[Leica] First Try... Budapest

[firkin at ncable.net.au (Alastair Firkin)]

Helen is calling me to bed: Well I should do BUT; We arrived in 
Budapest and were told that the massage here was a cultural experience. 
There are private baths, but the guide book said the "real" experience 
was to be had in the public baths. Not only that, it was cheap, and in 
those days, cheap was good. Off we went. At the entrance, we struggled 
with the language, and bought 2 standard massages: Helen went off to 
the female section and I---- yes surprize surprize went to the male. I 
walked in and wandered around, unsure of what to do: no one was 
offering help, so I found a queue leading to a massage room. In the 
room males were being given a rub down and it looked "appropriate". I 
joined the queue with my "ticket" and waited about 20 minutes. On 
reaching the front of the queue, I was informed that I was in the wrong 
place. "NO NO NO" was all I understood, and there was some pointing. I 
"sulked" off, thinking Helen will be finished and wondering where I am 
( like now, when I should be in bed, not discussing life with a bunch 
of LEICA users ;-0 )

When I crossed the building to the other side, I joined a much shorter 
queue (its obvious isn't it) and waited. I was "welcome" at the end of 
this queue. In the room were 7 or so ski rescue sleds. "Customers" were 
hauled into these sleds and given a soap and water massage. When my 
time arrived IGOR called me over. I was uncerimoniously heaved into the 
sled, drenched in water, lathered up with soap and given a working over 
that haunts my sleep to this day. I about 8 minutes flat, I was 
"tipped" out of the sled and sent on my way. I showered, dried myself 
and went outside. Helen was nowhere to be found. I sat in the waiting 
area for another 15 minutes till she emerged: "wasn't that fantastic" 
she exclaimed. "I've had the most wonderful massage". I looked up in 
despair.


On 10/03/2005, at 12:05 AM, Seth Rosner wrote:

> Alastair, would you care to expand on the unhappy massage experience?  
>  ;-)
>
> Seth,  DOM
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Alastair Firkin" 
> <firkin@ncable.net.au>
> To: "Leica Users Group" <lug@leica-users.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, March 09, 2005 12:41 AM
> Subject: Re: [Leica] First Try... Budapest
>
>
>> I really enjoyed our time in Budapest, except for an unhappy massage 
>> experience, and so I've enjoyed your images, but one comment I would 
>> make is "has everyone left". There is not a sole in sight, till one 
>> scene of an old man walking down the street. Even the church is 
>> deserted. I would love to see some of the "wild-life" of what was a 
>> very lively city in 1995.
>> On 09/03/2005, at 6:44 AM, Bunting, Roger L (Roger) wrote:
>>> Folks,
>>>
>>> I've posted some photos on the gallery taken on a recent trip to 
>>> Budapest. All were taken on Kodak Portra UC400. I'm still futzing 
>>> with my scanner so the quality of these varies a bit. If you have 
>>> time, I'd appreciate your comments and suggestions.
>>>
>>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/Leica35 
>>> <http://gallery.leica-users.org/Leica35>
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>> Roger
>>> leica35@yahoo.com
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Leica Users Group.
>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>>
>>>
>> Alastair
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leica Users Group.
>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>
>
Alastair