Another report from the great wilds of Southern Italia. This was supposed to be written from south of Naples, actually got written in Sicily, and was almost written in Tunisia! (I almost got on the wrong boat). So...

It feels like a couple of months since I've seen you all. Time has an interesting feel here, unlike anything I've ever experienced before. I was fully expecting it to fly by, and the days do. But the whole time feels much much longer. Interesting... (If I'm repeating myself, its because its really present in my mind).

One of the things I promised myself I'd do over here that I've skipped on other trips to different places was to visit significant archeological sites that I'd regret missing. So, with that in mind, I travelled over to Pompeii, under the benign shadow of Vesuvius, to see the famous ruins. And the first impression I got was the reason I usually skip places like this. Man, what a tourist trap. The ruins themselves were fascinating, of course, but the presence of 10,000 other stereotypical tourists (who looked just like me, I suppose) and the vendors fluent in harassing you in your own language detract from it greatly. While I appreciated the historical aspect of the site, the most interesting part of the visit to me was the 45 minute conversation with the 2 young ticket ladies on the cultural differences between America and Italy. In return for watching my bike while I explored the place, they made me promise that I'd treat all Italian tourists in America very well. And I will too! (Now, the last time I heard an Italian accent in Missoula was when...)

This made me realize what was really important to me on a trip like this. It usually only takes a few days to it to hit , that the real attraction for me is learning about the people and current culture in a different country, not so much its history and archeology, (apart from how they've influenced the present way of life and thought). Trying to move through it mostly unnoticed (because you fit in) is fascinating to me. And when you start to blend is when the revelations usually come - that the person who bumped into you and didn't even turn around is not being rude, but is treating you like he'd treat anyone else on the street. That the guy staring at you is curious, not challenging (but if you lower your eyes too quickly he'll think you're weak). That manners and respect come more from tone, than from language. That aggressive-ness is valued much more than in our own culture, to the point that excessive politeness can be viewed as a weakness. That the guy who denies you something (access to Pompeii with a bike, for instance) might well be persuaded by a little friendly insistence. It's absolutely fascinating...

I was planning on a day or 2 in Sicily, per the advice of a friend, but I think I'll be staying here for the duration of my time in Italy. It's a wondefully Mediterranean place, and much more friendly than I expected. I found a cool campsite in a village called Sferrocavallo very near Palermo. The caretaker, Salvo, is 23, speaks French, German, and English, and used to play soccer for Bonn, Germany. (Until he cussed out the trainer and was suspended for 3 months, that is...:) The weather has been iffy (cloudy and some rain, most of which falls inside the tent, it seems - Jed, I've gotta listen to you more next time!), but the local beach beautiful and plenty to do. I went into Palermo with a few of Salvo's friends to do some dancing (well, ok, some dance-watching for me). None of them spoke English, which made for limited conversations, but that was ok. We started about 11:30PM and wound it up around 3AM, having been to a cool place featuring Latin-American style dancing, very popular here in Sicily at the moment. Very stylish bar, very trendy, and the worst margaritas I've ever tasted! But a load of fun. Resolution: take some Salsa dance lessons when I return - it looks like a ball! None of that 'dancing by yourself in front of the woman you just asked to dance' crap. It's very interactive and extremely sensual!

W're currently in a weeklong festival celebrating St Francis, which was announced Saturday morning by mortar rounds bursting in the air for 10 minutes about 7AM. I seriously wondered at first whether or not this was a military exercise gone astray, and was waiting for the 'Incoming!' yell to take cover. Tonight will be a huge fireworks display and mucho food to celebrate. Funny - the culture here disapproves of public drunkenness, which is really nice. Socializing here doesn't include much drinking, so you don't see the same problems as in the US that are associated with young people overindulging.

So, a week or so more in Sicily, and then the ferry to Greece, I think. Given the fluid nature of the trip so far, that may change, but its the plan for now. I miss you all. I didn't write anything, I just realized, on how tired I am every once in a while of translating every thought. It gets old, and on days like that I simply find an out of the way place and an English newspaper or book and veg for a while. So, all is well with me. Keep me up to date on current local events.

Mark