Tourist Excursions

I don’t think they noticed, but we were not from around those parts. ☺ Which was too bad! Because Budapest was awesome! It is probably one of the most enchanting cities I have ever been in.

Last Saturday, 27 English teachers started out on one of the craziest excursions experienced in this four-month session! We climbed aboard a train going from Kiev to a little place called Chop at two in the afternoon. After arriving sixteen hours later, we climbed aboard a bus, which proceeded to take us 6 more hours away from familiarity. But, the end destination was far more enchanting than any of us could have ever imagined! We arrived in Budapest, Hungary at our 3 star hotel. Which, if I say so myself, was one of the nicest places I had laid eyes on in weeks! We had our very own beds, that when sat on actually recognized that you were there and sunk in a little! Feather pillows with clean pillowcases and real sheets! Some of the rooms even had the luxury of having carpets! Now, I don’t know about you, but, I think that we were previously prepared to think that this place was the most luxurious place we had ever been to! And we, yes we, had the solemn opportunity to inhabit such a magnificently accommodated place of residency. It was divine! Everyone woke up with no complaints, other than having to tear themselves away from their glorious slumbers. But, only to wake up to a served breakfast of the fluffiest breads, the tastiest jellies, honey, cereal, real milk! an assortment of hams, cheeses, tomatoes, and plain yogurt. It was so delicious! Needless to say, none of us were hungry in Hungary!

Our travels within Hungary included: Millennial or Heroes Square, The Royal Palace, a Castle, the Chain Bridge, Parliament Building, St. Stephens Cathedral, a Jewish Synagogue, The House of Terror (a Holocaust Memorial), a Marzipan Museum (everything was made out of confectionary candy), An Underground Labyrinth, and a lot more. It was so beautiful! We will have to have a Ukraine party when I get back and look at all of my pictures and eat all of the recipes that I have learned! Plan for around Christmas! It will be glorious!

Vacation

So, this weekend, we get 9 days of school off. So, we are going to go tour Austria and Hungary. I am way excited! We leave Saturday Evening and take a train all night to Budapest, arrive in the morning, and then let the fun begin! I will tell you all about it at any chance I get. And hopefully have strong enough internet to show you some pictures. (The reason there are all these pictures on all of a sudden was because we went to an American members home that had extremely good wi-fi internet access and it was strong enough to load a ton of pictures. We had an all-out FabUlOuS American dinner and it was so nice! What wonderful members there are here.) Anyway! I will tell you of the adventures. Till a later day!

The Russian Ballet!

We went to a spectacular performance of Romeo and Juliet. It was really neat to see the story in ballet form. I never knew how much can be portrayed without words. I have especially learned the importance of body language through my transformation into becoming a very good monkey/pantomime within the past month. Although, these performers were masters! I guess it just gives me something to aspire to: to be as fluent as those dancers one day in the use of no words to communicate, or the alternative: Learn Russian. But, then I would be fluent in any language. I dunno. But, the ballet was really fun! We took our host brother and Mom as well, I am really surprised that Stas had the attention span to sit through 3 hours of leaping, toe pointing romance. But, i guess there was also enough fighting scenes that he would enjoy it. And, the fact that nobody makes it out alive and it is not a happy ending. But, needless to say, it was really good! I know that Lena appreciated it very much! And she looked Beautiful! She dressed us up as well! Three things i would NEVER do . . . Wear my hair down! Wear a Necklace, and carry a purse around. It was kinda fun to be elegantly attending a Ballet. I felt like I was in Anastasia. Anyway, the Ballet house was so extravagent! The entire night was spectacular!

Change in the Weather

The weather all of a sudden changed it got way cold and rainy. While walking to church today, Breanne and I got a 'little' wet. I got my first drenching by a car while standing on a corner! It was pretty awesome! So, all during church i had goose pumps and i had to put paper towels in my shoes. got a couple good laughs, but, hey it worked. The city controls the heat as well, so, we get to freeze everywhere we go! It is pretty . . . um. . . really nice to get into your slippers, dry sweater, blankets, and sipping boiling tea when you get back to the apartment. Except, I get pretty sick. Sore throat, runny nose, coughy-cough, the best part is, every women in the world here has a different remedy and thing for you to do to get better. The tea has been the one that has worked the best so far. Different variations of gargling, sniffing, swallowing, sipping, and forms of other 'medical' practices.

Touring the City

Every once and a while, we find ourselves on these Escalators that are at least a football field long. And every time, we get a bit dizzy! We counted how many slats are on the ride and there are 84! And they are each 4 feet long! So, that gives you a ball park range. We went to a theater where they act out tons of fairy tales and things, so magical. I am wearing pinnochio's hat in this picture. We went to this arch as well. And the reason for the tired face was because we walked at least 5 or 6 miles that day, and we were still 4 miles from our house. We went to the Ukraine President Mansion, A place called Kisses Bridge, That arch way,

Our Family took us to this CrAzY so confusing auto show! It was way cool. but it was . . . i guess . . . normal for the U.S. because they were cars that you would see normally on the streets in america every day. so it just seemed a little blown out of proportion. But, it was way cool to go to the old car spot! We saw some crazy cool cars! And our little brother stas won a couple of hot wheels gadgets! And we got to 'test drive' (aka sit in the back of) a car while it went around on a homemade track of rocks and boards and mud pools. It was actually pretty fun! Breanne smoked her head on the window over one of the tree stump/ train track thing. It was pretty awesome!

Breanne Cut my Hair!

So, every night, we have a piece of fruit and at least two cups of tea. It is awesome!