Last Night in Budapest...

Budapest has kept me longer than I imagined it would. In fact, when I first got to the city I was really put off by the place. Near the train station countless shady-looking men offered to exchange money, gypsies asked for change, and old men ogled as I passed, struggling to drag my suitcase. I planned on staying one night.

However, my hostel has been fabulous and I’ve made some great friends in this city. The DJ I met the other night invited me out with some friends of his. I mentioned the unique fashion of the city before, and I asked him how to dress for the night. He told me that here, it should be a mix of “extravaganza, sexiness, and elegance.” I wore leopard print tights and black boots with a black dress and several accessories- PERFECT!

We drove around for a bit, and he pointed out some of the city’s sites. We stopped at a gas station and bought some snacks- an orange lollipop and a Coca Cola light for me, several warm chocolate rolls for him and his friend. Next we went to a place where they “knew the owners” and sat outdoors on a modern patio. We were near the windows and could hear really amazing live jazz coming from inside. I had a beer, while the others had wine spritzers and fruit juices- the place had about 20 different kinds of juice!

People came and went from our table all evening. There were three other 23-year-old girls who gossiped with me about romance and how “when you are a woman you have to be strong and smart, but at the same time the opposite.” A famous Hungarian artist, whose work you can see here: http://www.efzambo.hu/index.htm, also stopped by. He and his friend wore t-shirts with his work “Mourning” on the front. He described it for me, making sure to point out that the beam of light from the coffin represented the penis of the deceased....

We later met some Polish girls at a different club. The decor was incredible. There were long cords dangling from the ceiling with baby doll heads on the end. They glowed and had beads hanging from their necks. When you sat on the couches, they were at eye level...

A photographer took several pictures of our group and promises to Email them. I ran into a friend from Bratislava, said hello, and the interesting night came to an end. I went to the DJ’s house where he made a sort of ratatouille with sausages and eggs. I met his brother and the three of us watched a Woody Allen movie, “Play it Again, Sam,” and I fell asleep. For whatever reason, I’m still here hanging around, but I booked a ticket for Athens and I leave in the morning. I'll tell you how that goes....

-H*