This trip is chock full of adventures and misadventures, now isn't
it. So here's the story on this morning: After walking around downtown
for a few hours, I decided to go back to the train station to take a
nap and wait for the luggage room to open. The station itself was
closed, so I sprawled out on the ground against the automatic doors
like everyone else, though I picked a spot a bit away from the main
group.
I was sleeping on my large bag with my clothes in it and
had my daypack on my arm on my side facing the open bus area. My camera
and phone were in the frontmost pocket that doesn't close, and my
wallet was in the pencil pocket. I thought all was well.
I woke
up at about 6.00 when my big bag was pulled from under me. I stood up
and stepped around a pillar and there was a little Italian guy, kind of
like the slimy guy in "The Mummy" standing there next to my bag. I
should have broken his legs right there, but he wasn't actually
touching my bag and I hadn't *seen* him take it. On tope of that I
don't know the laws on that in Italy, and I wasn't fully awake yet.
So then the guy asks me for 5€, at which point I realize my wallet,
camera, and phone are gone. I tried talking to the guy but he walked
off behind a barrier and then walked down the street pretty fast. I
triple-checked all my pockets and decided to chalk that one up to
experience. It was a good lesson, albeit an expensive one. I almost
feel sorry for the next guy I find with his hands on my things, because
one way or another I'll find out what the local laws for dealing with
pickpockets are. I'm also rethinking my sleeping arrangements, since
this shouldn't be possible in the first place.
So then I went
and spoke to the police where I met a Chinese guy who'd been robbed in
Genova but didn't have time to report it there and an Italian guy whose
whole big rolly suitcase was taken in Roma, complete with laptop inside.
So we first had to wait until 7.00 since apparently today is Assumption
Day, the Italian equivalent of the Fourth of July, so everyone came to
work late. All three of us filled out police reports and went our
separate ways.
With some help from the janitor I found my
Z-card, driver's lisence, student ID, and health insurance cards on the
ground outside where my slimy Italian friend had walked before leaving
so quickly. I then walked to the US Embassy, which was closed and
uninviting looking due to the holiday. So then I went to call them, but
when it said to make sure it was an emergency and I wasn't sure yet
whether it was, I hung up and lost a Euro to the stinking machine.
I found internet to get a number for USAA to cancel my credit cards and
shoot out some quick emails, but the number I got didn't work, so I
called the embassy again. Nearly 2€ later I had arranged for the duty
officer at the embassy to call Mom and Dad and ask them to cancel my
credit cards, though I was reluctant to let them call immediately. I
hope that wasn't too much of a nuisance. I'll have to call them back
whenever I get to... Venezia, I think. Or maybe from Firenze, I'm not
sure.
Which brings me to my next topic, running away. At this
point I'm seeking familiar ground, so I'm headed to Sweden, in a
roundabout sort of way. I figure that since I've already got an offer
of a bed there, I should go ahead and hang out some. I'll doubtless
stop in Bremen as well, since I need to say hello to Mustafa, Hassan,
and Rukiyeh, and I may even get a free meal out of it, though I'll need
to shower in a train sink first, since by then it'll have been awhile
since my last shower.
Firstly though I think I'm going back to
Hungary, since I've got about one thousand forint left and the night
train doesn't need a reservation. Food's cheap there too, so I should
be able to get some more cheese, and put all this online of course. I
think after that it's on to Bremen, then Stockholm and maybe Lappland
for a bit, who knows. I'll probably change all my 30 USD or so in
American monies to SEK and see how that works.
Anywho, the point
is I'm fine. This is just one more bump on the road to... somewhere, I
dunno where yet. Now I'm gonna have to change trains here in a sec
because I got on a Eurostar instead of an IC and I can't afford a
reservation. Whoops.
