When they say Classic Dance Party... Do you think they mean retro???

This past weekend I went to Budapest. I have gained a new found respect for former Soviet Countries and will no longer describe Eastern Europe as my personal hell. Once I got over the fact that everyone looked like a murderer/ serial killer, I adjusted quite quickly to Hungarian life (Lunch at the Four Seasons for roughly $20.oo... yes please!!) My first day in Budapest it was cold, raining and Erica who was flying in from France (how that country functions is beyond me) was 8 million hours delayed so I spent it alone. The owner of our hotel Albert (I want him to be my new BFF!!) gave me a map and pointed out a walking tour and told me "don't worry even with your blond hair you won't get raped." (umm Albert, not so comforting) After getting soaked, whistled to, and stared at by every beady eyed shifty short pudgey male in the greater Budapest metropolis I decided to go to a cafe. Inside I was served a mug of melted chocolate... AMAZING! All the waiters stared at me... I maybe was drawing attention to myself with my moans of delight.

Finally Erica arrived and we went out to dinner... where we were served deep fried bread covered in melted cheese with garlic soup... Best new food I have tried in the longest time!! It was sooooooo good. We then decided to walk to a bar to get drinks... along the way I saw a sign for a "Classic Dance Party." Naturally, I became obsessed and we had to go. Apparently "Classic" in Budapest means music from the 80's and 90's with clubgoers dressed in Walmart's finest from the 80's and 90's. I have never been so happy!!

The next day was sightseeing, including a trip to the baths. The baths were amazing, you go outside and sit in a hot pool. You then overheat, step out of the pool, freeze to death, reenter pool, overheat, step outside freeze to death... you get the picture.

That night we went to dinner and then went to a crazy costume party. My friend Trevor, who I studied with at Uppsala, now goes to school in Budapest and invited us (we saw him at the party for about 30 seconds). Imagine a huge club at Halloween, except everyone not only was dressed in costume but completely transformed into character. Sitting outside the bathroom we met a Smurf from Gothenburg. Smurf and his smurfette girlfriend invited us to join their crew, and Smurf kept bringing over all of his "Tall as hell" (he was a smurf...short) Swedish and Norwegian friends for me to dance with. I would dance with the boys he brought over for five minutes before an evil hispanic looking girl dressed as a rose (every rose has its thorns....) would come up and attack them. I would then stand awkwardly dancing with myself trying to mimic the moves I had seen the night before at the Classic Dance Party (girls just wanna have fun... thumbs up!). All in all it was a pretty great night I would happily relive... as long as I had a bottle of champagne and a camera.

The next day was our final chance to sightsee. Which included a bathroom decorated in scenes (dioramas) from Disney Movies made completely out of marzipan (yes the food item). The life Size Snow White and the Seven Dwarves was particularly creepy.

All in all Budapest was the slightly strange/disturbing/yet ultimately enjoyable experience I hoped for and more.