Day 1 -- From Airport to Hostel

So, Andras (pronounced Andrash -- but it's really just Andrew), put us on a shuttle bus to our hostel and he took our luggage in his car. That was a weird feeling -- I suppose he could have just fled w/ all our stuff, but he didn't.

As soon as we got into the shuttle, we heard "What Is Love (baby don't hurt me)" from Night at the Roxbury/SNL fame.  We have heard tons of American 80's/90's music since...and lots of covers of American songs in English, but by random nobodies -- can't quite figure out what's happening with that.

We arrived at the hostel (Corvinus University City Hostel)...and no Andras...and therefore no luggage. So we waited in the lobby, they had wi-fi and we were able to email family and friends that we were alive and well.

Corvinus University
Budapest (11th district)
Menesu u. 11-13
1118

Anyway, we sat and waited for Andras...

and waited...

and waited...

There was a cafeteria attached to the lobby, so I popped in and bought us our first Hungarian meal.  It was also the first time we used Forints and the first time I tried to interact w/ a non-english speaking Hungarian. It did not go well.

It was a school cafeteria set-up w/ a guy behind the food. I pointed at what we think turned out to be chicken and potatoes and he loaded my plate.  I then took my plate to the cashier guy but obviously forgot to put my plate on a tray and so he glared at me...walked across the room...grabbed a tray...walked back...and handed it to me in a not so nice way.

Then he punched some buttons and a price showed up ( I think it was 750 forints), so I handed him a 1000 forint bill and got a bunch of change back.

Oh yeah, I also bought us a water.

First of all, it was warm -- it was from a refrigerator case and everything, but room temp it was. Second of all, it was carbonated (for all who may be traveling to Europe anytime soon -- and to paraphrase George Orwell -- "blue cap bad, pink cap good"). Then again, maybe you like carbonated water at room temp, but then you probably are a weirdo (Sarah).

Of course, I had to go back and buy a pink water (also room temp).  I don't think the guy was happy about that either.  I thought about putting my pink water on a tray when I went to pay but didn't think Day 1 in a foreign country was a good time to be a smart-ass.

Here is a picture of our first meal -- mystery chicken and potatoes.

And here are pictures of Melissa eating it. (Sarah that's 25 cents in the bank please -- no wait, Melissa says 50 cents cause we weren't sure those were potatoes either!)

It was at least edible...

Andras arrived and apologized and then took us to our room and that was that.  Off he went and off we went into Budapest.