Les Cascades d'Ouzoud

 28th November
David, John, Cosmo (Melbournians), Jo (fellow traveller from America) and I
head off for the cascades of Ouzoud.  We take a bus to the villiage Demnat,
where we hussle ourselves a cheap dorm to share, drop off our luggage, and
ask our hostel-man to find us a 'grand taxi' driver.  In Morocco you have
taxis - which take maximum 3 people for an expensive price, and 'grand taxis'
which have set routes, for which everyone pays a set price each.  The problem
is that tourists are always made to pay more than the locals.  That hadn't
become a stress for us yet, however.  So we squish into this guys taxi and
drive over to a touristy little hilltop.
  It was the same in cappadocia; the way your surroundings look so normal,
so usual, and you doubt your close to anything really special.
And then you reach the edge of the trees to the cliff face - or the hill top -
and are struck by the deep cut in the earth, reaching into a wild valley where
waters crashing madly down down down until you have to squint to see if its
another person down there or not.
  That you didn't expect it makes it feel surreal, at first, and it also makes
you wonder all the other little holes in our earth you might not have seen on
the bus trip.  What other mind blowing wonders lye just beyond the corner, where
we might not bother look.

  The waterfall is tall, and like a fancy fountain, takes many streams and circuts
down the cliff giving off an illusion like it has viens - or roots - and thus a life
of its own.
  We wandered along the cliff face, turning our necks backwards so that we could see
the waterfall all the while.  We stopped at one grassy point along the route to admire
the view, and right after wondering aloud where the monkeys were, a little tribe comes
climbing into view.  Papa crawling up the front, a fat and proud little beast, followed
by a Mama Monkey who carried a baby bubba scrawled on her back.

Monkeys are intriging, because you can relate so much to their gestures and expressions.
Yet we still feel so far away to them, mostly due to our social norms I think.
  We watched the monkeys for a long while.
  We got lost down the valley, admiring how the olive trees hold little islands of earth
in their tentacles as the rest of the mountain has melted down.  And the rocks - with
amazing patterns exemplifying the magic of water pressure.

  Sunset was amazing, as the rocks lit up pink blue gray into fuzziness so that we could
only hear the crashing water, and let our noses guide us back.

  It happened on the taxi drive up too, where the driver let David take the wheel (taxi
drivers who dont speak english always assume we can drive) while he put something
black out of foil and into his teeth.  It sped up the drive home, and after we asked
(through a charade-like conversation) we discovered it was a speed like drug.
...
but the town od Demnat was beautiful.  The food was given to us at a local person's price,
and the residents were dignified and respectful.  It's the poorer looking towns where
it seems the people work more harmoniously. the streets are colourful with fruit stands
and people of all sorts wheeling carts of eggs or dates or clementines.
  It was in Demnat tat I decided clementines were my favourite food, and they probably were
great at the time but I recomened you dont overdo them or else you develop an unhappy belly.
Or maybe it was the walnuts I ate with them.

Our little monkeys!

crash bang

the gang !!

i could have helped and shooed the monkey away as david ate the chocolate,
.......or i could take photos of it attacking him!

love!

baby monkey! 

Into Africa!

