Woke up and had coffee in the common room. Overheard a girl speaking English, ah conversation!
Not having talked to anyone it is interesting how desperate I was to talk to someone, but yet old fears crept up as this gal was rather attractive.
Long, curly blonde hair, tall, secretly fit as she had on baggie clothes. I dug her. Hesitantly I mentioned if she’d ever been to the island park. Soon we were talking about our trips.
She was a hospitality major so she was able to get a work visa. She’d just finished a month in Romania working in a hostel. She was winding her way back to Louisiana via England, Iceland.
At least she confirmed that workaway website actually connected her to the hostel so it was a good tool for future trips.
I rolled up my towel and headed to Buda side as that’s where the best spa was located. It had been around for centuries, since the 1500s!
I’d been advised it was better and less crowded, tourist-y than the others.
Boy was he correct on all points! After a confusing exchange with a lady receptionist who spoke no English and made no attempt to understand anything I asked, so back to pointing to communicate, I soon had a spa only ticket.
They had just remodeled so they did have lockers to stow my stuff.
I got a watch like key that synced with the locker. I hoped it would work, I cannot imagine trying to explain my situation to this place, it was very Hungarian.
I missed the pile of loincloths that most guys wore. It was basically a flap of material they wore on the front crotchal region.
It was very local so the majority of guys walked around with nothing on.
I entered a very nice, huge pool room. In the middle of the room was large, main pool with room temperature water.
A small waterfall cascaded to one side and a man stood underneath as water rained on his head.
It was surrounded by 4 smaller pools at varying temperatures from very cold to very hot.
I mean these people had things figured out; the cold was take your breath away cold, the hot was barely tolerable for more than a moment.
The middle one felt nice so that’s where I spent most of my time.
The pools were smaller to the point where sometimes you’d be shoulder to shoulder with a naked stranger.
A bit of a change from the US spa I went to that was unisex as well as robed.
As I was soaking my feet in the hot water, I heard a guy grunt and cough as he emerged from the water…with a full, raging hard on.
I turned and sighed, at least he was headed to the showers to settle down. Cold shower stat dude.
I floated around the middle pool a long time, the water supposedly had healing qualities.
Not so sure about that but they for sure made you thirsty.
I spied a fountain to one side I’d seen others drink from so I went over.
Holy hot water! Again just too hot, not scalding.
Damnation these are devious people when it came to water temperatures.
I was already out of the water and soon realized I had wet shorts and no change of clothes! What to do?
I walked around showers and massage stalls before locating a cool water fountain and a quiet room.
It was a small room with wood beds, no bedding or padding, but the pieces were adjustable so I set it with the feet up a bit as I heard it was good for short naps.
Well damn, maybe there was something in that water, I instantly fell asleep for over an hour and a half!
I fell asleep again after noting the time!
This place was a maze and it took me awhile to find my locker to collect my things and towel off. Even longer still to find the exit.
I passed by everything several times, even locating a small waiting area near the entrance, but it had no exit.
No one to ask and it wouldn’t have mattered, no one spoke English.
I finally ventured into a fancy, wooden locker room, sure enough at one end there was a guy who took towels, loincloths and the watch access thingy.
Decided due to the nap that a coffee was in order so I walked across the bridge to a huge, 2 story joint and took my cup outside to soak up the sun, plus my shorts still weren’t dry yet.
I pretty much waited for night and sunsets, sitting by the river and walking the bridge were all I really cared to do at dusk.
There was a small grocery store on the way to the hostel so I popped in to get beers and dinner.
After changing into drier clothes, I hit the street towards the river, sitting on a stone seat closer to the skateboarders.
Tonight one shredder brought a very pretty girl wearing a midriff top and black pants, long dark hair. She didn’t look like a skater girl, way to go, brah.
After eating and watching the river a bit, a shirtless, drunk guy staggers up to the skaters.
A brief exchange and he sees me and staggers over.
He leans in about a half-foot from my face and slurs something that couldn’t be nice in Hungarian. I said, ‘ NO, go.’
‘I kill, aaaaaaarrrrrrge,’ was all he managed to retort in English.
‘ GO! ‘ I said again through gritted teeth, staring him directly in the eyes, no flinching, hate on my mind.
More mumbling as he as he walked away, clutching a glass wine bottle.
Dang that was close.
I was clutching my beer, I knew I could deliver a blow, at least hurt him a bit, give me a chance to run. I felt sure the skaters would have my back, too.
I was surprised my heart rate didn’t change. I was ready and not scared so he moved on.
If anything this trip taught me was I could handle most things life throws at you regularly and in this instance, rarely.
Being threatened shouldn’t be a regular occurrence, especially in a foreign country.
I walked the bridge again and finished my beers, still an amazing view of the moon over the Danube River, I’ll miss this nightly bridge stroll.
Still early I walked into the small pub next to my hostel and found a seat at the bar.
It wasn’t too much later a large group of kids walks in. It was pretty obvious by their look and due to the tentative nature they entered and went to the bar one at a time they were underage.
‘ID?’ The bartender asked one girl. She left soon replaced by another guy, ID ready.
‘6 Long Island iced teas please.’ He said.
It worked, the kid got 6 bevs and I guess the bartenders just figured, technically they didn’t do anything wrong, they sold to a person of age. If he gave bevs to anyone underage it was on him.
I was pretty much the only person in there so they definitely could used the business.
The drinking age was 18 overseas, which is so strange to get used to seeing very young people with pints, not to mention that sometimes you would be near a group of loud kids on one of their first nights out.
Drinking is a privilege for sure, not everyone can handle it, especially young ones, but yet we expect them to serve in the military 18-20.
The more correct law would be 18 since we all must sign up for Select Service once you hit 18. There are some harsh penalties if you don’t register so if the gov thinks they can call us to war at 18, well if we can kill a human we can also kill a beer.
I just wish we didn’t have deadly conflicts.
The kids were annoyingly loud as expected, giggling, sharing videos, just enjoying being dumb kids, a thing we’ve all done before.
I also realized kids will be kids on this trip and to just let them be, that’s all we ever wanted at that age: to not be scolded by a strange adult.
Let them skateboard, kick the back of your seat if they are young enough, nearly run into you whilst chasing each other.
Just remember you were that annoying kid to others at some point, don’t be that annoying fun ruiner of an adult.
But if you are in a situation with annoying kids that you can leave, do it.
Which is what I did, finished my pint and went to the hostel.
I’m tolerant but they were pretty loud, haha.
But I didn’t tell them this was my pub, be quiet.
That’s what old people do…
Song: Franz Liszt Hungarian Rhaposdy #2
Beer: Borsodi
JourneyswithJason 