See Naples and ... Crash
Trip Start
Apr 17, 2002
1
12
31
Trip End
May 21, 2002
Naples,
Campania,
Italy
Tuesday, April 23, 2002
We had usual troubles with road signage, got on the GRA, found the correct exit to Naples but immediately after the exit a fork in the road surprised us, we took the wrong pick (as usual) and here we were right in the middle of Rome's traffic that we had been avoiding so carefully. Some 40 (!) minutes later we were back on the GRA this time successfully exiting and getting on the right freeway. Another expensive toll (they seem to average at nearly Euro 1.- per 10 km) and we got to Naples. Another wrong turn after the exit and we got immediately lost. Some arm waving and the map of Naples allowed us to get some help from passers by and there we were, driving towards the city.
Panorama
Soon we were stopped by a person clad in blue and black waving a police-like lollipop standing next to an official looking van.Was it again a Carbinieri of some sort? The guy asked us whether it was our first time in Naples (remember, we had German plates on a rental van and could be easily recognised as tourists from a mile) and offered a word of caution. He said there was a strike in the city and we could only get in there if he helped us by providing a pilot car for a mere Euro 20.-. At that point we realised that he was a cheat, thanked for the advice and said that we are going to leave the city instead. And so we should have!
Instead we kept on going, slowly coming to a realisation that this is going to be hell. The traffic became dense with dozens of scooters closing in on us from all directions with no obvious method to this madness. Soon the traffic was nearly as bad as what I saw years ago in India. The map was not adequate and we got hopelessly lost in the labyrinth of streets and one way major roads.
And then it happened... As I was desperately trying to move forward, scared senseless, I watched for the traffic ahead, right and left but lost the sight of the rear right-hand side of our van and brushed it against a stationary, delivery van (no doubt illegally parked).
Pompeii
A loud noise signalled damage to the side panel. Fortunately it was only a small dent and some scratches but we could kiss goodbye to our car rental deposit (later on, returned in full by our Australian travel insurance company!).It was still more than an hour before we finally negotiated streets of this hellish city and got out.
In the end we were unable to park the car and do some sight seeing in the city, instead being happy to just get out of there alive.
It should be said however that Naples is beautifully located within a bay and provides fantastic views with the famous Vesuvio in the background.
Unfortunately, we had no chance to shoot nice photos because, as described above, we had other things on our minds at the time.
To get something out of this leg of our trip we went a bit further, to Pompeii where Edyta went inside the famous site of the volcanic disaster.
