Back at the hostel

Just got back from Szimpla (again). God, I love that place. Met this cool couple, Simon and Veronica, a couple running a business flying people from the UK into Hungary for dental work. Played foose (?) ball for the first time and scored the winning goal. Tomorrow is my last full day in Budapest before I head over to Belgrade. Still haven't decided where I'm headed from there as I've had a hell of a time trying to arrange transpo from my preferred places back to Edinburgh.

Random Night

So, the Canadians I was supposed to go on the literary pub crawl with tonight bailed on me, leaving me to play in a pool tournament tonight. Met a couple more cool Canadians who talked me into going on the pub crawl (again). Did that for a few hours and then went out in search of Whistle Winkies, which was supposed to have a cool indie night tonight. I knew the main street it was on, but not where exactly it was on that street. Was walking down S Bridge as it started to rain more and more. Finally gave up and started to head back to the hostel (already soaked by now) when I heard someone call out 'Mattie.' I look over, and it's Jordan, the Canadian I randomly met two nights ago. He's with some Eastern European chick who shields me from the pouring rain with her umbrella. No one knows where the club is. It finally stops raining, I head off in search of the club or my hostel again, and the club ends up being 10 feet from where I've spent the last 20 minutes standing. There is a cool indie band playing and the crowd ranges from drunk suits to standard indie kids. Had a good time and finally make it back to the hostel without being completely soaked (though I am pretty damned wet). Hopefully I will actually make it to the literary tour tomorrow night.

More Scotch!

Just had another big Scotch night: Oban 32 year, which was rather disappointing, and Glenlivet Cellar Collection 1964 ($2200 a bottle), which was very, very good. Not sure if I would rank it above the Bruichladdich 1970 I had in London, but it's definitely in the top 3. It had notes of what I would call the characteristic Glenlivet flavor, but also something else, entirely unique on top. Missed the literary tour tonight, but made plans with new people to go tomorrow, so we'll see how that pans out. Aside from the Scotch, the day has pretty much been a waste, just did laundry (walked for an hour and a half to a place that ended up just doing dry cleaning, then went back to the hostel.) Getting ready to go back out now. Going to try to check out another indie night that will hopefully be more indie than the shit last night . . .

A Little Disappointment

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Originally uploaded by msgacy2.

Yesterday was a beautiful day. Went to a couple modern art museums, ate, and then started off on the hostel's pub crawl again. Didn't seem as cool as the prior night's, so I ended up heading to some bar located just below a hostel where I met up with an Australian, Canadian, and then a brother and sister from NC (I swear, I really am trying to meet people from other nations). We went to a couple of the places that had looked really promising, Cabaret Voltaire and Subway, the former was pretty cool, but packed and I don't think I have ever been subjected to more pungent BO, and the latter was playing emo and had a bunch of little kids jumping around. The actual bar was cool, though. Perhaps other nights there will be more my style. It's pretty overcast today. Have to do laundry, then perhaps go do a whisky tasting, and then I'm meeting up with the group from last night for a literary pub crawl.