Day 14 – Amalfi

Sacking the idea of visiting Capri and keeping the money for something better in the future, we boarded the same local train for the 3rd time this week towards Sorrento. It was then I realised my first mistake (of four) that it was a Sunday, and only one company took buses to Amalfi Coast at varying times. They were very busy then as expected, and we just missed the bus as we arrived in Sorrento. We got in the queue and waited for the next. When it did come, there was a woman in front of me with an umbrella – it was neither raining nor sunny – who was just being an absolute tool. She took ages to get it down before boarding the bus and allowed all these ‘queue skippers’ to get on in front of her. Thankfully she got it down without me ripping it into pieces for her and we managed to get window seats on the right hand side for a good view.

The view was beautiful with lovely blue waters that had my girlfriend salivating over. I also found a new sense respect for drivers on these roads. I imagined driving this fantastic route, only to be distracted by my crying girlfriend, scared for her life in the passenger seat. Later, I knew that this would have been a better option. My girlfriend felt a bit sick from all the weaving but I loved the place. I probably wouldn’t return though, it seemed too much of a hassle, too confined and too much cause for disaster. The roads were so narrow and with every second vehicle being a bus, it was difficult to get any momentum going.

We got off at Amalfi and there I realised by second mistake. Where were the colours? The picturesque views from the beach? My girlfriend wondered the same thing. We googled ‘Amalfi Coast’ and compared to what was infant of us and couldn’t find the right angle. We realised that the Amalfi Coast was actually the whole coast, and Positano was the nice looking one. Amalfi was where we had ended up and it would be such a hassle to go back to Positano now, especially as the buses were so packed before getting to Positano anyway. The best option was to spend the day in Amalfi and come back another day and see both Capri and Positano.

We walked up the hilly streets into the town, exploring and taking pictures. My 3rd mistake was getting sucked into a meal deal (E.g. Starter, main course and a drink for €10) that sounded good on paper but not what was expected. Nothing wrong with the business, it was good marketing, but due to globalisation, when you think of a burger, you don’t expect just the meat and lettuce. There was no bap or anything? During lunch, we overheard other backpackers who were looking at campsites to stay in because they had gone with the tent and sleeping bag route. I’m glad we didn’t do that! They were only allowed to camp at the top of a mountain basically, but I suppose there would be good views to wake up to in the morning.

To cheer us up, we went to the pier/beach to rest under the overcast sky, which prevented the sun giving us a tan we wanted. My girlfriend went swimming whilst I read my book. I don’t particularly like swimming unless it’s in a pool, perhaps it was my upbringing and how the dangers of rocks and cliffs were constantly presented to me or that I found a much better connection resting and listening intently to the waves crashing against the sea walls and silently returning to get more power. I’ll never be able to explain but I felt that I let my girlfriend down by not joining her and maybe thinks I’m just scared. I’m not, I just don’t rank it as highly as others do. I humoured her efforts at getting me in but I remained dry and conscious at the fact that we needed to get home at 7pm or we would be left somewhere we did not want to be!

Because it was a Sunday, the 7pm bus was the only one we could get or we would miss the last train from Sorrento to Naples. I was certain others would have the same idea so after my girlfriend dried, we got some ice cream and got in the already lengthly queue for the bus. By the time we got on the bus we were standing in the aisle. The driver kept pulling people on and with nowhere for people to go except into each other, the bus was tightly rammed. It could have been worse. Famous last words. 

The bus stopped at several places along the road allowing people on and at Positano, a large group were waiting. Most got on and made the bus a health risk. It was intended to hold 70 people (1 driver, 45 sitting and 24 standing), but instead it had 45 sitting and 52 standing. It was just a normal bus and it was a 2 hour journey. Where is the thought process? Is it just all about money or getting us home? Imagine the headlines if we crashed I thought, then things would be different. It was a long stand in the warm bus, with limited air conditioning, or maybe the air just couldn’t get through the amount of people on the bus. The empty train felt like a massive park in contrast, after just making it in time with 5 minutes to spare.

I have never been happier to lie in bed that night, our last night in Naples and a truly unforgettable experience in many ways. That return Sita bus was the fourth mistake I made today. If travelling to the Amalfi Coast, get a boat, rent a car or preferably a moped. Although your heart rate may elevate rapidly, it is better than being squashed against a window showing your behind to the lovely Amalfi locals, breathing in the humid sweaty air from the tourists on the bus and making your legs endue 2hours of standing after a lot of walking (and some cases swimming).