Thursday night at approximately 23:00 (that's 11:00 pm, i'm trying to get used to this Europe thing), two friends and I decided to go to Budapest...at 6:20 the next day (yes, am). And so, after planning, packing, hanging out, and not being able to sleep, i went to bed at about 2 am. After a late start (Daniel decided that when we said leave at 5:30 we meant wake up at 5:40 to me pounding on the door), we got a ride to the train station, and left Gaming at 6:20, not really knowing what to do from there. After getting the phone number of a bus company, we found at that seats to Budapest would be cheap and readily available, and so we decided to take the bus. Arriving in Vienna, we got the name of the train station (from the other group going to Budpaest, they helped us a lot), and we got on a bus. Most of us had to check our bags and show our passports. Daniel, on the other hand, snuck onto the bus, and thus snuck into Hungary (see, told you it'd make sense).
Upon arriving in Budapest, we followed the other group (told you they'd help us) to they're hostel, which just so happened was full. We found another hostel, Emerald hostel, after searching a courtyard and being directed by an elderly man in his underwear. We then bartered down the price of the hostel so it wasn't ridiculous, and he gave us a room. He began by handing me a ring of keys (apparently they need a LOT of security in Budapest), and taking us across the street to get to the room. The room was nice, though, so our only worry was being robbed and getting bed bugs (neither of which happened, don't worry mom/all of you aunts out there).
We began by wandering the city until we found a sports bar named Legends. They were playing college basketball (yes, like the NCAA basketball i've been missing daily), and we were sold. We sat down for dinner (which included nachos as an appetizer...we had to splurge a little). We had seen these spotlights moving around the whole time, but thought nothing of it. Then, when we were still eating, our waitress came up to us (and after we stared at her like idiots because she tried speaking Hungarian to us), she told us in English that they were filming a commercial. Our two options were to move, or to sign a waiver so that we could be shown in the commercial. Obviously, we signed the waiver for our chance to be on Hungarian television. We were in the background finishing our food and guiness for a few scenes, until they asked us to move into the other room for the final scene. We figured we'd give it a shot, and it paid off. Daniel was literally sitting in the front row, i was two people back, and tyler was directly behind me. At this point were were definitely, without a doubt, in a Hungarian commercial.
That night, we went back to the hostel and met some sweet people from Spain who were in the room next door. On Saturday, our day consisted mainly of a bath. Budapest has hot springs under the city, and runs the warm water into a series of thermal baths where you can sit and just enjoy life. So we did...for four hours.
Saturday night, we found a mass in English, and then went back to Legends. You see, the owner had given everyone else in the commercial free drinks. We didn't get them, however, and so he promised that if we were to return the next night he would give us some (he didn't think we'd actually come back). We went back, and watched England vs. Whales rugby with a bunch of college kids from England singing drinking songs, cheering loudly and throwing beer everywhere (as the owner explained, "they call that binge drinking in the UK").
After that, we returned to our hostel to find a very different group of neighbors. This group was a Brazilian man and two Swiss men who had come to Budapest simply to go to a nighttime rave at a bath (mind you, we had almost gone simply because we though night hours would be fun..we made the good decision in not doing that). After talking to them for 45 minutes, I learned a few things: America sucks...Americans suck...everyone needs to be able to smoke pot any time anywhere...everyone needs to be able to drink anytime anywhere...if you speak english you have a gaurunteed job anywhere anytime...and this was all from a man who told us that he was a 'citizen of the world'. Needless to say, it was interesting.
On Sunday, we sat in a bus station for a while (and almost got killed by a security guard because Daniel took his shoes off). After that, we took the bus and then train back, and returned to the Kartause feeling pretty great.
One word for Budapest? Ridiculous. That's all. Poland next weekend, can't wait!
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