Budapest, Hungary
7 days of adventure...or something like that. The first day we arrived in this city, we hopped on the bus to go to our campground accommodations. But we didn't make it
in one piece. We got in a bus accident! The bus was packed, we didn't get a spot to sit, so when the the driver slammed on the breaks, our top-heavy bodies (due to over-filled backpacks) got all topsy-turvy, and flew. Most of us travelled as far as our arms would allow us, but not all of us had this luxury of Daddy-long-leg arms, allowing us to hold onto the roof bars. My friend Chelsea travelled the distance to land her near the front of the bus. She did come out with all limbs attached, but I do think this sprained ankle business, has come to haunt her.We finally made it to the campground, unpacked, and decided to head out again for more drama, although, we did not know it at the time. We hopped on another bus and headed into town. When we all got off, something was just not right. As it turns out, there were pick-pocketers on this bus, and hit Jenny (bud from the Oz) up for everything she had, including her passport. So off we went to the Police station.
If you think the doom of Budapest is over, think again. Our time spent in the campground cabanas was disturbing & hilarious all at the same time. It turns out, there was a resident Peeping Tom. One day, a friend & I were hanging out in the cabana, and this man walks into our room. Apologizing saying he was sorry, he must have got the wrong room. We did not think much about it, since the cabanas did look all the same. But then he returned, the fool, as the guys were back from their day out. They chased him away, we all believed that was it, so we spread the word to all the campers in the park. HE CAME BACK, peeking in Jenny's room. That was it. The guys went berserk and surrounded the man. The cops ended up coming and took his side as the Tom spoke Hungarian and we did not; we spoke English and the cops did not. So we had to let it be, off to a hostel we go.We wanted to move on, leave this country and all that we experienced but we couldn't until we got our visas to enter the Czech Republic. We could not believe our luck. No line-ups and no hassles filling out the documentation. I even got the stamp in my passport to prove it, until it came time to pay for it. I handed them their countries currency, but because the country was so unstable, they do not accept it. Fantastic. VOID! The next day, with a pocket full of foreign funds, ACCEPTED - and I have the stamp to prove it!
When I read back what I wrote, I think to myself "Did you really enjoy your time there?" It has to be because of the people I was with, and not because what this city has to offer! Czech Republic, here we come!
Prague, Czech Republic
We arrived in Czechoslovakia during the rising tide. It was changing. Bands like REM were playing in Prague, there were many international students studying at the University... life in this country seemed to be coming into it's own. But we were still in a new, developing country as the final, peaceful split from Czech Republic / Slovakia did not happen until January 1993.
Prague itself was a fun, relaxing place. Just sitting on the Charles Bridge, watching the people walk by, looking at local artists' work or rowing down the river in rental boats, it was a fantastic way to get to know the city.
We decided to take a day trip south to a suburb called Sedlec, located in Kutna Hora. Here you can find the 'Church of Bones' - real name Kostnice. I was going to give you a description of this place, but I thought this video would do a much better job. All I can say is that this place is amazing, creepy yes, but amazing all the same.The next posting will be the last of this mini-series. I did not mean to make it go on so long... but I guess being in Europe for almost 4 months warrants a longer story then others. So stay tuned!
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