Budapest

Hi guys! Well, we finally got away on the 7.30 Friday morning train. One of our group slept in, though - and didn't make it! Tiffany headed out on our adventure, and getting there was terrible! It turns out that the 7.30 train takes a different route than the overnight train does, and we hadn't paid enough money for the amount of travelling we did in Slovakia. The conductor said we could pay to stay on the train, which we thought meant buying an additional ticket. Since it was that or spend the night in Bratislava (where the new horror movie Hostel is set!), we went for the extra money. The train was about to leave, but the conductor hauled us into the station, to the ATM (we needed Slovak crowns), and ran us back to the train. I kept trying to give him the money, but he wouldn't take it til we were on the train. Turns out it was "black business," and we didn't buy an extra ticket, we just paid him to let us stay on! Crazy!

We finally arrived in Budapest at about 5 (2 hours late), and got settled at the hostel (so nice!), and went for dinner. We met some nice Americans and ate with them. Then we met up with Rob and Marta (who had taken the overnight train), and sat in the pub in the hostel for the evening.

Saturday morning Tiffany and I did the baths at the Gellert hotel. So posh! So warm! So many naked ladies in the thermal bath area! It was lovely and relaxing. That afternoon we went with R. and M. to look at the Fisherman's Bastion (it was defended by fishermen back in the day) and the castle. Then we went back to the hostel for a nap, out for dinner, and down to the pub again.

Yesterday we went up to the Citadel (a very long, steep climb!) to see the view and the vendors. Then it was a quick lunch, and back on the train for home. Budapest is a lovely city (especially when the sun shines!), and I liked being there. I still like Salzburg best, I think, but I'd love to spend more time in Budapest. Especially at the baths. Those were great!

In other news the UofA accepted me into the SLP program as one of their first round choices (I feel like a first draft pick in hockey!), and said I had an outstanding application! I'm pretty freakin' excited! I'd still like to go to Dal, but it's thrilling to have been accepted at UofA, because it means that no matter what, I'M GOING TO GRAD SCHOOL IN SEPTEMBER!! Maybe I'll be eligible for some scholarship money, too. That'd be great!

That's the news folks, and I'm off to work now. Love y'all!

Elizabeth