Bratislava, Slovakia (Dec. 19, 2007) -- Welp, I found the rattle trap train on Tuesday afternoon and am happy to report that the stories about the hostels in this city being torture chambers where people pay to kill other people, and pay even more to kill Americans, are highly exaggerated.
I know this because I am staying at hostel here in this wonderfully cold but even more charming city.
For those of you who are wondering what on Earth I am talking about, there was a movie a few years back based in Bratislava that was about a hostel where backpackers were kidnapped and then tortured.
I have never seen it but I imagine that the chamber of commerce here was none too amused and so they decided that they would have to try harder. Whatever. I am happy that it is less populated with tourists like myself.
Budapest at night was dark and pretty much scary. This city, on the other hand, is lit up like a roman candle.
The Christmas market is completely charming as well. They have this wonderful mulled wine and a huge Christmas tree and all this food that is like state fair food only it is Slovakian.
The place was packed last night with familes and couples and everyone is bundled up drinking and talking and then browsing the stalls selling presents and ornaments and what have you.
Budapest has the same thing around town in various places, but it just was not the same.
Not sure why. And then this morning the one and only festival here was filled with children on their lunch break and then later with workers on their lunch break.
The people here are much more friendly even though they barely speak English. Knowing less equals more friendliness, perhaps.
So lots of sign language is going on. All I know is that Ahoy means hello in a kind of slang way. So that is not too difficult. And the universal "ciao" gets you by on departure.
And the weather is so frigging cold that you have to eat and drink very quickly at the festival or your food and drink gets cold.
On that said rattle trap train that would nearly stop at crossings before frantically charging ahead in a violent fit, I met two sisters from New Zealand. I noted on the way here that they spoke English but did not speak that much with them.
But after getting off the train and realizing that they also had no idea about how to get into town, I walked up to them and asked them if they knew where they going.
They said no and so we headed off to find a hostel. I have been hanging with them most of them time. Besides telling them that there are 50 states in theUnited States, not 52 or 56 as was guessed, I have told them about being in a fraternity in college and about high school prom. They wanted to see if the things they have seen in the movies is real or not.
Pretty accurate has been the conclusion.
So I am off in the morning to Vienna, excluding any torture incidents this evening. Then I fly out of Vienna to Paris on Saturday night in time to have a night in Paris before heading into work on Sunday. Since I will not be able to spend Christmas with my loved ones, this trip has been a nice present from the Gods of karma.
So Happy Holidays to all y'all. It is 4 degrees below freezing here, C. I hope this finds you warm and snug with a nice glass of hot wine.
Take care,
Brett
