Catching up

4/26/12:

Let's recap the last few days shall we:

4/24/12 --- our flight left Hanoi at 1725 which meant we had a small window in the AM to see Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum. We grabbed a taxi from our hotel for about 70,000 dong and then stood in line for 20 minutes to see Ho Chi Minh. The mausoleum was probably the coldest place in all of SE Asia (it was about to snow in there!) The Vietnamese are masters at 3 things: propaganda, rushing you through a national site and annoying the snot out of the Blues. This place combined all 3 of those qualities! Anyway we saw Ho Chi Minh laying in a glass case under a ratty blanket with some guards furiously ushering people through. Can't say it was awesome but we figured we should go see it since we'll never be in Hanoi again.

Grabbed 2 moto taxis for the ride back which was super quick, terrifying and cheap! Grand times. Checked out of the hotel, took a real taxi to the airport shuttle and waited an hour for the shuttle to leave. By the time it left we were drenched and miserable. The airport wasn't much of an improvement but once we got on the plane everything was great! We flew Qatar airways and I have to say they know what they're doing!

4/25/12: Arrived in Doha, Qatar for a 2 hour layover then left for Rome around 2AM local time. Slept a little on the plane and got to to Rome at 8AM. Took a bus into Rome for €4 each and walked to our hotel (Hotel Gabriella). We booked this hotel with airline miles so it's free except for a €2 tax per person per day. Can't have everything I guess. Took a nap and then walked around our neighborhood looking at the sites.

Side Note: we instantly changed from backpacker bums to fashion superstars! Everything we wore today and yesterday was tailor made in Hoi An (including out shoes, but not including my underwear). This fashion change happened after Carolyn got a look of pure disdain from a tourist helper person. I guess they don't get too many peeps rolling in from Viet-Friggin-Nam!

Grabbed our first pizza and gelato before 5:00 PM! Had a bit to eat at a sammich shop and grabbed breakfast and lunch stuff from a nearby grocery store. Passed out about 10:00 PM.

4/26/12:

Stop the press cause I got up before 7:30 this AM! Out of our room by 9 and took the metro south to local market. It seems we misjudged the the temperature and our fashion needs so we made our way here to see about fixing that problem. I got a pair of pants and Carolyn got a new bag. Headed back home and had lunch (bread, cheese and olive oil ... YUMMY!!!!).

Side Note: at thanksgiving this year I plan to let everyone know how thankful I am that I not eating fried rice or fried noodles or some sort of filthy noodle soup with chicken organs and feet floating in it!

This afternoon we hit the colosseum, Forum, Palatine Hill, Capitol Hill and the Pantheon. Amazing. You have to see it to really appreciate it all. I wish I had the words to describe it all. So much history, so much beauty. Wonderful. I could fill pages with what we saw but you can google it and read a gazillion other accounts.

We had the best gelato EVER just before the pantheon which was perfect cause I was just about to go into convulsions from lack of sugar! After the pantheon we had dinner at a place behind the pantheon and thoroughly enjoyed it. Pecorino cheese, penne pasta, gnocchi and wine. Yummy!!!!!!

Got breakfast and lunch from the grocery store again, and one last gelato before heading to bed.

Tomorrow we'll probably go see the Vatican and whatever else we can fit in.

Pics:
1) colosseum.
2) Pantheon.
3) Bye Bye Vietnam! Pray never to return!
4) The Blues entering Italian airspace!!!!!
5) my first pizza :)
6) Piazza Nationale.
7) Someones looking ravishing!
8) Arch of Constantine.