26th November
  We arrived in Marrakesh, Morocco, with some directions to our hostel where we were
meeting two of David's Melbournian friends.  We'd been given some advice about Morocco,
the most substantial being not to accept help from strangers or else they'd bug you
for a tip.  This included directions.  I'd accepted this, and could remember it, but
suddenly we were faced with the realization on how much we'd depended on the kindness
of strangers.  Our directions were full of street names and left and right turns, though
the streets had no street signs, and our lefts and rights kept changing as we admired
the streets.  The market place striked me as that of con fest.  People playing drums,
fire sticks being thrown into the air, pythons being sedated by fute players, children
running madly through the crowds, and the basic stalls offering fruity juices and tanjines.
  It's all for the likes of tourists, I soon discovered, and don't bother even taking out
your camera - for they'll spot you from fifty metres away and send a boy over to demand
the tip for the photo.
  So we got a bit lost and, inevitably, a young man said he'd show us the way to our hostel.
We became more lost, walking form house to house where we'd knock on one of his friend's
 houses, show THEM the adress and hope that then they coud direct us.  This soon became too
much - we'd gone way out of our way and I was beginning to assume our snakey-eyed friend
didn't believe me when I said we had no money to pay him. So we snuck away and asked an
elderly for directions.  He passed us onto some other young men, who again took us to a
door of a friend of theirs, who - at last - happened to know the adress.
  We arrived at our hostel to see John and Cosmo (David's friends) peering over the terrace
waving like joyful little hobbits, welcoming us home.  We thanked our guides kindly,
 and though they seemed a bit dissapointed, they did not ask for a tip.
  The hostel costed the equivaltent of 3 dollars a night and it was comfotable.  The man
who worked there was in fact retired but enjoyed the company of tourists and was looked
after by his "woman" (who we assumed was the cleaning lady).  He told each of us that his real
job was something different (I got an airoplane engineer) so whatever facts I give you about
his life would only be approximate.
  That night we, and another tourist in our dorm, went out for a 3 dollar tangine. My very first!
They're delicious.  You can have lamb, beef, chicken or veggie tangines which usually come with
onions, carrot, and are T-Ped with potato slices, topped with a single slice of tomato. They're
hot and spicy and your generally expected to eat them with bread.
  The tea, like amongst most villiage or desert people I've come across thus far, is high in
sugar, though only sometimes comes with mint.  Keep in mind though, that the peoples change
all over Morocco, and its the arab peoples Im talking about now (or the burbers who have assimilated
to the city life - as most have).

27th
of Morocco, we met up with Andrew and Anna (who left a note at our hostel naming when and where to meet)
and all 6 of us head around the city to explore.  Marrakesh is heavily polluted, and through the slim streets
are many city motor bikes honking there way through the crowds of mothers, children, little street stores
(selling mint or eggs on wheely tables) and the occasional tourists...
  It's the young boys who are always running around, free to be as cheeky as they like. For the girls it's
another story.  But, compared to the two other islamic countries I've been to, I've been really impressed
with the attitude people take on religion her.  I'll develop this as I tell you about different villiages
and towns I've visited but in Marrakesh you can find a large variety of expression.  Some women are fully
coverered (face excluded - that's more for prostitutes, beggers (protecting their identity) or the desert
women who need to protect their eyes from the sand).  Many of these women ride the little scooters around,
(helmet or no), some even carrying men behind them.  Most women (on the streets...) don't even where head
scarves, though they're muslim rather than Christian.  This is fully accepted in Marrakesh.  One women...
i apologise for using you as an example...wore a head scarf, yet revield her legs and cleavage in a skimpy
little outfit.  It's winter, too, though the weathers no excuse.  This just baffled me.
  Anyway, we explored the old Badia palace, made around 1580, where along the walls were stalks! Their nests
making the up-down patterns of a true castle!! Stalks, if your not aware, make one nest wherein they live
for life, with their specially chosen mate which, too, they keep and live with for life. s2
  We visited some old tombs, too, from the same era.  The most beautiful things are the tiles - where tiny
tiles are made to look like interweaving patterns - celtic style - delicately weaving flowers and stars through
threads of coloured tiles.  Similar designs are engraved into wood.

  We explored the Jewish quarter; the synagogue and cemetary, too.  The lady who worked there shared with us
that the jews and muslims/burburs have always lived in harmony in Marrakesh.  They also spoke arabic, and french,
(which was all you learnt at school, back then - before the six day war when most of the jews left for israel)
oviously, though, as hebrew as we know it today is only 100 years old.  And the fastest developing language
around.

That night we had another tangine, yum!

Germany!

