likey-likey

April 1

On the train from Naples to Bari


Crazy people abound. They are making a ruckus on the train but it is hilarious. All these Irishmen have traveled to a soccer game apparently and when we arrived at the train station they sang and danced. Good times.


When the five of us girls arrived in Bari, communication with Chris, who we were supposed to meet upon arrival, had been difficult (infrequent internet and his phone wasn´t working). He was coming from Milan to meet us to go to Greece. So, we decided to initiate Operation:Padre and stake out his arriving train- one of us for each platform section, A through E. We waited (the train was 30 minutes late) and waited (all the passengers rushed off) and waited (no sign of Chris). After splitting up to scour the train station we decided to just wait for him at the port. Finally he showed up- he had been at the station all along, moseying and eating a snack and booking train tickets, but who knows how we missed him!





On the ferry from Bari, Italy to Patras, Greece


I would say that the ferry was actually a mini cruise ship. But, I haven´t been on a cruise ship so that isn´t saying much. We upgraded our free tickets to sit away from the hazy smoke and creepers, spreading out in the empty airline style seats. Basically we ate some Caesar dressing-less Caesar salad at the cafeteria and tried some baclava. Then we sat on the floor and played ¨telephone pictionary¨which is a gloriously good game. We stifled our laughter because some people were already sleeping.


When Caroline, Chris and I had eaten and the others (Amanda, Kaitlyn, and Kathy) were away getting food, we heard a commotion from around the corner...¨oooooh likey-likey! likey-likey!¨ Then this crazy Greek man rushed up to us, squatted on the floor and began a hilarious conversation. ¨Where you from?!¨ Texas, we said, and he was extremely excited to have us confirm that we had, indeed, seen horses before. He then christened us with our very own Greek names. Chris was Christos, I was Vanna, and well, he didn´t have a name for Caroline!


Likey-likey grabbed both Chris' and my knees as we chatted. We promised him we would meet in the disco on board later ("Christos, come dance!") and he left, patting Chris on the shoulder and pinching my nose.....icky! We pretty much cried laughing after that.

Later, as we explored the ferry, we poked our heads into the club, only to hear a familiar song, this time to a pumping beat and groups of teenagers chanting. What were they chanting??

Oooooh, likey-likey, likey-likey!!

What?? No sight of our crazy friend but how hilarious that he was actually singing a real song. Because there weren't a lot of people in our section, and the chairs did not have moveable armrests, we pulled out our sleep sheets and slept for the rest of the 15 hour journey. Not too bad for the longest boat ride of my life!