Cross country skiing is great if you live in a small country.

This day was also a continuance of the good news/bad news day from yesterday's travels.

Bad news: I got up a little late this morning and ran to the train station with just enough time to find the storage lockers, run to find change when I was just .1 euro short, run back to the lockers, stow my gear in a locker and then get a bus ticket from the train station for the 8AM departure to San Marino
Good news: I boarded the bus with 3 minutes to spare. Whew!

The draw for me to this small country was that it would be another opportunity to technically visit a new, independent, nation as well as take in some nice views relatively cheaply. While the Holy See had been given its own location at one time that ended up becoming a legally separate country, San Marino has always been independent, mostly because it was in a remote, uninteresting part of the country. It was nice and quite cool out and since I was on the relatively empty first bus up, it was pretty quiet as well. I was one of the first to the castles, the main tourist destination for the San Marino area, and had a nice chance to relax and walk around while taking in the views of the coast and surrounding Italian countryside. I had a great little lunch at the top of the ridge with an excellent view and then strolled among some of the shops. San Marino does not have a VAT (value added tax) like the rest of Italy, so it is a good place to get some supplies such as film or batteries and even weaponry (swords, guns, crossbows, etc) that are otherwise illegal in the rest of Italy. The city reminded me overall of Assissi with the narrow, winding streets in the hillside construction. I wasn't able to get a stamp for my passport since they of course do not require them and I didn't want to spent the €5 for the one they sell to tourists. Passport stamps used to be the big thing for travelers as a means to demonstrate where they have been or as a goal to collect (it was a big plot point in the movie 'While you were sleeping' I believe); however most European Union countries do not require them any more when traveling between nations once one has already gained entry into the EU. With the age of digital cameras to document one's travels, I really don't suppose they are that big of a deal any more.

Bad news: I got my ticket to Naples and rushed on board, however I seem to have gotten on the wrong train. Apparently both trains on either side of the platform were leaving for their respective destinations at the same time, however I took the wrong one in my rush to make it aboard. I thought it strange that the train actually left 3 minutes earlier than scheduled, but it was a bit late once it started moving.
Good news: The conductor was understanding of my predicament and spent some time finding a schedule for me to still make it to Naples. After that was sorted, I was able to really enjoy the shoreside trip down the coastline towards Ancona on the fast train. I was originally suppose to get into Naples at 21:00, however when I got to Ancona, I was able to get a new ticket for just €4 more that got me in at least an hour earlier.
Bad news: I stepped out of the train station in Naples into a dark, scary madhouse. All the guidebooks had warnings regarding pick-pockets, fake taxis, and other scams. There was major traffic congestion all around (like rush hour in times Square), trash everywhere, and plenty of noise from car horns, yelling, and idling buses. I had quite a distance to cover and was able to make my way to the hostel with the aid of the GPS. I figured I got there much more quickly than if I tried to wait for a bus in all the chaos of the traffic.
Good news: Finally found the building in which the hostel was located.
Bad news: I had the most scary elevator ride of my life. The elevator was so small that I had to walk in backwards with my pack so I could still get to the controls. Until after I got in and hit the floor button, I didn't notice that the single elevator light was out. I had a slow, cramped ride up 7 floors in pitch blackness. I got out and realized after some search that I was in the wrong wing of the building with the only way between them being the ground floor. I decided to walk down the step this time, cross over, and then took the correct, light, elevator to my correct location.
Good news: The hostel itself was normal with several international travelers hanging about and it had free wi-fi and breakfast in the morning.