23rd November.
Dresden! We arrived "just in time!" to meet who turned out be a friend of a friend
of a friend of our last couchsurfer.  She was happy to have us, as she'd surfed a lot herself.
I knew she was well travelled tout suit, because I was instantly comfortable with her.  No
bulshit, she was practical and fun and saw things clearly.  Since it was already dark,
and David and I planned to leave the next day, we began to discuss the evening's plans over
'Club Matte' - a German drink, made from an African spice, highly renowned in Berlin which
gives you a high the equivalent of four coffees.  Its dangerously delicious!! And, it turns
out, addictive.
  So Katya's girlfriend arrived with beer and peppers (I think Australia is the only place who
knows the word capsicum) and I made a delicious pumpkin pasta dish!! I made a huge quantity,
cooking all of the pumpkin, and this turned out fortunate.  For soon, another friend turned up,
then a housemate, then - OMG! - A surprize, Katya and her girlfriend's childhood friend who
they havent seen in forever - and who was starving.  So we ate, and drunk, and soon a bunch of
boys - friends of a friend of Katya's housemate, join us too.  And a few more of Katya's friends.
By the time it's 12, we decide that we'll go to Amin's beloved hiphop gig (it was more jazzy funk,
in the end) if Mary can convince the bouncers to let us all in for the price of two people.
And she did it! So in the freeezing cold night we boogeyed down with our new, wonderful friends.
The best thing about Dresden is that everything is sooo close. Its tiny.  We got to the first
club about a minute after leaving the house, and when we were leaving Katya said that wherever
we go next, all the clubs are on our way home anyway so we can pick as we walk.  In the freezing
cold, this was the best news.
 It was a late night, and a late morning, but this wonderful thing is popular throughout the
countries we've been travelling.  It's organized car pooling, and everyone does it.  The website
lists numerous profiles of people who say where they're travelling to, at what time, how many
people they can take with them for what price.  So we arranged for a late ride to Berlin, and
spent the day getting a tour of Dresden from Katya.
  Its a beautiful city, very spacious, as big squares for people to walk in (no cars) take up
most of the space, in between big, Ottoman inspired (but still quite Baroque) town buildings
(and the infamous opera house).  It turned out the city had infact been bombed, and the big
spaces had never been fully rebuilt.

  The man who drove us to Berlin had a "Saxony" accent, being from the West, so not even Katya
could understand him well.  We were unsure if he wondered whether we wanted to stop for coffee.
  We arrived in Berlin safely, and he gave us chocolates :)

A Bohemian Birthday

  We took an early morning bus to the Bohemian city of Prague on my birthday.
  After eating Mamalinka (the delicious Armenian  honeynut cake) all night, I wasn't too fussed about spoilng
 myself any more.  The bus ride took us through the beautiful countrysides of colourful fields, glazed over
 with a gray fog, diffusing the horizon with the sky.  Further from Slovakia, and closer to Germany, this
 lanscape changes to undulating hills, layering various colours and textures, of deep greens reds and blowns,
 blotchy and blues and grays.
  We arrive in Prague with directions to a hostel! Rather than our usual phone number of a supposed, soon-
to-be friend.  We havent stayed in one since Jordan, keep in mind, so althought couchsurfing is awesome
  I just couldn't wait to have my own space to not entertain anyone.  To catch up on my blog, my painting,
wash my bloody clothes and replenish my spirit.
  We drop off our bags, grab a key, and leave toute suite, like puppys released from their leads, to explore
 the regal city.  Prague!! It's Regal indeed.
  We meandered down the streets, aligned with really tall building of various pastle shades - pinks and blues
and pretty attic windows.  Stone borders doors and windows, and randomly you'll find some
stunning gargoyle or Art Nouveau design trimming your average little street building.
  We found the new city centre by sun set, where the huge building's light flicket themselves on.
The tourists gather like mosquitos around the lights of the shops - books, saloons, botiques, bars,
casinos casinos casinos - the new city screams money.
  As we walk to the old city, we discover that we can now quiz eachother about countries. How to say
thankoyou, to swear, to say 'cheers' or 'health' etc in at least 12 different countries.
We can also play guess who, concerning different people we've met along the road.  I guessed three
by the time David guessed one. :)
  The old city of Prague stands tall and proud by the sparkling river.  It knows its beautiful.
We danced down Charles bridge to the jazz of the buskers, and picked up delicious indian curry for dinner.

  Back at the hostel, we shared our bottle of wine with two German/french students with whom we shared
our dorm.  Did I say I wanted alone time? I didn't make any effort to get it.
  Our plans for the night were going to a kareoke event we'd read about online, and they agreed to come
with us, along with two travellers; a Polish girl and Australian man.
  It was fun.  But I made the mistake of thinking I had to do a song since it was my birthday and my
first kareoke event.  David was chivalarous enough to jin me on stage, so I got to embarrassed us both.
  I was thankful to find my bed.

