Budapest

So, after landing in Budapest, I was the closest I think to feeling culture shock. Tyler and I got off the bus together and literally only had the directions on Tyler's hand as a point of reference. we knew absolutely nothing about where we were or the city we were in. And, stupid me, didn't even get directions before we took off, I had to call John to get directions as we were sitting on the bus leaving Prague. Anyways, we get off the bus and start wandering around, feeling adventurous and spontaneous. However, we realize that we need our main base, the hostel, before we go exploring too much. So, we start walking towards the train station, starved and having to pee. We head looking for an ATM, because we have no Hungarian money. So, we can't buy any food to eat, a ticket to ride the tram, or to pay to go to the bathroom (they always charge to go to the bathroom in busy public areas). And of course, we can't speak a lick of Hungarian. So, as Tyler frantically searches around for an ATM (he has to pee worse than I cause he couldnt fit in the bathroom on the bus) I sit down with a book and try to learn how to say please and thank you in Hungarian. So, this could have been quite a nerve-racking and frustrating time. however, I think I'm like Josh Harnett in Lucky Number Slevin, in that I make things seem easier than they are sometimes. I like it though. Of course I don't have the devilish good looks as him. Anyways, eventually, Tyler finds an ATM, pulls out 50,000 Forent (yeah not that much, 1000 Forent=5$) and goes pee and buys his sandwich. We feel better now. So, we then get our tram ticket and get on the metro. And right away, you can tell how much dirtier it is than prague. The tram's seem like you are riding a kiddie roller coaster in Disney World and the metro seems like something out of a horror movie. And then as we get off at our stop, we see piles of gypsies just forming nests of blankets and sleeping on the ground in the metro. And these piles of families are everywhere scattered on the ground. Gypsies are 9-11% of the population here! Yeah thats a lot. So, anyways, we step out and see daylight once again. and we are lost again. Another funny thing, well not funny, actually cruel, but the street signs here are barely visible. Never in an obvious line of sight as they post them on sides of the building thats closest to the corner of the street in small font so I literally would have to get out my binoculars just to see what street we were on. So you can never tell where you are. But it takes some time, but eventually we find our Imperio Max hostel. But no easy task. As we are walking down the street we should be on, we are looking for building 13A, but its just a door. But we are like, well that must be it. So, we get closer and in small font on the doorbell is a bunch of names and then Imperio Max hostel. So, we're thinking, ok, lets see what happens. So, we ring the doorbell and they buzz us in. We open the door and the first thing we see is the courtyard of this apartment complex. Now, if I had seen the movie Hostel, I'm sure this is an exact scene out of it. The concrete floor was all broken with weeds growing out of it, and water dripping from random places although there was no rain, bars on all the windows, and in the corner was our man, the owner of the hostel waving at us to come in. I really have no idea what to think at this point. This is my first hostel experience, and it looks like we made a big mistake choosing the cheapest hostel on the list. Nonetheless, we head in, cause we have no other choice, and things change instantly. The inside looks much nicer. The owner is a kid about our age (26) and starts firing questions at me about this and that and shows us up to our room. The room isn't that bad either. Of course just beds and a light, but not that bad. But in the 'lounge' area, they have a T.V. to watch movies, a fully-functional kitchen, two bathrooms, laundry (yeah right), two computers with free internet, and a spiral staircase. So actually a nice place for ten bucks a night. And there are only like 20 beds in the whole place, three rooms. But Tyler and I are still shaking n our boots, cause this is our 1st hostel experience and we had no idea what to expect, and I'm not sure actually what I did expect, I just don't think it was this. But we cautiously unload our stuff, whispering about the place and our thoughts, into the Wal-Mart style lockers that don't really lock as I lock my backpack up to the lamp in our room. As we are paying, two more Americans from California come in and begin to check in. Nathan and Ben. they both quit their jobs and are just backpacking around Europe on whatever money they have before they have mortgages and a family to start fending for. They have already been traveling for a month along the Northern side of Europe and then now coming along the Eastern side and heading back west. well, as we are getting acquainted, the owner, Abraham, is highlighting all of the sites of Budapest for us. Actually one of the most helpful things. So, now, we, as in, Tyler, me and our two new friends, decide to head out and use our last few hours of daylight to explore the city of budapest. So, we walk and talk. We visit the Parliament first, which apparently is closed to due to rioting. I guess they stand outside the parliament and shout things waving hungarian flags... not sure, kinda wish I coulda seen that. Then to the Basilica, St.Stephens style I believe. But an impressive building, and the Parliament too, wow, very impressive. Budapest makes you do the same as Prague, make you just walk with your head in the air and just say wow the entire time. I became a stupid tourist again taking pictures everywhere. And then we head to the opera house, dont know why, but turned out to be a bad idea cause we got lost. But first, we head inside, which was hilarious. We all looked like hobos, especially Nathan, who by the way, was a way funny guy. He hasn't shaved in two days(which is a lot for him), he is wearing a ratty old coat with a holey backpack and the classic hobo cap. Classic hobo. But, we stood there for 5 minutes as we talked and made it look like we were discussing when we were going to go to the opera. But I couldnt even concentrate on the conversation. You know when everyone in a room is staring at you, so I looked up and glance around, and see all these women in fur coats and men in top hats staring straight us and giving us the up and down, saying get the f*&# out of our opera house. Someone even tried to give Nathan some money as we walked out... Ha! Ok, so we had enough embarassment, now we head to the Mongolian BBQ place! So, you pay 5000 Forent for all you can eat AND drink! So, this was a must. But we walk in the wrong direction for a while getting grumpier, more tired, and hungrier as the time dragged on. We find some place to get back on the metro eventually and get yelled at in Hungarian for stepping over the 'yellow' line. We get off, find a restaurant and ask someone if they know of the place and they say, "sorry I don't know any English at all." Hmmmm... sounds like you know a little. Ironic too, cause you said that better than the Kiwi's speak English. But eventually we do find it, from across the street, and I shout it out, literally jump for joy, cross the street without looking(quite possibly one of the most dangerous things you can do in eastern europe), but i didn't care, I was ready to eat baby! I could write forever about this place, but I'll spare too many details, basically, best place ever. Glamarous, excellent food. we ate caviar, goose liver, alaskan catfish, hungarian fish soup, veal, rabbit bits, saltimboca, horse, lettuce wrapped in bacon and even quail eggs! Geez, and the beer and wine, and cocktails and coke(yeah who cares?) were all you can drink! And the service was so good too. It wasn't like ordering a beer, and then thirty minutes you would get it, there were prompt. I would go back to Budapest just for this dinner! And such a funny time, I literally cried at least 5 times from laughing so hard! We stayed there til they close up shortly after midnight. And then finishing the night, we come back and go to a club in the metro (yeah what?). It was called Cha, Cha, Cha, and there were all these juicehead Hungarians in there dancing just convulsing their body with their arms waving above their head. we did not stay long.