Budapest, Hungary was one of those cities I didn’t initially consider visiting but it turned out to be one of the most fun experiences of my life. I have a close friend that lives in Vienna, Austria so my original plan was simply to spend time with her. When I realized her close proximity to other vibrant countries I decided why not visit them too while I’m in the area. This sums up how I ended up in Budapest.
I can say without a doubt that Budapest is the most beautiful city I have ever been to. From the architecture to the Danube River to the bridges, it was so visually stimulating you couldn’t help but feel a sense of joy from being surrounded by it all. I was anxious to learn more so I joined a free walking tour. I was the only American in the tour, while the dozens of other tourists were from other parts of Europe, Australia, and Asia. It was a long tour filled with vast history but I honestly started involuntary tuning out the tour guide after the first hour. My short attention span got the best of me so I couldn’t tell you what I learned. During the tour I was chatting it up with two Australian guys there on holiday, Jimmy and Ryan. After the tour they asked me to join them on a hike up Gellért Hill. I accepted with no hesitation. This was the beginning of September 2016 so it was HOT. We had great conversation getting to know each other which made the hike easier, despite me sweating profusely on the journey. After learning I was American the first question they asked was “What’s with that Trump guy?”. I assured them there’s no way he’s getting elected and we had a good laugh about it. We finally made it to the top and the view was breathtaking. We then got something to eat and did some planning for that night. In the midst of planning I had to use the bathroom but as I approached I saw a turnstile. You have to pay to use any bathroom! This was the most annoying part of the trip since it was something I wasn’t used to. Eventually I accepted this is a cultural difference I have no choice but to deal with. Anyway we made plans to do a bar crawl that night. This is when the real fun began.
I arrived at the bar that night and spotted Jimmy and Ryan talking to two other people so I got a drink and joined their group. The people they were talking to were from NYC so I was ecstatic. I almost never encounter other Americans while traveling as it is, but to meet a couple from my hometown is even rarer. After a drink or two we headed to the next bar. Even though I was on a bar crawl, my plan was to drink in moderation. This didn’t last long at all since my Australian friends kept buying me shots. At the next bar we met a group of women from North Ireland, all of whom were very drunk. They were a friendly bunch that kept yelling my name and touching me every chance they got. They seemed extremely fascinated by my skin and physique which I was confused by because I never received that kind of attention from women back home. Out of nowhere I started doing push ups. I don’t remember how many but I do remember patrons in the bar counting and cheering me on. This happens every time I drink too much. All my closest friends can attest to this. Anyway, all of us left and headed to a third bar. On the way over there I felt a hard slap on my butt. I turned around and saw it was a woman from the Netherlands I spoke to briefly at the last bar. After sexually assaulting me she yelled out “you better not do it back!”. I laughed at her and kept walking. I don’t remember her name so let’s call her Heidi. Heidi and I spent rest of the night flirting with each other. Things were going well until I tried to kiss her. She slowly turns away and tells me she has a girlfriend and wants to be faithful to her. I say okay and look around the bar to see the rest of the group is no longer there. I walk outside to see one of the Irish women I befriended earlier throwing a tantrum. I walked over to see what was going on and her friend tells me she always gets that way after drinking. I then look around for Jimmy and Ryan but they are nowhere in site. I take that as a cue to call it a night and go back to my hostel. As I headed back, prostitutes kept approaching me offering their services but I ignored them. They all looked like supermodels but that may have been the influence of alcohol altering my perception. After the 20th one approached I decide to have a conversation with her and not ignore her. After two minutes of small talk she walked away after realizing I’m not going to pay her for sex. I felt dejected because I was trying to make a friend. I finally made it back to my hostel and reflected on my crazy night.
I woke up the next morning with a sore upper body from my drunken work out and a text from Jimmy apologizing for abruptly leaving. I packed my stuff and headed to the bus station to continue the next leg of my journey.
Comments