Il Colosseo

Buona Sera! So, I've been to the Coliseum twice in the last four days. I know, it sounds like a lot, but when in Rome...

The first time I was in route to a flee market (more on that later) and just happened to walk by the Coliseum. That was on Sunday. Interesting fact, they have Susan G. Komen races in Europe. So, a fellow traveller (who I bonded with after the night with the snoring and the baby) and I joined in for a little bit on our way to said flee market. Here is a picture:














Today I left the library a bit earlier than planned (more on that later) and decided to play tourist for an hour or two. So, I went back to the hostel and decided to walk to the Coliseum, which is the only site that is really within comfortable walking distance from my hostel.

I set out around 3:30 and strolled to the Coliseum, which was PACKED with tourists. But, because it's so freaking big, I actually felt less crowded than I have in days. I mean, I'm always bumping into people, etc. At the Coliseum, I had at least a 10ft X 10ft square all to myself. It was nice. Here's a picture I took while enjoying my spacial freedom:


I walked around a bit, watched some tourists, you know...My fellow tourists were actually pretty interesting. There was this huge group from Japan and they appeared to have a photographer just following them around, snapping pictures, documenting the experience. My first thought was, crap that must be expensive. My second thought, what a weird thing, to pay someone to capture "candid" photos of your travel experience.

This brings me to an interesting point: Japanese tourists must have a lot of money. The reason I say this is, they are always dressed really nicely. They have awesome electronics. Finally, on more than one occasion, I have seen long lines of really really nice cars. My first reaction is, oh, these must be foreign dignitaries. Or, huh, there's a movie star touring Rome. No--no dignitaries, no movie stars--Japanese tourists. Just to clarify, all of the Japanese tourists I've met are really nice, they just seem to have a very distinctive traveling style.

There were many other kinds of tourists at the Coliseum. Lots of tour groups in all different languages. Oh, and people posing with the "Gladiators." What kind of job must that be? Can you imagine walking around the Coliseum all day in a metal skirt/kilt thing? I mean, there you are, at the seat of western civilization and you are getting paid 5Euro a pop to stand in a costume and take a photo. I think it was must kind of strange. But, when I think about it, not a bad gig. My next thought is: what kind of costume/picture/tourist gig could a woman get at the Coliseum? It's all about equal opportunity, people!