6/20/2006 jx

We are back in Nagys. Spencer is out catching frogs. Cute little frogs. Leah is here. All is good.

We just had a great adventure getting here from Nier... In fact, it was a most excellent adventure. We came around a curve in the road. Whoops, there was sort of a River in the way. . We sat there for a bit, looking at the river. I had the thought 'oh my, I hope Heather doesn't make me try to cross!' While Heather had the thought 'oh my, I hope Rich doesn't try to cross!"

While we watched the far bank calved and an iceberg started towards us. It turned out that it was a ferry, similar to the one at Whitehaven...but with a cable. We were trying to figure out which side of the river we wanted to be on, and then how we might get to the proper side, and taking a ferry seemed a major commitement.

So hopefully before they were close enough to identify our car we turned tail and left. We got up to the previous town, and tried again to figure out the map. We decided that we wanted to be on the other side of the river after all. Later Heather said 'maybe it was a little road that wasn't on the map, that happened to go through the same towns.'

We returned, right as the ferry was leaving our side with a car, which made me happier. We hadn't forced a wasted trip on them. A car rolled up on the other side and the ferry returned. That gave us time to watch guys train to fight.

We had to back up the car in order to, uh, give the ferry room, and let the larger girls take video.

"The gas smells" Maddy "Not as bad as your gas" Molly "shut up, shut the fuck up " Maddy "I don't want to hear that language, besides you farted in the car, you deserve a little razzing."

"So, one of you girls who speak Hungarian..."

Sound of crickets

"I want to know how much to pay the ferryman"

Once we made it across the river we pulled up onto the pavement, and then around the corner where I slowed way way down. The road ended in a horrible rutted set of mud tracks. But other cars had gone that way, it must have been passable. So I proceeded cautiously, a word that here means a way of driving that differs from my normal pattern, into the mud. And found it hard, solid. It was mud covered pavement. There has been flooding. We drove on and ran into an intersection. This way for the car, that way for the Euro Velo bike path. We went the car way. That turned out poorly (DSC_7856). So we backed up, and drove down the bike path to a hopeful intersection with a road. It was there, along with a detour sign (DSC_7857).

That was Arkot...

We then knew where we were and cruised the T Towns to Nagys. We are 11 miles from there. We unloaded the car, bag after bag. We had all of Molly's stuff, along with Leah. We very very nearly could not all fit back into the car. Lazlo came to the gate, with Milk, then Molly, Leah, and Maddy went down with him to get cheese and pick rasberries, or mulberries.

That last part of the drive was glorious. The rain had stopped, the skies dramatic, birds, all manner of birds!

The Tiza River --

Mollyka...does this belong to your family? (a phone charger)

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It was a grand adventure. We crossed the M3, and then just kept going through smaller towns.

-- 9:13 pm I just went for a ride, out Nezyus to the west for a small bit-the sunset was great. I stopped where the sunset was reflected in a flooded area, or maybe it was just a pond. It was a trancendental moment. I rode back, through town and out the other side, and rode some roads in town that Molly road the other day.

-- I didn't sleep that well, of course. I learned today part of the issue: sunrise is at 4:30. The sky is starting to lighten early. I was woken a bit, Heather told me it was time to get Molly, and Leah, and then she went with the kids.

Molly's leavetaking was emotional. Last night they read her letter, translated into Hungarian then written down by Molly in actual Hungarian. There were many tears last night, and then this morning. I was unaware of this.

My day began a bit before Ten. Time to checkout by ten, and breakfast nominally ended at ten.

We packed up then Heather went downstairs. A buffet breakfast was served, but if you wanted coffee or hot chocolate you ordered it from an attendent. Heather ordered me a cappacino. It was in a small cup, strong. The kids had hot chocolate.

(yesterday at Molly's host house Celia made us coffee, then popped a swirl of whipped cream on the top. Very civilized).

After a spot of breakfast Heather left to get Leah. Maddy and Spencer and I went across the street to the most excellent park (DSC_7757 - DSC_7762). There was this awesome zip line. I took sound recordings.

Then the zoo. The zoo was cool. I made more sound recordings...and took lots and lots of pictures. Lemurs climbed on me...that was fun, until two of them started to fight, and then things changed...

Molly likes the warning signs, like DSC_7764. That shows someone with a bandage on one finger, so he knows the animals bite, and a second finger that has been severed close to the hand. Her point is what a dipshit! Getting bit once, and bandaged up, wasn't enough, this rube needed to be bit again.

Then we were wiped out, and went to have lunch. This was a fine and tasty lunch, but it cost 8980 Ft. Why? There were six of us, and it was an upscale place. Later we passed a little joint. Heather said that was the kind of place she had wanted to have lunch. So we learn.

After lunch we just had to have ice cream at Molly and Leah's favorite place. There was much hilarity as we attempted to find it. The track log tells all...

-- 12:38am just spent a while messing with track logs, and looking at pictures and trying to burn a backup cd. I'm going to have a glass of that milk Lazlo brought by and try to bed down.