So what do ya know

They say you find the most amazing things in the most unlikeliest of places. I certainly found this to be true during my stay in Budapest.

It was the summer of 2011 and I had managed to persuade my best friends to go on a road trip across Europe. A “lads holiday” if you will to celebrate our impending graduation from uni and our looming 40 year sentence to a life of paying taxes and other responsibilities.

A 15 day tour round some of Europe’s most picturesque and exciting cities such as Munich, Prague, Budapest, Vienna, Bratislava and Berlin with some of your closest mates seemed just what the doctor ordered.

However, there was one factor that we hadn’t taken account on. One thing that would stand in our way of making this trip an unforgettable experience. Distance!!! The above cities were carefully chosen because of the endless activities they boasted both during the day and night of which any visitor would need to be equipped with a large appetite for fun. Yet, driving an average of 5-6 hours from one city to the next was a big blow to our energy resources.

Budapest was our third destination after Munich and Vienna and by now we were already feeling the effects of fatigue. After settling in to our rented flat we decided to take a day trip to Hungarore to watch the Hungarian Grand Prix. Now I’m not the biggest motorsports lover yet the sheer noise coming out of those engines and the electrifying atmosphere that surrounds you is enough to get you hooked. The adrenaline flowing through us was so high that by the end of it we were knackered. The whole thing took the best part of a day after all, so after we got a quick bite to eat we decided to take it easy and chill at the flat for the rest of the night.

After getting all cleaned up, the guys got comfortable on the couch to watch a film. However, unwilling to let the night end just yet and unable to persuade any of my mates to join me I took to the streets alone. Now don’t feel sorry for me just yet, the night as it would turn out, was just beginning.

I had heard a lot about the nightlife in Budapest and I wanted to experience it first-hand. Our flat was quite central so I headed for what I thought was the main square. I had underestimated my inability to read maps and after a few dodgy directions given to me from pedestrians in the street I was completely lost. I had been walking for just over an hour and had yet to find this main square everyone was talking about. All that was surrounding me were tall buildings and not a bar in sight. At this point I got a bit worried as I foolishly hadn’t written my address down and was starting to think how I was going to get back.

For some reason I decided to get off the main road and started walking through the side streets. These were very narrow and quiet. They reminded me of the streets in old Nicosia. I walked a few blocks and just as I was about to lose hope I caught from the corner of my eye some activity going on in one of the allies, so I decided to check it out. As I was walking towards it I started to hear some music and I quickly realized it was a bar. Two of the biggest bouncers I had ever seen stood outside. I was almost overwhelmed at the site of them but to be honest at that point I really needed a drink so decided to play it cool and walk in.

As I entered I was quickly blown away by the vibe of the place. It was a sort of hostel pub meets alternative-festival-kind of place. I had never seen anything like it. It was packed of students and young people travelling much like myself. The added bonus of beer available also made me feel at home. It was two storeys with a couple of bars at either level. To the right of the entrance was a vendor selling slices of pizza (the ultimate food after a big night out drinking. This guy had clearly done his homework). At the very back there were a few foosball tables and beyond those a group of travellers that had brought their instruments with them and were playing a sort of jive. This had attracted a large crowed around them of people drinking and dancing to their tunes. In the middle stood an open top court yard that was equipped with benches and used as a beer garden. Projectors were placed on all sides screening different short local films and clips. There was even an abandoned “beetle” car in the centre used as an extra place to sit.

I quickly send a text to my mates describing the place and begged them to join me. Well, I say begged when it was really more of a threat that they would regret it if they don’t come.

No reply, so I decided to have a drink at the bar. Next thing I know I was surrounded by three girls. We got to talking and it turned out that two of them were from Denmark backpacking across Europe while the third was a Swede who had come for a music festival. With the exception of the two Danish girls none of us knew each other before but such was the atmosphere and mentality of the place that everybody was eager and willing to make new friends.

The icing on the cake came a few minutes later when two of my friends walked in. We all started drinking and dancing. It turns out that the bar was only a ten minute walk from our flat!

So what’s the moral of this story? There will always come a time where you will feel tired and flustered. This is always ok but it is also a state of mind. Try and fight through it and seize the opportunities do something different. I guarantee you’ll be rewarded.