Lost in Budapest

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So last night was a little bit of an adventure. Eric and I were supposed to meet up with a friend named Suzie we know that lives in Budapest, but Eric was too tired so I went alone. We just went to a pub and had a drink, but the adventure starts when Suzie directs me on which bus to take to get home. After riding the bus for about a minute it starts to turn left, which I knew wasn't right, but I decide to wait until I see something familiar for when I should get off, but that never comes. After riding the bus a little bit further it starts going over a bridge, which I knew was definitely not right, so now I'm lost. I figure that the bus has to make a loop and that I will be back to the center of the city eventually. But after riding for about an hour the bus stops and the driver informs us its the end of the line and I need to get off, he doesn't speak any english. So I try to explain to him with a map that I am lost and I get him to point on the map where we were, and he points to an area very north of the city that is off of the map. He points to the parked bus in front of me and that I should take that bus and he drives off. After waiting ten minutes the parked bus still doesn't have a driver. So now I am freaking out, I walk down some stairs that look like a train station but it is completely closed. I walk back to where the parked bus is and see a taxi station, I try pushing buttons on the station hoping that a taxi would be along eventually but none comes and now I'm getting really worried thinking I may have to sleep in the subway. I see a guy at another bus stop and I go over to ask him if he speaks english and he says a little. So I try to explain my situation and he tells me that a bus comes every twenty minutes that will take me back to the center of the city. Thankfully that bus finally comes, and when I get on I get the driver to show me the route that he is taken and he points out that we are going to where I need to be. Luckily I got home alright, just really late, around 3 am. I know it doesn't sound like too much of an adventure, but I was really freaking out.

As far as the rest of the trip, I know I haven't been updating too often, but I have been very tired from seeing all the sights and going out. So I will try to sum up a little bit of the trip that I may have missed on the last posts.

We have met a ton of people from all over. People from Australia, Bosnia, Croatia, Spain, New York, Michigan, China, Hungary, Germany, Austria, England, Sweden, Ukraine, Switzerland, and Raleigh, yes I ran into two girls that went to State, they were the most intelligent and sophisticated people we met. If I left any countries out then I apologize, we have just met so many people. Alot of the people we met were from the hostels. The hostel in Vienna was the best place to meet people due to the fact that it had a bar.

Eric got hit on by an Australian guy

I haven't been that hungry in Hungary.

We only ate Austrian food once, unfortunately. We could never find Austrian restaurants, so we ate Turkish, Italian, and American food.

The best food I had was in Czech.

My favorite night was new years eve, but my favorite place has been Vienna.

We have decided to skip Venice, it looks like rain showers for the next couple days. I really hope to come back one day to visit Venice, but it sounds like more of a spring or summer vacation. Instead of Venice we are going to Switzerland to meet up with the girls we met and possibly go to a hockey game!

Everywhere we have gone at night has been really smokey.

I am starting to miss home, and I do love you all!

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Comments

[Nana]

From Nana
Hi, Chris, After talking to your Mom I finally realized how to send you a message. I hope I am doing it correctly. Granddaddy and I had an experience in Prague similar to the one you had in Budapest. Finding no one speaking English is especially frustrating when you are lost. We are all visiting Grandaddy daily at rehab. I think he is some better, and the people there take good care of him. We're glad you are getting to take this trip. When you get old like us remembering places you have been is wonderful! We love you, Nana and Granddaddy