Rome, Italy on my eurorail trip.

So we ended up in Rome on some Italian 4-weekend holiday without knowing.  So we had no hotel or hostel booked and we literally walked across the entire city of Rome looking for places to stay.  We had found one place that was WAY too much a night (300 Euro).

So we walk back towards the train station to ask this one chap that said he had rooms available.  Fat greasy Italian already looks suspicious enough so we were on guard.  So dude starts zig-zagging us across an area telling us there is a room.  We had already walked the path he was taking us on so we were almost 100% at that point something odd was going on.

So guy gets on the phone and starts yapping in italian.  Next thing we know a car pulls up and asks us to put our bags in the trunk.  At that point we were like - ugh fuck that.  Car drives off - dude starts walking and we arm outselves with my cane and a leatherman I handed to m friend.  We look at each other and on the next corner after dude is on the phone again - we pretty much bolt.

So - now we wander around Rome aimlessly trying to find a place to sleep until we get back to the train station.  We use our bags and try to sleep in the station close by to other tourists that had the same problem. 

We finally get to leave and we were heading to Paris, France.  Except for one other little detail.  The train had changed tracks and we did not speak Italian.  We were waiting with some American chicks at the rail and then we see this one Italian dude just get up and run.  We look at each other and laugh because dude was booking and we were like, ugh, lol!  Then it dawns upon us when we hear a train leaving for our stop in Geneva, Switzerland.

I hear the train on its last call so I tell my buddy Mikey to hurry the fuck up.  This was a little awhile after an ankle surgery I had to walk around Europe with a cane (Which later proved extremely useful).  I become superman - I start running - cane in hand towards the train and I'm running like the wind.  I actually make it on the back car bag and everything.  I was like "Cool" until I looked past and saw my friend who had given up his spirit to run and didn't think we could have made it.  "Damn it, " I had thought to myself.  At this point the train is starting to book it - about 10-15 MPH.  I look to make that leap of faith somehow.  So I had to make a 2 second decision on what to do.  Leave my friend who would most certainly get screwed up since our plane was leaving in 2.5 days or stay and work it out.  Well - I looked at the ground, moving at 15mph and decide that I'm going to use the bag to soften my fall.  I throw the bag toward the front of the train and then I see my window to jump.  I take that leap and I did a good rolling breakfall while taking most of the impact on my bag.

I get up, scream at my buddy for not getting on and just say "Damn."  So we go back to the ticket area and we have to figure out how to just get back to Amsterdam and get the hell out of Italty because we were really starting to hate it.  We find a ticket to Milano which will have a train that leaves to Basil, Switzerland to Amsterdam.

So we end up waiting for another 3 hours for this train to get there.  We get on the train and make a stop to change trains.  We go ahead and do this - but a big problem.  This train was packed to the point of having people stand up.  So - we were in a middle area of the cars so I could lay my bad ankle down after the hell it has been on in the last two days. 

We make another stop - does it get less congested?  Hell no, these little Italians came from EVERYWHERE to board this train.  It was seriously sickly packed.  I almost did not have room to even stretch my legs down.  So I am starting to get pissed off with everything else that went on.  My poor ankle was in pain and this was going to be a long train-ride, 6 hours into the night. 

I end up getting a little comfortable fighting for the little bit of space to tend to my weak ankle.  Then I see a conductor come by.  Looks at me, says something in Italian and gave me some faith in them again.  He saw that I had a cane and that I looked pretty misrable.  He extends his hands and says "ven, ven come come."  I hastily look at my little spot reserved and pray that I'm not going somewhere worse.  Mikey sees all this happen and gets up with me - we go to the "service" suite that stays locked so the train staff has a place to stay.   I get a seat next to the window and then I see Mikey sneak around and under the conductor like a Mongoose who is moving strategically to kill a Cobra. 

Finally, we get some place to rest since we have already pulled an all-nighter the night before.  I am able to relax and finally doze off in perfect stillness.  When the train stopped - we had entered Basil, Switzerland.