circo massimo

three nights before i leave, of course, i discovered my favorite spot in Rome.
the circus maximus.
we walked there last night, after being told that it might be an area where we might find the green sedation and giggles we were looking for.
the circus itself seems unimpressive, it's simply a big grassy hollow in the middle of the city, a few minutes walf from the colosseum, and right next to the tiber. cypress trees line the edges, and there's a little raised hill that runs down the center length of it.
it was amazing! people sat out there, juggling with fire, playing congo drums, laughing, smoking, right out in the open in the midst of the city, where chariots used to race.
we met some polish kids, who called me bella (and ripped us off a little) and a perfect guy, dressed in tight tee shirt and black leather pants, who gestured in italian as he conducted business with us.
also, a guy named Omar, who assured us that even though he was from Sudan, he was not a terrorist, and would not shoot us up. when i told one of the Polish kids that i was from manhattan, he said, "ohhh!" and fell to the ground twice making explosion noises in imitation of falling buildings.
we got back home, havine escaped the clutches of Omar, and proceeded to discuss the benefits of peanut butter rainbows.
if i had discovered this place sooner, i think i might have had a much more relaxed time.