Kosice and Budapest

23 October 2011 – Kosice and Budapest

After making a small error on how to get onto the bus to Kosice (it pulls up to the side of an unmarked platform). I just went up to the bus that was on break and tried to get on. If the bus driver wouldn't have just yelled at me but motioned I probably wouldn't have caught on but after repeating himself a few times he gave up and let me on....hey I wanted to make sure I wasn't left...specially after the last few days with public transportation.

When I was looking for places to stay in Kosice the cheapest place I could find was 40 euro plus there are only two direct trains a day to Budapest one 6:00 am and one 6:00 pm. Since I knew Kosice would be nice to look around but didn't really need two days I decided to continue on to Budapest tonight.

Also, I had gotten out of my antisocial funk and the hostel I found in Budapest seems like the perfect solution. So I spent the day wandering around Kosice prior to waiting for my train. Kosice is an absolutely adorable city. The town square is looked over by a gothic church (not gothic art so it was pretty) plus some of the fountains were still running which allowed me to imagine how nice a space this would be in the middle of summer.

After wandering for a bit I headed back to the train station to enjoy a sandwich and pastry as I waited for my train. It took me about an hour to realize that there was free wifi at the train station! One more score for Slovakia! Oh and the awesome thing is that the direct train to Budapest only cost 20 euro, one more bonus for today.

Green Bridge - Budapest

Fall in Budapest

Main Synagogue Budapest  

Tree of life - budapest

Carl Lutz memorial

Another Synagogue 

Croatia

27th October to 3 November 2011 - Zagreb, Zadar, Split, and Dubrovnik

Took the train from Budapest to Zagreb.  Spent the night in the hostel making friends with an awesome Malaysian guy who is thinking about cycle touring around his country.  He reminded me of my friend Kiet that I met in Wellington.

Next day headed to Zadar...I was at a spot that is my favorite in the world!  There is a sea organ along the water and if you sit down you can listen to the nonsensical music that the waves create...it's a beautiful sound..like the biggest variety of jugs playing in a giant jug band.  Just sitting there listening to this in the evening light was an amazing experience.

Zadar gate

Zadar...for all of my cali friends

Sea organ

Spent another day in Zadar then made my way down to Split.  Wandered a little through the palace then up to a look out.  Later in the day I met up with a friend of a friend, Sonja, who made me dinner and then gave me a night tour!  It was awesome to hang out with her as we really clicked.

She told me to get cevapi with onions and red sauce for lunch so I did and it was awesome!  Wandered around the Palace for hours into all of the smallest alleys....also ended up having an old man take a rest next to me and we tried to communicate but unfortunately I don't have good enough Germany skills as he tried out three languages on me.  I'm sure we would've had an awesome conversation if I could've talked to him.

Hung out later with Sonja went to an awesome little pizza place down a little street pretty much in the wall.  Super cute and down what didn't even look like an alley.

Spent the next day with my new friend Dane, the Aussie, biking around the park and to the beach.  It was great to be back on a bike and to get to have company.  It was All Saint's Day so Sonja was nice enough to bring me to the cemetery to see all the flowers and candles.  Then we went to an amazing dessert place where I had a delicious thick hot chocolate!

The main cross on All Saints Day

A random awesome cake

Took the bus to Dubrovnik the next day with Dane.  Got to the hostel to see three bikes outside...very exciting...sure enough when I went in turns out 4 cycle tourists were staying at the hostel!  Looked around a little bit and went through the wall to the cliffside bar...such good views.  Then sat around talking with everyone.

view from cliffside bar

Later on that night

Spent the next day exploring a Yugoslavian state hotel that was abandoned after the independence war.  It was huge and would've been beautiful before it went into disrepair.  

Dane up the spiral staircase

old bottles

awesome song

Then we went to the beach...Croatia has beautiful water and beaches.  Now I'm waiting as one of the cycle tourists is cooking a family meal for all of us.