20th November
 I few days earlier David and I had sent off an 'urgent' couchsurfing request, meaning anyone could
read it and offer us a bed.  This is because Prague, and the Czech Republic in general is really
hard to find willing hosts.  People are reserved and need a lot of space; understandably.  But we'd
receieved one lvely reply from a girl called Elena, who was in fact German, had travelled to Australia,
loved Melbourners (lived in Brunswick) and wanted to get to know the city with us as she hadn't done
much travelling around herself.
  We were grateful for her reply, but were so comfortable in our cheap cheap hostel which was offering
a freeee dinner that night....
  But first things first, we ate free hostel breakfast (woo) and sat up drinking nescafe with other tourists.
I've discovered this new theme of conversation, based on travel experiences.  It's awesome, the conversation
is passed around like this 'I know, this one time in Amsterdam...' 'tell me about it!! Once I was in
this little villiage in Denizli and the same thing happened...'.  It's really fun.  Two other cool Aussies
 were going to Kutna Hora - a villiage just an hour away from Prague which features a church fully decorated
with bones.  I'd read about it and was desperate to visit.  So David and I tagged along!
  The villiage in spread across pokey little mountains and streams, with little arched bridges and cutesy
little homes.  First we went to the Church of Bones.  It had been a burial place origionaly, and the monks
in the 12th century had decided to use their bones, in utter respect to the dead, to make something beautiful.
  In the centre of the ittle church is a huge chandelier, made out of bones.  It was interesting to see
so many skulls beside each other - particularly as each one held a unique expression.  Some appeared to be
more sensitive than others, some more sympathetic, and others more mathematic and business-like.  Curiously,
the skulls were generally left without a bottom jaw.  In its place was, what I imagine to be, the forearm.
It's as though when theyre dead they loose ability to express themselves.  We're held back by ourselves, our
own forearms, and thus death is a part of us, inevitable with our life, and this church really celebrated this.
It was pretty, and you'd be surprized how many curly or wavy bones our bodies have !!
  After the church we popped by the first cathedral in eastern Europe.  The gothic style ribs seemed to drip
like honey down the building, the whole thing being a lit up yellow.
  The last stop was a gothic church, past a medieval old city at the tip of the cliff overlooking a creek.
It was blossoming with gargoyles, sprouting out of every stretch of stone imaginable.  You felt safe beside
it, that's for sure, though not all the gargoygles were as viscious as others, they certainly held unique
individuality.

  We just made the last train, and decided that we'd meet up with our new host Elena, but with a day bag,
leaving our luggage with the hostel.
  Elena was lovely.  She took us to an expensive restaurant (we shared a basic pizza) and then to a
bar where we met some of her friends, who, too, are German erasmus students.  They all use maps to orient
themselves around the city, and told me all about Erasmus.  It seems that such students can easily
detatch themselves from the rest of the world, as the erasmus network organizes all aspects of their life.
  We stayed a Elena's for two nights, and spent the day wandering the old city.  We saw Salvador Dali and
mucha exhibitions, which were awesome; full of excitement. Went to a french film festival.  Visited another
gothic cathedral, and a few churches.... I made an awesome curry.  Prague is particularly beautifull at night.
And one of Elena's friends said that we could stay with their friends in Dresden (south of Berlin, Germany)
a city which everyone cliams is so beautifull.  Since my friend Gianna couldn't host us until the

22nd, Dresden suddenly became our next stop!

Brno ! (Mauravia - not yet Bohemia!)

  A funny thing about couchsurfing is that you learn so many different ways one can live.  Shared houses, living
with Mum, or the family, living in a dorm, living with your boyfriend, living alone, living everywhere and treating home
 merely as a bed and shower.  Different jobs, or studies, incomes (or lack of incomes) and ways to live off such incomes.
Different hours of work and play, different hobbies and past times.
  It seems so easy to become stuck with a job for the "security" of it, working for some boss with a boss from dusk till
dawn just so you can afford to live close to work, arriving home too exhausted to cook, going on the computer ...
theres no life in such a life. Guess I better go to Uni.

