I'm gonna take a break from writing about my Tibet diaries until I am back to Berlin from my current trip. Yes, for the first time my travel date and publish date will be equal.
I was feeling quite unloved in Berlin and also was craving some sunshine. As usual, instead of seeking people, I came seeking a new place to romance with. I was craving for a place where I can be myself. A place where I can detach from the world and my daily routine. I wanted to breathe different kind of air (you know how every place has its unique smell that stays in your memory), see new people, explore new routes untraversed by me, watch people going around doing their business and most of all unleash my true self.
The place that my heart came seeking was this picturesque, quiet coastal villages of Italy called Cinque Terre. It is a group of 5 coastal villages, each with its unique character, untouched by modern world, still preserving its old world charm.
I had an early morning flight to Pisa, Italy via Munich. I saw an Italian Mafia boss in my flight from Munich to Pisa and I got excited about all the dramatically passionate Italians I will get to see in Italy. From Pisa, I had to take the Pisa Mover shuttle to reach Pisa Central Station for my train to Monterosso al Mare, the northern most village of Cinque Terre. After sleeping through both the flights and still feeling sleep deprived, I found myself struggling to stay awake during the train ride.
It was quite warm in the train inspite of the air conditioner and I wasn't complaining after experiencing months of the cold Winter in Berlin. Warmth and sunshine was what I was here for. The guy sitting next to me started a conversation in broken English. He was from Benin, a French speaking West African country, going to Milan to meet his uncle.
I got distracted in the middle of our conversation about usual stuff when I noticed that it was getting cloudy and darker outside. I started cursing my luck. All my dreams of hanging out on sunny beaches and sweating away fat while hiking in the hot weather started fading away.
It took one hour, 30mins to reach Monterosso from Pisa. Even though my excitement had died down, I was still enjoying the breathtaking view after getting off the train.
View from street outside the train station
This village wasn't as quiet as I thought it would be. It was very crowded with tourists everywhere. I pushed through the crowd to reach my hotel which was 15mins walk from the station. The hotel manager was the first friendly and chatty Italian guy I met since I landed in Italy.
After getting all the maps and recommendations from him, I hurried to my room to take a power nap for one hour. After that, I was back to my solo traveller ninja senses. I quickly dressed up and by 5pm, I was out exploring the tiny village. Tiny because you can literally walk from end of the village to the other in less than an hour.
The view was undeniably breathtaking in every direction I looked. But I, for some reason, was not enjoying it. I didn't know if it was the exhaustion or the fact that there were no solo travellers around. I could only see old people or families with kids everywhere. For the first time, I felt the need to talk to someone. I was actually feeling kind of bored and lonely.
Italy suddenly seemed colder than Germany. You couldn't tell if people were arguing or just talking. There were tourists from different countries travelling in groups, happily snapping away pictures. I continued my walk towards the old Neptune statue which was at the end of the beach, all the while absorbing the surrounding. I had already lost interest in the people so I got busy with snapping pictures.
Rest of the evening, I continued being that annoying tourist who takes pictures of the same view from different angles. I was hoping to achieve some sort of photographic masterpiece with my phone camera. I visited all the major landmarks of Monterosso - from churches to graveyards, and then sat down by the beach to just breathe and enjoy the breeze.
When clouds ruined all the chances of enjoying a beautiful sunset, I headed towards the new town area in Monterosso which had most of the restaurants. After checking out few that looked interesting from outside, I went to the one recommended by the hotel manager.
Two glasses of local wine and one glass of limoncello later, I found what I was looking for. Bliss! I was happy again for no reason. I saw the unknown crowd around me, talking in language I didn't understand. It didn't bother me anymore. I was finally able to clear out the clutter inside my head and be present.
I guess expecting every travel experience to be perfect is naivety. I walked back to my hotel merrily and a bit tipsily which I reckon nobody noticed as people were more drunk than me. It was drizzling but no one cared. The hotel manager again got chatty with me until he realised I wasn't paying attention.
I certainly feel a bit more loved than before and a bit more excited about tomorrow. If luck is on my side, I will finish hiking across all 5 villages of Cinque Terre. Ciao!
To be continued...