Travel log

[LARon]

Originally Posted by Alter

LARon,

Have a safe flight! Great job on these reports; much appreciated!

Thanks Alter; stay tuned.

 

[fortune]

man i really want to visit europe now. god damn being in highschool. >.<

 

[LARon]

Looking out from the plane while taxi-ing onto the tarmac, the biggest image in my field of vision: the Citibank banner, not only on the exterior of the terminal, but covering all the retractable jet-ways.

Within seconds of turning on my Blackberry I get a greeting from T-Mobile, welcoming me to Hungary.

I think the Americans have landed.

 

[LARon]

Judging by the dark-haired female border guard who stamped my passport and flashed a pearly welcome to Hungary, I think I'm gonna like Budapest.

Oops, check that -- they drive on the wrong side of the road, like the Brits! (That's always dangerous when you're walkin, 'cause, as an American, you're not accustomed to cars coming at you from the other direction. Did you know that the number one cause of American illness and injuries in the UK is being hit by cars? True fact.)

The road from the airport is pretty grungy; running past what appear to be VERY low cost housing and your usual patchwork of nondescript industrial structures.

Incidentally, like a damn fool I've been traipsing all over creation carrying a full size umbrella. Can you imagine how foolish I fee, let alone how it looks to others consdering how nice the weather is. When I checked the 10-day forecast before leaving LA, rain and low temps were forecast for every city on my itinerary, yet here I am in destination number three and nothing more than a light mist has fallen anywhere; and its been sunny (even if sometimes cold).

 

[LARon]

Its definitely not Prague.

 

[LARon]

This place looks like the backdrop of a movie about communism; a bad movie. Though bustling w/commerce and activity, the place is drab and looks both grungy and perhaps even a little unsafe (in some parts).

 

[LARon]

The Sofitel is a beautiful hotel, very much in the American model, and my room is quite nice with neo-art deco styled woodwork on the bedframe, dresser and table. Very nice.

But enough of this crap, its high noon and I've got a date with the Lady Eva -- Vass that is (Ms. Vass to you!)

 

[LARon]

I've not yet been in the country more than 1.5 hours, yet I've already scored my first pair of Vass. Cha'ching!! And despite my need for black shoes -- a mantra I've been chanting since I began planning the trip -- I just couldn't do it; I could't bring myself to buy a pair of even basic black shoes. Instead, I got the Old Enflish medallion model, U-last, in Bordeaux -- a color I don't really have. Why is it so hard to buy simple black shoes???

By the way, on the walk over I passed by the "Tabledance Cafe" and I thought of the forum. With my destination set, however, there was no chance I'd be deterred, not even for a little lunchtime jiggle!

Also, on the walk over, I was recalling a comment made to me two weeks before I left by a friend of Hungarian descent and he, himself a great traveler (a former investment banker with a bank full of money and nothing but time to spend and invest it -- an enviable lifestyle that); he said, "don't waste your time in Amsterdam and Budapest, spend your entire two weeks in Prague." It was too late to change my plans but, in hindsight, he may have been right.

According to him, the cognoscenti party/summer in Ibiza and winter in Prague. Lesson learned; oh well, at least there's a big Van Gogh exhibit in town at the national museum, where I can again spend time with one of my favs. Otherwise, this might have been a day trip.

And the worst of it is they didn't really have many options in my size, and no monks. I had my heart set on only two things for this trip: to have a good time and to come home w/at least one pair of U-last monks; well, at least I've been having fun (even though Amsterdam and Budapest have not filled me with awe). Nevertheless, they're reputed to have a healthy tango community here; I'll find out tonight.

The folks here kind of share some physical similarities to the Turks. (I'm actually writing this from a pretty swanky LA-lite cafe -- where I've just consumed cappuccino and a piece of tiramisu -- around the corner from Vass. The place/city has a rather heavy (architecturally speaking) look about it.

 

[LARon]

For those interested in knowing I paid a hair under 600 for the shoes (which I understand sell for 1,200-1,400 at Bergdorf).

 

[LARon]

Feeling pretty good about my shoes I think I'll go out and smoke a Cuban, then I'll have a cigar.

Clarification on the hotel: the first three floors are very nice, gorgeous even; the floors themselves are like your run of the mill Hilton/Sheraton/Marriott; nothing unique.

 

[GQgeek]

What were prices like in prague? hotel, food, etc.?

 

[LARon]

Thank god for that umbrella! Who's laughing now; ha, ha.

Now I'm worried about my suedes.

 

[LARon]

Originally Posted by GQgeek

What were prices like in prague? hotel, food, etc.?

Figure it this way: 1 dollar is about 2.2 Kronos. I spent about 60 bucks on a bottle of champange and about 65 on a meal at their fanciest resturants (for one). Spent about 90 US on a BIG sushi dinner for two. I think my hotel was about 150-175 a night, for a pretty upscale boutique hotel.

 

[edmorel]

Originally Posted by LARon

(the first night I ate at a fancy hotel for the view; the second night my "date" wanted sushi, and I was only too happy to oblige -- she returned the favor, several times over;


So she had the sushi and you had the tuna????

Enough about Vass and stuff, get to the good stuff, you pimp!

 

[LARon]

Angelika, 30, is a redhead from Odessa. She works a week, either in Prague or Budapest, then takes off two months. She lives in an apartment overlooking the Black sea with her 8 year old, who's father is a big shot businessman who decided he no longer wanted a family.

For more details, send a PM.