Hey guys! I've got a lot to get through, I've been really busy since my last blog post! I realized how little time I have before I head to Greece to meet my Mom and Aunt, so I need to move quickly! I made one stopover though, in the awesome Budapest, before my hectic travel schedule picked up. What a trip!
Saying goodbye to David on the platform in Kreuzberg was a little sad, and I have to keep reminding myself that we're both onto great things. We had such a fantastic 20 days together, and I couldn't have asked for a better companion. Meeting in that bus stop changed my trip, and it's just an indication that things do happen for a reason.
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| Sandy and Danny! |
I got back to Retox and saw the party in full swing again. People were really excited to see me, and I them. It really feels like a family when you find the right hostel! My boys from Prague were still there, as was Lizzy from my girls' night before I left. I spent the day re-orienting. I had planned to leave the next day on the night bus to Belgrade, but discovered upon arrival that busses are only every two days, and I had to wait until Thursday. This turned out to be a good thing however, as my love of Halloween would have balked at spending it on a bus, rather than on a night cruise down the Danube as the case turned out to be!
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| Just some extreme piercing... don't worry, I think he's a pro. |
The bus ride from Berlin was hell - I had managed to miscalculate the bus time down to 10 hours, when in reality it was 10. Due to regulations, and a lack of lower lighting, the bus company left the lights on the whole night! I was also right in front of a family with small children, and freezing. With my hat jammed down, and my scarf like a swaddling blanket, I did my best to ride it out. When I arrived, I discovered that the only bus southwards went to Serbia, a country I had never really considered visiting. I also discovered that it was scheduled for two days later, leaving me with no real choice but to stay in Budapest a little longer. Sean had bet me ten dollars that I would extend my stay, so I paid the bus fare and mentally deposited the ten into an "debts owing" account. Shame.
The night went exactly as I had envisioned it. We all ate at a greasy Chinese place, and hit the op-shops afterwards for costume ideas. I picked up a green army button down and painted my cheeks, planning on pulling out something a little better for Halloween proper, which I now had a proper venue to celebrate in! Being tired from the bus, and anticipating the following night, I hit home earlier than usual, falling asleep immediately.
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| At the teahouse. |
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| Getting some loving on the street. |
The next day Lizzy and I met up with some new friends and found our way to the Sirius Teahouse, a really cool cafe with platforms to climb up to, a wardrobe door set into the wall, and an extensive tea list that makes decision-making pretty tough. We nestled into a cute nook and whiled away and hour trading stories and hanging out, before bouncing back to Retox for some R&R pre-party. The plan for the night was to hang at the hostel, before trekking down to the Danube and boarding a yacht, which was chartered to take us along the river, under the famous bridges and past all the lit up sights. Each passenger is also furnished with his or her own bottle of champagne to celebrate All Hallow's Eve in style. Of course, no one remembers to pour it into a glass, but really who's judging? Dressed as a pirate-gypsy, the night was fabulous, ending at a great dance party, and as we fell into bed at 7 am, I thought to myself that I had experienced a pretty fun night, contrary to my belief that I would be on a bus.
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| A pirate-gypsy, and who the heck knows... |
Luckily the bus wasn't until 1, so I had a few hours of sleep before hitting the shower and packing up. There is a wonderful tradition at Retox whereby the staff and guests 'clap out' departures who will be missed. I was touched to get a pretty loud one, and sad to see the team receed as I struck out. This next part of the trip is going to be a little taxing, alone and moving really quickly. Ah well, I came out here to do new things: time to switch up the pace and the goal. Flash Culture it is!
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