Our arrival in Pompeii was not as pleasant as I would have liked. In trying to cross the street from the train station, we were harassed by two taxi drivers, the second having actually physically pulled me back from crossing the street to offer a tour/taxi. He refused to take (a very loud and emphatic) "no" as an answer, and we had to walk up the street rather than wait for a clearing to cross because he was so insistent. Due to this unwanted detour, we effectively had to circle the city due to a lack of through streets in the direction we wanted to go-- what a way to start the day!
The ruins, when we finally reached them, were much more expansive than I would have expected -- an entire city, it really seemed. (In case you aren't aware, Pompeii was a Roman city near a volcano that exploded and covered the city in lava. This effectively preserved the city as it was at that time, including some disturbingly recognizable bodies of victims caught in the lava.) Some sections of the site were rather unimpressive once we grew accustomed to the style of the preserved walls: these alone held a significant portion of our attention, with rocks ranging from ordinary to a sheer dark, slate-like rock, to a cement-colored type or rock that had many holes in it and looked as if it were formed from penne pasta and paper mache.
There were other sections of the site that were more impressive: A section of the site held bodies preserved perfectly by the lava of the volcano, ancient murals and paintings, intricate mosaic floors, auditoriums, and a waterway crossable by large blocks of stone.
Unavoidably, it began to rain as we were there and the site was filled with tour groups. One aspect that could have been different, however, was the upkeep and preservation of the site. Both Jay and I were disappointed in the protection of the site. Some of the paintings and writings were not protected by a plastic pane and those that were were still susceptible to wind and water from the sides of the plastic panel (which also could have done with a cleaning).
Worse, the glass case holding the preserved bodies (possibly the most well-known section of the site) was filthy; again had many gaps, exposing the interior to wind and rain; and was protected only by a small, easily breakable lock. In the absence of security cameras or guards, we would have preferred to see these ancient relics a bit better protected from vandalism and weather. If no effort is put into this, where do the 10 euros we paid for admission go?
Regardless, Pompeii's archaeological site was fascinating and made up for the obnoxious start to the day... Too bad the taxi driver accosted us again on our return to the train station. Jay and I spent the 30-minute ride to Naples contemplating painful and creative hypothetical responses that we could have given (Jay favored a swift knee to the groin).
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