The longest ferry ride in the world
Trip Start
Apr 10, 2006
1
22
52
Trip End
Jul 04, 2006
Toulon,
France
Wednesday, May 3, 2006
When our first ferry broke down in the middle of the ocean, we were well on our way. We had to use the ferries little trolling motor and crawl back to the Ajaccio port. We ask the Canadian couple what was going on as they spoke fluent French. We had to get on the only other ferry leaving Ajaccio headed to Toulon.
We got on the new ferry and its more like a real cruse ship. It had a casino, a few places to eat, a gift shop, and tons of bedrooms. We didn't think we would get a room, and we couldn't understand one word anyone was saying. Ryan and I stood in line like everyone else. All the customers were yelling because they were pissed off. I just sat in the middle of the line with this $20 K-Mart smile on my face watching the conversation go back and forth like it was a tennis match. Do you think that if they were yelling in English or I could understand them, I would NOT have made eye contact with the yelling people? After the fact I was thinking about that because they looked at me like I was in their conversation, but they were yelling in front of me. I looked around and most people were looking down, or towards the exit. Maybe I shouldn't have been smiling or something. What do I know?
We got tired of waiting in line, so we just left and went to go check out the ship. We saw a pool on the large map on the wall and got excited. I didn't have my swim trunks on, but Ryan said he would sport his "banana hammock". We get to the top level only to find the pool empty. Screw it! We wanted something to eat. We walk around the ship and everyone seemed pissed off. Most times your on a cruise ship everyone is happy. Not this time. We spent all our cash on the bus and ferry tickets and we didn't go to the ATM. All we had together was 7 Euro. We went to the gift shop and bought and 3-pack of Snickers, can of original Pringles, and some gummy alligators. What a healthy lunch. We walk around some more and see the Canadian couple again. They told is we got a free cabin because of the inconvience. Ryan and I went and got a room....thank God. I didn't want to sit in the snack bar for 6 hours. We got a sea-side room and it wasn't that bad. I was a little happier about the trip.
After we napped and rested up, we hung out in the room telling a few jokes...and referencing our cabin as the "stabin cabin"...we weren't so lucky. We got kicked out of the room one hour before we arrived...I didn't even take a shower when I had the chance. We went to try to find some place to eat that took credit cards. We were so hungry. Finally we did and we both got a big bowl of some kind of noodles...it was gross!
All we need to do now is wait until we port. We walked around looking for a good spot. We sat down at a table with 4 empty chairs. Then some grandma ran us out of there. I guess she was saving them for someone. Ryan tried to pull the ole "I can't understand you, so you're really not there" trick. It didn't work. We finally found two seats next to this pretty cute girl. Ryan was asking me (very loudly) if he should hit on her. I had the feeling she spoke English and could understand everything coming out of our mouths. We already made that mistake twice today. Sure enough she spoke some English. I was thinking she was about 25 or so, she had a couple of school books with book covers...I thought maybe book covers in college are still cool in Europe. After a few minutes I asked her if she was in University. She said in broken English, "No, the one after that" so I was thinking grad school of some kind. After I kept asking what kind, she said, "the kind you go to when you turn 17"!!! Holly shit, this chick is 17, and in high school!! She looked way older. Ryan and I felt like perverts...well we probably are, but not that kind. Ryan started in knowing I would squirm, telling her it was my birthday yesterday. I knew she was going to ask how old. I just changed the subject real fast and asked to see her magazine....get me out of here!! Did you know that they show topless girls in most magazines here. I was talking and turning pages with out looking. I stopped on this one page to finish my sentence. When I looked down, there was a huge naked chick on that page. Now I feel like a bigger pervert for looking at porn mag while talking to a 17 year old girl and now her 13 year old brother came over. He kept asking me about 50 Cent, Dr. Dre, South Park and tons of other teenage American stuff.
You know what pisses me off. Europeans always say America doesn't have any culture. I just thought we are a young country and haven't had the thousands of years like Europe to develop our own culture. Well I got to thinking as I heard the 10th American song on the overhead speaker, "If we don't have any culture, then why is everyone all over Europe listening to American music, watching American TV, American movies, teaching English in their schools, etc." When was the last time you were in a grocery store and heard a French song on the overhead speaker? Or watched a foreign film at the mega-plex theater. When I want to see a foreign film, I have to go to a "seedy" movie rental place or go to the "artsy" theater across town.
And while I'm on my soap box, this German guy in my hostel was trying to have the whole "American Politics" conversation with me. This dude picked the wrong nigger to fuck with! Number one, I know my shit and number two, I will never back down and not support my country. You have to defend your country when traveling abroad...even if you don't like Bush. It's your American duty. I heard three spineless guys say,"Were American but we don't like George Bush." Faggots!! I gave this dude 3 opportunities to exit the conversation with a simple "You shouldn't discuss religion and politics" saying. Nope this guy wanted to talk. I was very civil, and let him make all his points, but he would just dance when I would put pressure on him. He was 33 years old, just very misinformed. It's all the damn skewed media over here....at home too. How dare he thumb his nose at us, we lost countless of thousands of American lives liberating France from the Germans in WWII (his people) and he wants to bitch about the 1300 or so (no disrespect) we lost in Iraq. Don't get me started!
Okay...sorry about that!
Finally we dock at 9:30 pm and we go looking for this bus that is supposed to take is to Nice. Everyone is pushing trying to get out the door. Damn, they are aggressive over here. This fat ass behind me was just pushing me into the people in front of me. I had my big ass backpack on and already felt like a "bull in a China cabinet". I make it outside and we found the big coach style bus and get on. We didn't get all loaded on the bus and ready to go until 10:30...that would put us into Nice at 12:30 or 1:00 am. The city buses quit running at midnight. These old men were yelling in French that they wanted the bus driver to take them to their hotel, because they didn't want to pay for an expensive taxi. They argued for 20 minutes....can we leave already?!? Then the bus driver had to go smoke a ciggy. Damn it!!
We are finally on the road to Nice. I just want to get to the hostel and shower and sleep. We have been traveling all day long. We still have to find our way from the Ferry terminal to our hostel. It will most likely be a €25 cab ride. That is more then the cost of my ferry ticket. 15 hours of travel cost the same is 15 minutes.
We make it to the hostel at 12:45, and in bed at 1:15am. What a day!
