All right. So the weekend was, indeed, “interesting.” In most ways. Since it gets progressively more and more dramatic, I think the only way to go is chronologically. Gaines met me at the bus station and we left here Friday afternoon. Chad almost didn’t make the bus because he stopped to talk to some of his students, or something. As an aside, I have to give myself a tiny pat on the back for successfully navigating the Hungarian bus system, not only for myself but two other people as well. With one spectacularly horrible exception, all bus travel went well. The exception falls into what I’m going to term this weekend: the Calm (Friday), the Storm (Saturday), and the Aftermath (today).
So, Friday we made it down to Janos in Kiskunhalas. He was sick, which made me and Gaines both feel even worse about just crashing on him, but he seemed genuinely not to mind. We walked around a bit in town (it was 8 when we got there) and found a restaurant that was still open. After eating, we strolled back and hung out at Janos’s talking. His place is amazing. He has three rooms plus kitchen and bath, and 5 beds. Right now, some German girl (some hot German girl, according to Jeremy, who has never seen her but is always hopeful) is living with Janos, but I think she’s going back to Germany soon. Janos did buy a motorcycle, but it’s more like a motor bike, I think, and he can’t take it on highways. I don’t know what counts as a highway in Hungary.
Saturday morning, we got up at 7 in order to catch the bus at 8 to Kalocsa. Janos said he felt better but still declined to come along. We made it there, and met up with not only Harpswell, but also Jeremy, Laura, Liz, Kat, and Rosalind. We spent the day wandering around Kalocsa. We did eventually end up at the Paprika festival, which was remarkably similar to the gulyas festival. In fact, they were having some sort of gulyas competition, where you bought a bowl and a ticket, and then could pick which stall you wanted to get from. Liz, Jeremy, Kat and I all chose different ones to sample. Mine was good, Jeremy’s was meaty, Kat’s was thick (but cabbage-y) and Liz ordered cow intestine. I kid not, that’s what it was, although we had to ask Hajni to find out. We all tried tiny pieces. It wasn’t too bad. Not much taste, but kind of a rubbery texture that would take some getting used to.
...continued at 6 o’clock. I had to walk to the Plus and buy some bread and yogurt. This weekend fall arrived, and although it’s cloudy, it’s crisp and a bit cold and the wind is whipping the trees around. It was nice to walk to the store, and nice to be inside now. I wish I had some hot cider. Anyway, reason two for the store run was the fact that I know I have to get to Saturday evening (the Storm) eventually, but I don’t even know where to begin. Well, that’s not true - at the beginning, of course.
We went out to dinner with Hajni, Mary and her husband, and a cousin of Hajni’s with his wife and son. Actually, I remember the place from when I was in Kalocsa before, Hajni had taken us there. The proprietor is also the waiter and cook, and he’s this hilarious, frenetic little man. So the night began here with 5 bottles of wine (which, when split among us, cost each a couple dollars each). Although that’s not completely true, because there had been some palinka being passed around, and that was certainly before noon even. Oh, my head hurts to think about it. So there was wine. Then we went out to a bar. Beer. Some of us, like Kat, Laura, and self, were adamant about wanting to do to a club and go dancing, so Harpsi (that’s her new Hungarian nickname, ha) tried to accommodate us, to no avail. We went to a second bar, which is where we stayed for the remainder of the evening. Laura and I rediscovered rum & cokes. There was drunkenness, followed by more drunkenness. And some were drunker than others. This led to various adventures, not all of which I will chronicle, because, god forbid, my family might read this. Anyway, this led to today, The Aftermath, which was a superbly hungover 4-hour bus ride home. Ouch, not fun. I think I might go to bed at 8 tonight.
The picture is us at the restaurant; from left - Liz, Gaines, Jeremy, Laura, myself, Harpswell, Ros, Chad, Kat
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