Carpe Noctem

Budapest, Hungary. One of the best weekends EVER! We got there last Friday via train and stepped out into a whole new world. Though we had just spent the last few months living in Europe, Budapest just seemed so much more Eastern than what we were used to, which only added to the fun. Everything was made to look old and the streets were a tad bit seedy, but that just added to this old city's character. Our hostel was called the Carpe Noctem Penthouse, a place I highly recommend staying if you're ever in the neighborhood. It's this amazing hostel run by a bunch of Australian/English dudes and everyone is chill and outgoing. Once we settled into our 10 bed dorm, we went out to explore the city, which was originally two different cities, Buda and Pest (pronounced peSHt).

We went across the Duna River and admired the beautiful cliffs covered in trees changing color, then went up to the Buda castle. Next, we went to St. Steven's Basilica which was one of the most beautiful churches I have ever seen, everything was marble and gold and the details were incredible. It was done in neo-gothic, neo-renaissance, and neo-baroque style, so it was a fairly new Catholic church. Then we went to a traditional Hungarian restaurant called Kiado where the food was absolutely amazing. I had pumpkin creme soup that was to die for and everything was really affordable because Hungary isn't on the Euro yet. Our hostel arranges pub crawls for the travelers every night and by the time we got back it was time to go. They were doing a jagerbomb train that consisted of 350 bombs; Yanni and Sturtz ended up doing ten each and having their named carved into one of the tables. It was also open mic night and coincidentally, almost all the guys there could play some kind of instrument. We had the best time rocking out and listen to these really talented people play great music and even some of their own songs. There was also a moment when we had a great, big group hug between the Praha '10 kids, while the lyrics went along the lines of "I'm so glad I didn't die before I met you." Amazing night.

The next day, we went out to the Turkish Baths that Hungary is famous for. Hungary is full of natural hot water springs and the Turks took advantage of this when they occupied the country and the spas stayed even after the Turks left. It was like a water park for grown ups and everything was the temperature of a hot tub. There were about five indoor pools and three enormous outdoor pools. One of the outdoor ones had a whirl pool and it definitely brought out our inner five year olds. There were also different saunas, including an aromatherapy one which was made the air smell like mint and a super hot one which tried to roast you. After that we tried to go eat at a Thai-Hungarian restaurant, but ending up walking out after waiting two hours to be served. That night, our hostel took us out yet again, but Kayla and I ended up getting lost and eating too much bad food. It was also freezing, and unfortunately the quickest way to get home was a cab. The guy circled the block about five times, all while we were saying "This is the opposite direction we're supposed to be going," and "Yea, this guy is definitely trying to rip us off." He finally dropped us off after he racked the bill up to $15 and it turns out that we were only a half mile away from our hostel from where we started. Never use a taxi if you can help it.

Sunday was our last day in Budapest, so we went on an excellent walking tour and got some history of the city. We came across some hippies playing the Hang, a steel drum-type instrument that sounds like what you would hear if you were walking into heaven. Our last meal consisted of the best falafel I've had in my life from this local restaurant called The Hummus Bar. It was stuffed with perfect falafel, fresh vegetables, and spices that kept you full for hours. I'm so sad that it is only in Hungary; I'm even considering asking them to mail me some regularly. After that we just hung out at the hostel, shared stories with travelers and went to bed because we woke up at 5 AM to see the Great Market (which ended up being exactly like the West Side Market in Cleveland) and catch our train home.

I Wanna Knowww If You'd Be My Girl...Oktoberfest!

Liter beers, food as big as my head, costumes, and huge arenas that they like to call "tents" is just part of the fun that ensues when you attend the largest festival in the world, Oktoberfest. What makes it even more exciting is that we were at THE original site in Munich, Germany.


We left last Thursday bright and early, taking a six hour train ride that allowed us to see the beautiful Czech and German country side while sipping some tasty cappuccino and making friends with the people in our compartment. Immediately after getting of the train, we see mini-kegs haphazardly piled on various garbage cans in the station...welcome to Germany. Our hostel was a ten minutes walk from there and although it was nice that we had four beds with actual mattresses, it was not nice that seven of us had to find a way to fit onto them. Seeing as we had limited time in Munich (We were leaving the next day at 5PM) we didn't waste anytime finding the festival. We walked about two minutes out of our hostel and were there.


I don't think anything could have prepared me for the joyful madness that is Oktoberfest. Imagine the biggest state fair you can, complete with rides, carnival food(but BETTER!), and games. Add in thousands upon thousands of people, most dressed as beer-maids(for the girls) and lederhosen(sooo many good-looking men in leather pants!), and most of them intoxicated. We walked into a couple beer tents hoping in vain that we would find a seat. My first reaction was to smile and laugh at the insanity that was inside. Ten thousand people singing and swinging their enormous beers around, having the time of their lives. Us girls were surveyed like pieces of meat as we tried to maneuver our way through the cramped aisles. After this happened through five tents, we gave up trying to find seats. Just as we were about to leave, we spotted a carousel serving beer to people without having to be seated. Everyone got their first Oktoberfest beer and though I wasn't feeling well, it would have been blasphemy to attend and not have one; it actually was pretty good! We met a nice German couple who told us that it was actually really quiet for Oktoberfest and i was in disbelief! I was coming down with a fever and sore throat after that and couldn't stay any longer, so I had to go back to the hostel at try to sleep my cold away. =(


The next morning, we woke up at 7 am to ensure that we got a spot at our choice tent, The Hofbrau House. We got there at 9 and there was still a decent sized line waiting to get in. The doors opened at ten and the fun began! We sat down at a table with some nice German lads and everyone else ordered their beer. Kayla and I also split a mushroom dumpling which was a complete waste of $20. Soon, the band was playing and the singing began! Ten thousand people chanting and singing songs from "West Virginia" to patriotic German songs. We stayed in there for hours and even though I was completely sober, I had the time of my life and plan on going back as often as I can!