The Adventure Begins

Day 1: Departure
It might not need to be said, but the past few days have certainly been a whirlwind. We all met at the airport yesterday around 4:45pm. Our flight left right on time, and we didn't experience any huge hiccups. The overnight flight to Amsterdam was long, but was mostly relatively smooth. Professor Garrett had some excitement, as she was sitting next to a woman who vomited multiple times on the plane. The captain also had to call in paramedics to meet us at the Amsterdam airport because someone on the flight had a "medical emergency." It appears calling the paramedics was an overreaction, but who doesn't want to see European paramedics in their fluorescent-colored outfits?

There was a quick layover in Amsterdam before we headed on our flight to Budapest. Many of us were exhausted by that time and slept on the plane to Budapest, as well as on the bus ride from the airport to our hotel. Our classmate Kenzie's luggage didn't arrive at the Budapest airport when we went there to pick it up, but it was delivered to our hotel this morning. After getting settled in last evening, we went out for our first meal and had (drum roll please...) pizza! So much for an immediate cultural immersion. After dinner most everyone was beyond exhausted, so it appears most of us crashed around 9 or 10pm Budapest time. Here's some math for you: In reality it took us about 14 hours to get from Minneapolis to Budapest, but with the time change it all lasted 21 hours. We essentially got a 31-hour day somewhere amidst the chaos. And after it all we collapsed into our pillows, preparing for the month of adventure ahead of us.

Day 2 (or 3 possibly): Today started with breakfast at the Professor's Guest House (where we are staying). Breakfast consisted of meats, cheeses, granola, yogurt, and various breads amongst other things. Then it was off to the school building for the first time (for many of us). There we met our tour guide who quickly started into a Hungarian history lesson on foot with visual tools to help (otherwise known as a walking tour). We began to gain a bearing in the city center, roughly the time we began to freeze. Although the temperature is only -3 C (roughly 25 F), 3 and a half hours with minimal walking tends to make one a touch chilly. All in all the group has gained a grasp for both public transportation (trams, buses and underground) as well as significant landmarks in the city. The tour ended in the largest market in town, where we were first introduced to Hungarian cuisine, the langos (a form of savory funnel cake topped with anything from garlic and cheese to plain to any combination of meats, cheeses, ketchup, and vegetables). After a brief exploration of the market it was back to school and our first math lesson began. A brief introduction and homework assigned, it was back to the hotel for us (and for many a nap and warm covers still attempting to regain feeling after the tour). Dinner was in groups, a few went off exploring on their own while many others opted to split up with Tina and Mat to attempt another foray into Hungarian cuisine. Tina's group finished off a meal of goulash with a trip to a world famous chocolatier's, an excellent choice. Then it was back home to finish our homework and get in a good nights sleep before language class begins tomorrow morning with math tomorrow afternoon.

Below are some pictures taken from the tour and dinner