  Our hosts Roxanna and Alex were great people. I'm not talking about them.  The two were unfamilair with couchsurfing
but (as I've mentioned) said they'd love to have us for a night after a mutual friend had asked them.
  Many Romanians live in Hungary for work, and they stick together. Our hosts as an example.  So many of our
questions of the new country and culture went unanswered (though it was lovely to be with the warm company of Romanians,
once again).
  Traditional Chzech-Slovakian food is similar to that of its neighbouring, wintery countries.  Meat.  Pork, chicken;
 whatever, just serve them with some rich sauce and maybe some dumplings and your set.
From the beginning, I should have started listing all the famous castles and historical sites I've seen, for my own
memory's sake.  Since I havent I wont start boring you now.  Moreover, Ive already forgotten their names...

  The Chzech people are reserved.  They generally seem to drink a lot, and you can smell marijuiana as you stroll past
 most park benches.  The police here are just like regular people, who hang around to help, rather than accuse.
Here, its decriminalized to carry drugs like marijiana or speed as long as it's a small amount.  In the hostel we
staying in in Prague, (two nights later) the police came by due to a noise complaint.  There were plenty of joints
being smoked, and drunk tourists continuing to abuse their livers (I wasn't one of those, though, believe it or not).
  The police said to keep the noise down, and kept on their way.
  In Brno, we awoke early to check out the city.  The people are so reserved, I could start singing as I strolled
the streets and assume no one could hear me... and those that would hear me didn't seem to judge.
  We went into the underground city, and the man working there seemed to love Australians so we scored a free tour.
The underground city was actually just little ccaves originally, made by the merchants so that they could illegally store
 their goods.  If one merchant was to find someone else's hidey hole they'd dig elsewhere and everyone would pretend
they weren't aware of the other person (as it was illegal.) Now, all the hidey holes are ajoined as one little city.
  One little fact, is that Brno's walls were the only ones out of many who kept Sweeden from Occupying it, though
they attacked.
  We stayed in the Mauravian city of Brno from the 17th to the 18th, and unlike in Prague we were really living
where the Cjzech people live.  Here, I learnt how active the people are - the families go on bike rides to the forests,
rollerblade thrugh the city, visit the beautiful countryside a few km out from the city...
as for in the main (and beautiful) city of Prague, you mostly just see students, tourists, and chzech people working in
the tourism (or artsy) industries.  Overall, though, it was a shame we didn't stay with chzech people (or locals, as we
had in all the other countries thus far.)  With Roxanna and Alex, we went out for Mamalinka - a delicious traditional
cake (which was taken actually from an Armenian family) made of honey soaked layers of sponge cake and nuts.  Theres
also a chocolate version - simililarly honey soaked and spongey.  We tried beer brewed fresh in the restaurent
(as cheap as water :))

Our hosts welcomed us to a second night in Brno, which we spent discussing history and economy and remembering
our Romanian (a wonderful language).  The gave me my second birthday present (not sure If I mentioned the first -
the painting by the artist in Budapest??? Its really beautiful. I'm carrying a canvas around the world, hehe)

  A woolly set of beanie, scarf and gloves as well as some woolly leggings to pad up my jeans!!  I'm set for Berlin.

Vienna waited for me :)

From hungary (on the 14th) we head off to Vienna (which I still keep calling Venice. I'm so confused.)  We met two people in Romania, one guy we travelled with was from Venice and one girl we met in a music venue was working there and invited us to a charity party.  They both offered us there homes.
  So we were to stay at Stevie's home, I think David assumed he had a big TV and a private room for us form the way he talked it up, but (like most places we stayed) we slept in the living room and had to pack up our things when everyone else was up, and leave as they, too, left.  This was a sharp change from our dorm days of doing as we pleased with our very own key!  Vienna sparkles.  It's rich and fancy and so damn expensive I felt like I'd been photoshopped there.  =|
We ate our lunch/dinner in the supermarket or the cheap asian noodle stores (our eyes were peeled for the cheapest food).
  We went to the opera.  It's embarrassing but Ill tell the story anyway.  So we were exploring the city; getting lost and finding treasures, and fell into conversation with someone selling tickets to the opera.  We found tickets to see a big opera production - la traviatta - for thirty euro.  The way it all happened made this price seem really good, and so we bought the tickets and went. Its a special thing to see the opera, especially in Vienna the home of classical music and orchestras.  moreover, we've been couchsurfing and should utilise the money we save on accomodation on truly experiencing the city.  It might sound obvious to you, but when your as stingy as me you forget.
 When we arrived, it turned out you can get standing tickets for just 3 to 5 euro, and after
intermission you find a better seat anyway.  We decided not to let it get to us and went looking for our seats, and simply exploring the magnificent building.  From the top of the arena, David asked which seats I'd want, and (after the VIP seats) we decided on one of the private little rooms along the walls.  we found our seats and laughed and laughed because we'd wound up IN one of the little privtae rooms along the side !!!! It was very exciting, I got David to take a photo, until a man came and told us we were in his seats, and we were sitting behind him in this room where we couldnt actually view the stage without standing up.  We were ripped off by the black market opera ticket sellers. dont let it happen to you.


