Beerdapest

So I'm in Portland right now...that is a Portland where all the women are exceedingly pretty, the food is different and the bars/streets have few rules and you can go out all night (the bar down the street is open 24 hours...they have a broken window, but they don't fix it because they're never closed...). However there is a river that divides the town, bike paths are rampant, there are hipsters and fixies, cheap good beer is everywhere (cheaper AND better than pdx though!), and the weather is either gorgeous or grey.

That said it is still Eastern Europe. And I like it a lot...all I need is my bike and I'd be stoked!

The first night was fun, we went to one of the famous "ruins" bars (Szimpla), where dilapidated or bombed buildings are converted into huge open air bars with music, games, video screens everywhere and art. I met a few other people going to the Sziget festival this coming week, and just in general enjoyed the atmosphere of a place that wasn't so uptight as Italy...or as expensive! Beers are about 2.50 here.

The fun ended the next day when I realized I had eaten a bad Kebab...Food poisoning for two days. On the second day of the poisoning though I still managed to walk a ways around the city with my new friends and also bike all over with some heinously shitty cruiser bikes from a local rental place. The architecture here is so intricate, old and amazing. Things are dirty, but that feels more comfortable than shiny and new.

I have some pictures I will post from my phone, that will come in the next post, but basically there are a lot of funny english language mistakes on signs and buildings. I don't have any fun party pictures because my good camera decided to get a small piece of dirt under the lens and now there is a blur just to the right of the middle on all pics. LAME! Canon's quality has really dropped!!

I was going to help a friend start a bike rental business, but it is too late in the season for that. So I'm helping at the hostel, which he didn't end up buying, and I'm selling tours and handing out flyers and what not to earn some cash and not feel like a freeloader. So I'm using those gypsy sales skills I learned at clear to sell beer, pub crawls, cave tours, etc. etc....in a gypsy country. And i'm staying in the staff "apartment" a few blocks from the hostel...

We just got tickets today for Sziget Festival which is insane! My top three all time favorites are playing...gogol bordello, flogging molly, and 2many dj's. But also judas priest, motorhead, interpol, blah blah blah, etc. etc. Here's the lineup! If you're in Europe, get your ass here!!

http://www.sziget.hu/festival_english/programs/programs

So the next post will have pics, otherwise I'm basically just "working" and trying to figure out what to do with my life. Anyone have any ideas?