Budapest, Hungary

Hostel culture is funny. Crashing in the same room are people who have been on the road for the last 3 years after high school, people who just retired, preppy college kids and drunken idiots. My new travel mate is an exroomate that is like the frat brother I never had. After poor sleep on the train and wandering around the city looking for a hostel we settled into the third one we visited. Now there are party hostels and quiet hostels. If getting locked out of the establishment at 5am being very confused and sporting only a pair of boxers is a problem that might be run into, one should pick the party hostel.

After gathering troops Friday night we checked out a few overpriced tourist traps. People wouldn't let us know of any local places and I think that is because the locals can't afford to drink in the center of Buda or Pest. I finally led (stumbled) into this local biker bar where in the course of a few rounds we befriended the owner/bartender, Panda. After the place shut down he took us out to this unlicensed small guitar bar where folks were smoking cigarettes and drinking a few more beers while listening to U2 and REM covers... Pretty good ones too.

After a good meal the next day we sauntered over to the Szechenyi Baths. Hungarians know how to relax grand style. Highlights" large outdoor pools where one is at 38 degrees, a circle where jets can take you round and round (they spinning!), hot hot sauna with a freezing pool and a fountain of chipped ice just outside, and natural spring water pools. I ended the experience with a mediocre massage... it is OK, I found a way to cope. Cleaned up and went to a local rock show. The band passed the "in tune and in time" test. Stuck around to trainspot the party DJ after the band. Note: Mark Ronson goes well into Blueboy and I ended up taking the nap in a bar with Japanese comics drawn on the ceiling. Has a Big and Tasty at McDonald's to cap the night.

During one of my hangovers I remembered that one of my primary purposes of coming out here was I wanted to check out the Drum and Bass scene here. I stopped going to shows when Clownstep was the buzz and since then I have heard that Hungary has got some of the best stuff coming out. Went to this cool party room/patio called Kultiplex and caught the free Sunday weekly they have there. The warm up DJ wasn't so bad, but later on the DJs were on point and dropped a few things I liked. I dunno... this newer stuff is OK, but I say bring back the Amen. Is that too much to ask?