Day 5 - The Isle of Capri

Our first day in Almafi was upon us and we wasted no time getting going. We were awake at 6:30 (plus 3 snoozes) and our ferry was pulling up to the island of Capri by 8:00. Our group was then ushered onto smaller boats for a private tour of the island. The views of the unbelievable vertical cliffs towering over the crystal clear ocean left us in awe as we cruised around the island, feeling at times as if we were watching Avatar. We made a stop at a cave called the blue grotto where we hopped off the boat and into tiny rowboats with a driver to maneuver us through a gap so small you needed to lay down in the rowboat so you didn't hit your head. With Justin in the front and the rest cuddling in the back of the boat, we made our way in. Once in the blue grotto we realized that it wasn't just a clever name. The unique shape of the cave made it so that the water inside of the cave glowed a neon blue that was unlike anything we have ever seen. By the way, George Clooney's summer home is alright. Once the private boat tour came to a close, we began the trek to the top of the island. We walked partway up the island, then bussed up another fraction of the island (Scariest bus ride ever), and finally took a single person chairlift to the top of the island. On the chairlift up you could enjoy stunning views of coastlines or the tranquility of backyard gardens, however Ed took another route by trying to say hi to every person going the other way.... EVERY person. The mixed reactions of those passing by was quite entertaining as we tried to disassociate ourselves with him. Standing on cliffs 1800 feet over the water, you can imagine that it was quite the view but for safe measure we added some pictures to help (although they don't do it justice). We bought a bottle of wine and sipped it on a bench on what felt like the top of the world for a solid half hour before beginning our descent. We took the chairlift down and then decided to be adventurous and hike the rest of the way down (stopping first for a lemon-cello and chocolate tasting). Once we finished the hike we were met with a beach full of students on the trip and immediately jumped into the Mediterranean. We were then physically forced to board the ferry kicking and screaming all the while. That night the group was bussed to downtown Sorrento where we could have dinner and hit the local bars. We met two friends, Christina and Erica, on the bus ride who joined us for dinner at a great place off the beaten track. We then met all of the Bus2Alps travelers at an outdoor patio bar called The English Inn. We were surprised to hear the place was standing in the morning.