulting from normal wear and tear.
See paragraph below headed 'Prohibited Articles' for items not permitted in the cabin and/or aircraft hold.
Cabin Baggage
Strictly one item of cabin baggage per passenger (excluding infants) weighing up to 10kg with maximum dimensions of 55cm x 40cm x 20cm is permitted. (handbag, briefcase, laptops, duty free etc must be carried within your permitted 1 piece of cabin baggage). Cabin baggage must contain no prohibited items.
I cannot believe they put out another fraud alert!! What freakin morons!! I was sitting right where I am right now when you talked to them the last time - oh the joys of dealing with a corp in the midst of their disintegration!! Details on the date please!!! With your European track record there's got to be more than a nice evening out...
I KNOW!!!! I WAS SCREAMING AT THEM BY THE END....man WAMU knows how to push my buttons...
Sooooo...yeah, smutty details in an email. Not as much fun; this one wanted to marry me and have kids and hold my hand and walk around the canal...but now Giacoma was a different story...
I do believe I need to move to Italy.
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