A Good Guide

Richard Bogdan is a good guide who has made our trip to Hungary work like a well oiled swiss watch. You can never underestimate the value of a good guide, one who knows how to keep people moving, and takes the time to tell you the things you need to know. He was also smart enough to send back a bottle of "Bulls Blood" wine that was bad and get us a new bottle from a different year. Here are some of the things I've learned about this country since we've been here.

The Hungarian alphabet has 44 letters in it. That's why the words are so long, since often two letters are used to make one sound. Such as the ubiquitous SZ, and all of the letters with the little dots on top.

Hungarians earn on average about $100 per week, so basically this country is very poor. You can tell by the ancient boxy Ladas that tool around and the ugly Soviet era apartment blocs that dot the landscape.

There are no intact castles here. They were all destroyed in the 18th Century by the Austrians, who occupied and didn't want the locals to have any way to defend themselves. There have been so many occupations and failed uprisings here it is a very sad tale....1956 is famous for the failed revolution and the creation of a flag with a hole in the center, where the hammer and sickle was located.

Hungary is full of beautiful women, who wear low cut tops and very tight pants. The Hungarians also kiss, hug and pet a lot, and I've seen at least a dozen pairs of clutching lovers in various states of making out while I've traveled here over a mere four days. And finally, every Hungarian appears to have a cellphone, I saw two eight-year-olds chatting way today walking down a mountain trail.