When in Rome, do what the Romans do…

Written May 10, 2007 in Personal

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This was the first part of my trip when I started off alone. Well, not exactly. I was alone for the first day because I arrived in Rome Ciampino airport when Haz was flying in from Charles de Gaulle into Leonardo da Vinci (why do Europeans like to name their airports like this? Can you imagine Lee Kuan Yew International Airport?) No disrespect to anyone, just curious.

Anyway, I figured since Haz has been to Rome before I might just wanna walk about myself a little more before I bore the hell out of her.

Doesn’t take a genius to figure out that was the Colosseum behind me, with an overwhelming amounts of tourists around. There just happens to be an amazing number of American tourists, some of whom irritate the hell out of me due to their attitudes. In short anyway, Rome was tourist trap. Like, TOURIST TRAP. Turn every corner, nook and cranny, you find tourism earmarked and flourishing. Maybe I was in eastern Europe for too long, there where people hardly saw an Asian. Here, it was all maps, people trying to speak to me in Japanese, maps, Americans, cameras, Americans, video cameras, Americans. You get the points.

Then there were ruins. Ruins and more ruins. One after another, the Roman Forum, the Domus Aurea, the Pantheon, the Trajan’s Column, the Trajan’s Market, the Catacombs of Rome, the Circus Maximus, the Baths of Caracalla, the Arch of Constantine, the Pyramid of Cestius, the Bocca della Verità. Overwhelmed? Don’t worry, so did I. But I just can’t seem to differentiate one ruin from another.

You have to admit the (ancient) Romans have an amazing sense of self worth. I mean, in China, they mainly had things sprawling, like horizontal in size. Here in Rome, they had it LARGE. Towering buildings in the forums, temples to the Roman gods, luxury baths and Senate buildings. Huge ones. Pillars so large you can’t wrap your arms around them.

Then came sunset, and I was off to Leonardo da Vinci Airport to meet le femme who took time off work to spend time with me in Rome. Then again, her work isn’t really work is it?! God, I would kill for such a glam jetsetting job, seriously.

Of course that wasn’t all of Rome. More coming up!