  The opera was incredible!!! By Verdi, The story was cheesy, and dramatic, and took me into its world, captivating all of my senses with the enchanting music, song and dance.
  I'm also embarrassed to say that I went to see Verdi in Vienna wearing Jeans (which I still havent washed since buying them in Romania), muddy boots and my inuit jacket.  FIrstly, I forgot that I might want to go home first and change, and then I realized even if I had, I had nothing more appropriate I could change into.

  Anyway so one night we went to a circus party, raising money for Burmese children (very interesting, look it up) which a girl we met in Timisoara had invited us to.  We invited Stevie, our host.  The circus was awesome and the people were really cool and creative. we'd found the underbelly of Vienna.  So that night we said thanks to Stevie and moved in with Flavia, our Romanian friend, who lived with a bunch of Germans (who move to Vienna so that they can get into uni easier).  The shared house was so inspiring.  The friends worked like a real team, a real family.  Firstly, they (we) utilised a little thing called dumpster diving.  If your unfamiliar, its where you take the (good as new) food from supermarket dumpsters illegally.  These guys had the key for every dumpster in the city (easy enough to get a hold of if you need it) and by this they got dish washing detergent, fruit, vegetables, soap, chocolate, sweets, everything you could need - all for free.  The reason why its thrown out can be to make room for new and improved stock, or because the use by date is about to finish, or one product from the batch was dodgy and theyre cautious not to be sued.
  So this guys cooked big healthy meals and always ate together, cooked for everyone rather than themselves.  They were also just fun people.  We borrowed bicycles from them and spent the next day riding around the city - first to a yoga class; pay by donation, then to the 'critical mass'.
  Once a month in Vienna, hundreds or thousands of people gather to ride around the city, stop the cars, and encourage the use of bicycles.  The route changes every time so that the police can't find you and there are often themes.
Tonights theme was lanterns, and the long ribbon of bicyclists sparkled as it weaving spontaneously through the busy streets.  Boom boxes were everywhere, playing different types of music, so we sung and David and I saw all the tourist attractions we'd failed to visit.  The after party was at a paybydonation bar, with loads of delicous food and cake and drinks.  You feel so good there (even before the drink) that I'm sure most people were also paying more than usual, thankful for the positive vibes in the bar.

  It was sad to be leaving the next day.  We had not recieved any responses yet for couches in Chzech republic but Flavia arranged for us to stay with one of her childhood friends in Brno, so we felt our fate awaiting us.

  SO far, out of all the people we've met (we meet locals remember, since we havent stayed in any hostels) its the germans who I can relate to the most.  I say this mainly because the young people travel.  Possibly also because their economy is similar to Australias.  This is a generalization but many of them might travel a lot also because since after the second world war, they lack a patriotism and dont feel so warmly towards their own country as other European countries.

Anyway, I hadnt been to Germany at this stage yet, David and I were headed to Brno ! (On the 17th)

The deep hearted Hungary

So much has happenned,
we've seen so much, felt so much and learnt so much.  The highlights have really been made by the amazing people we've met on the road, and travelling to a new city means saying goodbye to a new found friend.
In Timisoara we were housed by an architect student and her Maldavian mother.  This is still in Romania, by the way.
The mother cooked us home cooked romanian cusine - spicy meat cabbage rolls, spiced palenta, eggs, bread, creamy sauces, all piled on plates on top of plates.  Timisoara is full of young, creative people and the little city has so many nooks and crannys where people can come and express themselves creatively.  We were lucky to meet such awesome people who each took us to a new place.  I spent a few hours drawing with some amazing comic artists at an animation festival.  We walked past one building, and in each window (there were maybe seven) you could see the silhouette of a person, and hear the amazing music of different instruments.  I'm convinced that all people in Timisoara are gifted.

with Diana :)

It was sad to leave Diana, her spirit has so much energy (or perhaps it was the coffee she replaced food and water with?) but she's one I'm sure we'll meet again somewhere somehow.

