In order to catch the very cheap ferry to Capri this morning I had to get up early once again (6am!) and almost missed it as I had trouble finding the terminal, which is a car ferry port hidden away behind some big dock buildings and with very little signage. Obviously meant for the locals rather than the tourists. It takes twice the time to get there but half the price – you can save time or money but rarely both.
Once on the island I decided to catch the “packed and dangerous” bus (as described on travel sites) to the town of Anacapri on the other side of the island, where I could catch another bus down to the boats visiting the “Grotto Azura” (Blue Grotto). This was cheaper and more picturesque than paying E12 to take a boat around to the cave. It also meant I could take the chairlift up to the top of the mountain from Anacapri for some truly stunning views of the island and surrounding islets. The road was steep, narrow and winding, but didn’t feel too dangerous. That is to say, I didn’t see any bus wrecks down the hillsides. Idefinitely recommend this route to the Blue Grotto. I even had a laugh on the chairlift as a South African woman remarked in Afrikaans, “Look at all the graves” and her husband replied, “Ja, it’s all the people that fell off the chairlift!” Exactly what my dad would have said!
The Blue Grotto is ridiculously overpriced at E12 (plus tip!) for a five minute trip into the cave, but is still worth it if you can’t visit any other grottos (there are some in Croatia). The amazing neon blue of the light reflecting into the cave through the water has to be seen to be believed. My only complaint is that we were so rushed and that the guys kept up a constant stream of shouting and singing, as I would have found it more magical in silence (but then other people liked the noise).
I also visited a random little church in Anacapri, and discovered that it had the most amazingly painted tile floor depicting Adam & Eve being thrown out of the Garden of Eden in what looked like the style of “Where the Wild Things Are”. Another girl even made that comment as I was thinking it!
I then caught the bus back to Capri town and the crowds of mostly American tourists, many of which were young and already braying about how drunk they were the night before/planning to get that night, made me glad I’d decided against staying there. Although it was lovely and warm sitting on the beach waiting for the ferry, I chose not to brave the chilly water like a few crazy souls, and after a long day ended up sleeping on the ferry all the way home.
