Budapest and Fuerteventura

Yes, I understand it has been a month since I was in Budapest but I have been super busy with important things like traveling, sleeping, and pretending like I do school work. It's an extremely tough existence but, hey, someone's gotta do it. So Budapest... the five os us (Kyle, Maxine, Quiño, Kevin, and myself) were only in Budapest for a short period of time so, unfortunately I did not get a huge impression of the city. We were joined for a period of time by Mr. Chuckie Wide Stance (Charlie) himself which always is a treat. The first thing we did upon arriving was go to this local recommended marketplace which has a ton of local cuisine. I ordered a potato with chili and cheese... it was the best. The rest of the day consisted of us walking around Budapest and trying to get a feel for the city. My only complaint about mass-traveling (hitting 5 countries in 10 days like we did) is that your experiences start to blend and you lack the immersion aspect of visiting. Because a lot of these Eastern European countries share similar histories of war and Holocaust they all somewhat blended together. We visited a Terror Museum which was less than entertaining... even more so when I dropped my Nikon DSLR on the ground and it broke. Being that I am a poor... well, that's an understatement, student... I cannot afford to get that bad boy fixed for a VERY long time.

In Budapest we stayed in the Budapest Bubble hostel which was one of my favorites of this year. The Budapest Bubble has a philosophy of family and home so it felt more like I was staying with a bunch of friends than in shitty lodging. Each night we went out with the owner of the hostel (a 26 year old chill Hungarian chick) and the other hostel stayers. The first night we did Karaoke in a bar where Quiño angrily sang to "All Star" by Smash Mouth and Maxine and I killed it during "Barbie Girl". Let's just say there were a plethora of interesting characters at that bar including a woman in an all jean tight suit and a Pink-esque hair cut trying to cougar so hard.

The next day everyone wanted to do the walking tour but I was all toured out so Quiño and I decided to wander around by ourselves. We hiked up some hill to some old castle or church thing... again, all of these places start to blend together... it's a shame I will admit. Afterwards we ate some more traditional Hungarian food (this Spring Break trip was filled with outside markets and the weather was beautiful). We even had the opportunity of eating Rooster testicles but we respectfully declined.

Perhaps the highlight of my trip to Budapest was the spa visit Maxine and I enjoyed. If you are ever in Budapest I 100% recommend going to the spa... the baths are obviously super famous but after the baths in Morocco and Granada I was in the mood for something different. We opted for the hour long massage followed by manis and pedis. When we first walked in we were given a robe, free fruits and drinks and chocolate, and shown to the steam and sauna rooms. Maxine and I figured, hey, this is Europe... I'm sure they do this whole thing nude... There we were, 100% completely butt naked in the sauna when one of the workers came in, sporting a surprised look on her face, as Maxine is attempting to cover her nipples with her crossed forearms. It was a sight to see. The manis and pedis were good... minus the part when Maxine was bitched out by the lady for trying to use her nail clippers when she wasn't in the room (awk). The HIGHLIGHT, however, was the fact that the men who massaged us were 6 foot 5 Hungarian beauties. These men, legit, were not real life. Not only was the massage incredible but... well, I will stop there. For further details please inquire with Maxine Auzerais who will be more than happy to explain the pure ecstasy that was that hour.

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Fuerteventura was my next stop on the European Travel route. Fuerteventura is an island in the Canary Islands which is off the western coast of Africa but is owned by Spain. The island is not like the caribbean islands that I have traveled to... it is covered with black volcanic rocks and sports a more Sahara like climate, due to its latitude. I traveled with Quiño in a very last minute sort of vacation planning kinda way but in true Moncloa fashion... we made it. When we arrived it was drizzling and dark outside which was frustrating and worry some but after check in, lunch, and a short nap the sun came out and didn't leave again for the rest of the trip! After tanning by the pool for a few hours and legit roasting our skin, we ventured to the market to buy some provisions for the week and a huge tub of aloe which was completely used up by the time we left.

Hotel in Fuerte

We walked the beach of Correlejo, the town we stayed in and saw amazing sandcastles (pictures below). We found ourselves at Waikiki lounge, restaurant, and bar eating fondue in a very Melting Pot style restaurant. It was not the cheapest option but we were given free champagne, a free cocktail, and a free shot with dinner. Afterwards we realized the nightlife was not too hopping so we went to a bar, took five tequila shots and called it a night.

The rest of the trip was filled with food, sun and sleep. It was definitely a much needed relaxing vacation (yes, I sound ridiculous saying that). In short, backpacking around Europe is actually really energy consuming and not relaxing in the slightest. When you have no idea where you are or how to speak the language and are sharing a room with creepers in a city you know nothing about.. it's not a vacation. I wish I could say we did a lot when we went to the Canaries but we did exactly what we both wanted... ate, tanned, and slept.