  From Timisoara we went to Szeged, a city at the bottom of Hungary.  There, we stayed with a young woman studying Russian, with a vast knowledge of literature films and all sorts of intellectual stuff which highly excited David.  While the Romanian people were talkative and bubbling with friendliness, the mountains alight with autumn colours and the streets wild with activity, Hungary holds a contasting sense of calmness.  The landscape is flat, wisping across earth like the wind, which, too, is so calm its as though it is listening to you.  The people reflect the feel of the land, with their reserved character, and calm take on things.  If you ask a Hungarian if they speak English they say 'No, sorry' rather shyly and walk away, because they're eductaion system with english is lacking.  Though if you ask 'where does this bus go?' or 'how do you get to the station?' they will reply carefully and clearly, and are happy to help.
  It was a meditiation simply being there, as though my consciousness was more present.
  I mentioned this to a Hungarian girl I met,
  Hungarian is a great language, and though some people think it evolved from Finnish I think it evolved rather by itself, by cave warriors or something, because the first Hungarians were tribal people and they fought for land and grew strongly (though the country has made some weak political descisions more recently).
  From Szeged we head off to Pecs, where we were welcomed by two architect students (tehy tend to all stick together, its a study of its own and theyre all so proud to study it and to teach others about it).
  The boys were lovley, and shared with me some good Hugarian music. From Pecs we went to Budapest, the city, the capital and oh my goodness its the life.  It is gorgeous.  First (after a buffet of all you can eat traditional hungarian food for like 4 dollars) we met up with Eni, a girl who wanted to help us from couchsurfing.  she said we could stay at her girlfriend's shared house until saturday, when her housemates brother and sister would come and take our beds.  But first, mulled wine.  Wulled Wine is about a dollar a glass, and it's addictive, warming you inside out on the frosty, winter days.
  Eni studies art, and english, and her friends were all learning english too.  But we all felt so comfortable together so instantly that I dont even remember language being a barrier of our expression.  They were intelligent girls.  It was interesting to learn that homosexuaity isn't quite as accepted in Budapest as in melbourne (the girls are lesbians): their parents dont accept it and people during protests there are eggs thrown.  Hungary has a large catholic population, and most people live in villiages (which are usually more conservative) and move out to the big cities for tertiary education.  So conservative or close minded attitudes are apparently common (though couchsurfing helps you avoid meeting such people).

  We spent five days in Budapest, spending romantic evenings with the girls, climbing up to hill points with amazing views of the big city, sipping mulled wine and feeling the heat relax down our spines.  The city is spread across the magical Danube river (which Ive now seen in 4 countries), separating Buda from Pest.  Buda is alive with old fortress castle walls, basilicas and caves, while Pest is packed with more Baroque, Neo-Gothic architecture.  Its awesome.


Incase you didnt know (i didnt) the AustroHunarian empire controlled Romania and Chzechslovakia.  Todya, there are sitill many hungarians in btoh countries who in fact wish to conquer again.  The girls we stayed with were in fact Slovakian, but spoke hungarian in Slovakia, and was fully accepted in neither country being neither only SLovakian or Hungarian.
  In Hungary they drnk Palinka, and in Slovakia they drink Tetratea.  Tetratea is alchohol which tastes like tea !
  After we left the shared house of Aggy (Eni's girlfriend), we moved into a dorm at art univercity's dorm house.
  It was so cool! We made hot wine! and Eni played the guitar! And we danced.  I was a dorm person!!!

  We also got a tour of the art college, which inspired me greatly.  I look forward to painting and drawing always.

We wanted to stay with our friends, and they wished us to stay too (which makes it so much harder).  It's funny, David said to me after we met Aggy that he swears he already knows her, and it turned out that she'd said the said to Eni. Eni, too, said that before I messaged her on couchsurfing that she'd had a vision of "sofia" come to her.  It was all too strange, and the memories heat me up inside like hot wine.