It's interesting to experience autumn in a new part of the world. Familiar smells and tastes of windy days, falling leaves and hot chocolate, mingle with unfamiliar sights of foreign streets and languages yet unknown. This is my 3rd day in Hungary.
My first night here, I spent the evening in a charming and mysterious underground pub...located on a shady street. I was led there at night...to an apartment building across from an elementary school, that appeared empty and dark from the outside. The only clue was an empty, gold picture frame hanging above the door. We rang the doorbell, the door slowly opened, and we were led into a cozy room with a glowing wood stove and an eclectic variety of old Russian radios hanging on the walls. From the ceiling hung a pair of old, wooden skis. The walls were carpeted, there were old-fashioned lamps, upholstered chairs and antique tables. American hard rock clanged from the speakers...Teenage Wasteland and other such classics. There was an upstairs and a downstairs room, but I preferred downstairs, where the cigarette smoke was less concentrated. It was a fun evening and I imagine it was a glimpse into what the American speak-easy days might have been like...when alcohol was forbidden and the nightlife was hidden...
I have made a new female friend my age. She has been my couchsurfing host for the past 2 nights. I am always excited to hit it off with a woman my own age...for some reason, it is a rare experience. She is Hungarian and studying Spanish with the hopes to move to Barcelona. I spent all day yesterday talking with her on many topics from dating, to hitchhiking Europe, to employment opportunities in Spain, to the variant degrees of modesty for women in different cultures. In the evening, she led me to a Hungarian pancake house (a version of the French Crepe) and we chatted over chocolate-smothered pancakes and tea. Then we walked in the crisp autumn air up many outdoor stairs, to a castle tower. With the moon almost full and an amazing view of the city, we chatted away, enchanted by the sights. Both of us grew up with older brothers and tend to have more male friends then female, so I think we both felt a little hungry for this quality woman-time. Or at least, I know I did.
On the way down, after visiting 2 hill-top castles, my new friend mentioned that she happened to have my favorite night-cap beverage at home: dark, Jamaican rum. So, we made a pit-stop back at her apt. Picked up enough for 2 shots each, then went out again for some hot chocolate. For her, it was a winning combo. For me...I couldn't quite stomach it!
Next, we met Toni at a Turkish restaurant which appeared to be a fast food joint at first glance...but then you go down to the basement and it's a Hookah lounge with traditional ambiance and cushioned tables on the floor. We hung out there, nibbling on salads, rice and veggies for awhile. None of us cared for smoking. After a while, a band of young, male musicians crowded into a corner near us and began playing a guitar and various old time, traditional instruments...wooden flutes, etc. It was great. One of them took a fancy to me from across the room and in shy, broken English told me I looked really nice. They invited us to a party where they were going to play music. We declined.
Today, I hit Hero's Square, the Museum of Fine Arts, and the Modern Art Gallery. Now, I am taking a break in a coffee shop. A beautiful, sunny and warmish fall day, it has also had some tinges of loneliness and a bit of nostalgia for the familiar. Still eager to keep traveling and feeling greedy for more experiences abroad, I somehow have these moments that mingle in of wanting to be nurtured, to be close those I know well.
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