Europa '08 and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day!

We thought about starting from the end and working our way backwards to give you a happy ending and let you know we made it to Budapest, but we want you to suffer as well. Here is our hour by hour break down of our horrible day:

5:30- We wake up to a beautiful sunny morning. Happy and eager for a new day, we headed out.

5:54- First gate won't open. This building is not to fire code. (See Hostel)

6:00 am- We open the first gate.

6:15- We go down the GIANT escalator and get on the metro to what we think is the correct station.

7:00- Jessica and Trina ask the ticket lady to print out each and every station's train schedule as they do not match the Eurail booklet. She rolls her eyes every time. Jessica does interpretive dance to figure out where we are.

7:20- Back on the metro. We were at the wrong station.

7:35- Get off the metro to be detained by ticket control. We were told by the eurail lady that our pass worked to get on the metro the same day we were traveling on Eurail. SHE was wrong. Ticket controll confiscates our most valuable posession, our student ID cards (which hold the same value as a library card) and not our passports. We get charged $50. (We considered not telling anyone this story for fear that our parents may be "disapointed" in us. It's too funny not to tell.

8:00- We get to the correct station and get in the ticket line. A man with google eyes behind us continuiously yells to open a new window. They open one and he runs laughing like a maniac to steal the spot. (2 1/2 with our backpacks on, Devin may have overdosed on Motrin)

8:15- We finally get our reservation.

8:15-11- We hang out, try to sleep, entertain ourselves, play games.

11:20- Loud speaker comes on. 15 minute delay. We can do this.

111:25- 20 minute delay.

11:30- 30 minute delay. What the hell is going on?

11:50- Train arrives. YAY we jump on, so excited to get out of the cold. Oh wait, this is not the end.

12:30- 1 something- Train still hasn't moved. We guess Trina should have never predicted that we would wait here for an hour and a half. At this point Melissa has fallen asleep and woken up asking how far we have come.

Stephanie has also started to use her frantic voice. "This reminds me of a little thing called Alaska Airlines," she says. (Talk to any Vegas girl to ask this story. They will be happy to express their feelings).

1:30- PANIC!!!!!!! Train worker pounds on door screaming in a dog-defining high pitch "BRATSLAVA, STUVARO, KUTY BUDAPEST. OFF THE TRAIN!!!!!! NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GO TO TRACK 3! GO TO TRACK 3! RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Melissa and Kelly throw bags down like it's their job. Staci decides her best way to get out alive is to take the duck and cover method (Earthquake drills in elementary schoo paid off!). Devin is seen in the hall laughing like a mad woman (maybe the motrin kicked in?). Train conductor- still yelling!

1:32- Wait in line for train on track 3. We move fast huh?

1:34- Upgrade to first class. This day is looking up!

1:35- First class smells like B.O. and is negative 500 degrees. Complete opposite of our "ICE" train.

1:40- Jessica runs back to tell the group we have to count 5 stops, it should be around 2 and a half hours. DO NOT SLEEP. Trina looks to the right and left. Kelly is sleeping. Devin's passed out. Maybe it's the motrion. Devin's a little more aware because every time she gets bumped she pounces "is this our stop?" No worries, we have emergency evacuation covered.

4:50- Everyone stands ready to go. 5th stop!!!

4:51- Announcer says this is an irregular stop.

4:53- The train stops at a sketch train station.

4:54- 6:50- We are harassed by a homeless woman multiple times for money. We all wonder how to say "Job" in Czech.

Waiting.

Waiting.

Still waiting.

6:55- Train arrives. 4 more hours until Budapest!

10:40- Arrive in Budapest. Wait in a really long line for the ATM. Wondering why the train station is such a happening place.

10:50- Still in ATM line. A bell rings. Hundreds and hundreds of backpackers drop their beers and run screaming to the train that just pulled up. Maybe they had a bad day too?

Rest of the night, we no longer keep track of time:
-Around the building, outside, down the stairs. Ticket lady tells us the tram stops in 5 minutes. We still have to get on the metro to get to the tram. We make it to the metro just as it is pulling up.
-We had trouble finding out hostel. Found it. After making it up 8 flights of stairs, we go to bed.

What a day! Funny now. Actually we kind of laughed the whole way through.

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BUDAPEST (the highlights, we are tired to typing)
-Chain bridge, St. Stephen's Basilica, biggest Synagouge in Europe, St. Mathies (not suprising it was under construction, just like the rest of Europe). And the well deserved Bath House.

Random moment: Running into another person we know from Oregon at St. Stephen's.

Best meal: What ever we had for lunch (except Staci)

Shout outs:
-Everyone who read to the end of this blog entry.
-JanSport- We love you, but are tired of carrying your bags around. Can you pay for our chiropractor bills?
-Everyones family. You know who you are.
-Becky