Two thousand years ago, the region of Campania in Italy was a thriving area, littered with small outposts and highlighting several large cities, including Pompei and Herculaneum.  The cultures were advanced enough to have social programs, central government, and even plumbing (which in my opinion is always a plus).

However, on August 24, AD 79, the people of these cities felt the ground shake.  Since it was a fairly seismic area, most thought nothing of it; only came out of the buildings in case an earthquake shook their building.  But very quickly, the towns were overcome with a shower of pumice and gas that completely covered them both, freezing them in time, and 13 meters of rock.

Pompeii is currently a very excavated city and one that John and I got to visit today.  We sort of thought we would be going to visit something the size of a few city blocks, but we were very wrong.  Pompeii is an actual city!  It is quite large, probably half of the size of Venice (probably almost as big as downtown Portland).

The city is amazingly well preserved for being 2000 years old and having been buried in mud.  Most of the city walls are still intact, except for places that were held up by wood (such as roofs or second floors).

To get there we caught our usual "barf bus" down to the train station, and then took the city train.  The city train actually stops about 200 meters before the entrance to Pompeii, so it is quite convenient.  On the train, we were delighted ... and annoyed to receive some onboard entertainment.

First, we got to hear a saxophone player who performed some boogie-woogie, while his partner walked around with an empty tambourine (into which we were supposed to put cash).  He was actually pretty good!  Then, at the next stop where he got off, a young boy boarded with a small accordion.

I will have his 5 notes stuck in my head until the day I die.  He played them over and over and over and over and over.  It could have been used as a form of torture.  It started out being cute, but after a few minutes of the same little ditty, you sort of became hypnotized into a psychotic state.

AK!

When we reached Pompeii, we tried to decide whether we would check out an audio guide (a recorded guide that gives you information at each checkpoint, usually a Mary Poppins voice over recorded "ancient-sounding" music), make it on our own with a map, or hire a live guide.  We figured it would be more fun to hire one of the 20 or 30 guides for hire, as they looked like they'd stand on their head and meow if you hired them.  We ended up joining a small group lead by Ciro Favocchio, "Official Tourist Guide, and Archeologist".

Ciro assured us again and again of his credentials and included the fact that "Ifa I don' know something, I will lie."  Who could ask for anything more??

Ciro led us on a tour that lasted about 90 minutes, showing us the traditional citizen's Villa, ancient original artwork, the Town Square, different temples, highlights of daily Pompeiian life, and more.  He really was delightful and charming, in a very Italian way.

After our tour, we enjoyed a very expensive lunch at the cafeteria there and then headed back into Pompeii on our own.  Ciro's tour seemed a little fast so we decided to stroll through wherever we felt.

At one point we walked through a gate that looked like it should have been closed (we didn't open it so...).  I asked John what if we got in trouble.  His response was "What are they going to do, throw us in a Pompeiian jail?  There are no roofs -- we'll just climb out!"

We spent a good four or five hours in Pompeii and are so glad we took the time to go.  With the excavations and the rebuilding, we got to see in vivid detail what humanity was like 2000 years ago.

We also got to compare their culture to hours, which is pretty fun.  For example, we think that morality has gone downhill over the years?  Not by Pompeii or Roman standards!  We saw brothels with illustrated "menus", anatomically correct statues doing things that aren't currently allowed on public television, and even paintings in the entryways of wealthy citizens' homes bragging about their own masculinity!

Ciro also translated some of the words that were inscribed on walls and doors.  One home's fresco said, "Money is what makes you happy."

It is truly interesting to see how our concepts of philosophy and morality have changed!

Well, it's nap time.  And I think we will both have to put on some lotion -- we got a bit of sun.  Tomorrow we take a tour of the Isle of Capri (pronounced CA-pri, not the way you would think).

A big hug to everybody back home!

Johnatrucio and Nicapillo