Bécs...
So Bécs (Vienna) was yesterday. It was pretty good, all in all, I guess, but I think I liked the Graz trip better. But let's start from the beginning...
Well. I had planned to wake up a little before 3 to get ready for the day, and then take a taxi in town around 3.30 (my family didn't want to take me so early). So I set the alarm and everything, and went to sleep. I didn't have the best night of sleep ever, and kept waking up. The last time I remembered waking up, though, was at 1.40, which was too far away from 3 for me to just get up a little earlier. So I went back to sleep. And guess what woke me up. The doorbell. Rung by the taxi driver. At 3.40. And I was supposed to be at the meeting place at 3.45. Hm. Not good.
So I JUMPED out of bed, ran to the bathroom, got dressed (thank goodness I'd taken a shower the night before), grabbed my food, and was out the door. No kidding.
Then I told the taxi driver to drive FAST to the place. Haha. And it turned out I wasn't even the last one there (Nati and Kelsey came a little after me)! But still. That was not the best way to start off the day.
So we get on the buses, and head off. Spent most of the ride listening to music and attempting to sleep, though that didn't really happen. Sat across from one of the people who talked to us last time, but we didn't really talk at all. At the border, they didn't even OPEN our passports.. So no stamp for me. That was kinda frustrating, because I wanted a stamp. :(
I must say, I think I liked the drive to Graz better. It was a lot prettier with rolling hills and whatnot. But this drive was all right, too.
So. First thing they take us to: a freaking mall. We get to spend three hours of our time in a stoopid mall. In which I only bought food, anyway. It sucked. On the up side, though, I got a bagel with cream cheese and a Snapple Peach Iced Tea!! The fact that they had bagels and Snapple seriously made the day for me (and maybe Kelsey). But in any case, it put us in a really good mood afterward. :D
Then they took us to the Schönbrunn castle. It was gorgeous. And awe-inspiring. We went on a little audio tour of it. It was really cool. And outside was a Christmas market, which we had some free time to wander around in before we went inside. It was amazing.
After that, we were taken to the centrum, where we had free time. We used our free time to go to another Christmas market. It was really pretty. The trees were decorated with lights and whatnot (you can see pictures on my photo site). We walked around there for a while, and then went in front of the big tree to wait for Julia's friend (Hungarian girl who went to NZ for exchange last year and has lived in Vienna for most of her life), Lily. We didn't know what she looked like, other than that she had blonde hair (and Julia said glasses, but it turned out she didn't). Kelsey and I kept calling out "Lily... Lily..." so that she would know we were looking for her, and finally she and Julia found each other. It was a very interesting meeting.. They both shrieked and hugged each other for about 5 minutes.. And Kelsey, Sandy, and I were just standing there watching and laughing.
After that, we went to a cafe and had hot chocolate and chatted for an hour or so, and then we had to go back to the buses. Lily took us back, and told us what buildings were what. We got on the tram, and then proceeded to go past where we were meeting (we were there in the first place, but didn't realize it). But that way we got to see the Museums of Biology and Fine Arts (gorgeous, identical buildings). And we knew that the Parliament was the Parliament, so we got pictures taken of us outside it. It was cool.
On the bus ride home, sleep really started to catch up with all of us I think, especially after the first hour or so. For the majority of the ride, I just listened to my Ipod. I don't think I ever feel asleep, though.. Just got into that half-asleep-dazy frame of mind.
Anyhoo.. We ended up getting back at about quarter to midnight. I had to wait with Dzsip for her host mom because she was going to help me catch a taxi home. We waited for like 20 minutes in the very cold-ness. Not cool. Then I was driven to the train station to catch a taxi, and came home. The taxi rides there and back were expensive... I'm mad because my family gave me 3500 Ft. to pay for them when they costed 4500 Ft. I so almost wouldn't have had enough money, but I was lucky and had put a little bit of Ft. in my wallet anyway, just in case. I ended up getting home around 12.30. So it was like a 20 hour day. I had something to drink and then went straight to sleep.
So yes, it was a good trip. Still mad about the mall, though. I would have rather had more time exploring the city and whatnot. But apparently there's another trip to Vienna in May, where they'll take us to a theme park and whatnot. Can't wait for that. :)
So yeahh... I think I'm taking the early train to Budapest tomorrow morning to say goodbye to Esteban.. Then leaving in the early afternoon or something. But I have to call him once I'm done with this, and if he doesn't pick up (like he didn't before), I don't know if I'll be able to go because I need to go into town to buy the train tickets and I need to know when I'm coming home. So bleh. I don't feel like going into town today, but whatever.
And my host parents are in Budapest for the day today. Why don't they ever tell me these things?? Not that I would have gone with them, but it would have been nice to know that they were going in the first place. I dunno what they're doing.. Apparently some sort of tasting thing. I'm thinking wine tasting, but I really have no idea.
Anyway, that's all the news for now.. Szia!
Well. I had planned to wake up a little before 3 to get ready for the day, and then take a taxi in town around 3.30 (my family didn't want to take me so early). So I set the alarm and everything, and went to sleep. I didn't have the best night of sleep ever, and kept waking up. The last time I remembered waking up, though, was at 1.40, which was too far away from 3 for me to just get up a little earlier. So I went back to sleep. And guess what woke me up. The doorbell. Rung by the taxi driver. At 3.40. And I was supposed to be at the meeting place at 3.45. Hm. Not good.
So I JUMPED out of bed, ran to the bathroom, got dressed (thank goodness I'd taken a shower the night before), grabbed my food, and was out the door. No kidding.
Then I told the taxi driver to drive FAST to the place. Haha. And it turned out I wasn't even the last one there (Nati and Kelsey came a little after me)! But still. That was not the best way to start off the day.
So we get on the buses, and head off. Spent most of the ride listening to music and attempting to sleep, though that didn't really happen. Sat across from one of the people who talked to us last time, but we didn't really talk at all. At the border, they didn't even OPEN our passports.. So no stamp for me. That was kinda frustrating, because I wanted a stamp. :(
I must say, I think I liked the drive to Graz better. It was a lot prettier with rolling hills and whatnot. But this drive was all right, too.
So. First thing they take us to: a freaking mall. We get to spend three hours of our time in a stoopid mall. In which I only bought food, anyway. It sucked. On the up side, though, I got a bagel with cream cheese and a Snapple Peach Iced Tea!! The fact that they had bagels and Snapple seriously made the day for me (and maybe Kelsey). But in any case, it put us in a really good mood afterward. :D
Then they took us to the Schönbrunn castle. It was gorgeous. And awe-inspiring. We went on a little audio tour of it. It was really cool. And outside was a Christmas market, which we had some free time to wander around in before we went inside. It was amazing.
After that, we were taken to the centrum, where we had free time. We used our free time to go to another Christmas market. It was really pretty. The trees were decorated with lights and whatnot (you can see pictures on my photo site). We walked around there for a while, and then went in front of the big tree to wait for Julia's friend (Hungarian girl who went to NZ for exchange last year and has lived in Vienna for most of her life), Lily. We didn't know what she looked like, other than that she had blonde hair (and Julia said glasses, but it turned out she didn't). Kelsey and I kept calling out "Lily... Lily..." so that she would know we were looking for her, and finally she and Julia found each other. It was a very interesting meeting.. They both shrieked and hugged each other for about 5 minutes.. And Kelsey, Sandy, and I were just standing there watching and laughing.
After that, we went to a cafe and had hot chocolate and chatted for an hour or so, and then we had to go back to the buses. Lily took us back, and told us what buildings were what. We got on the tram, and then proceeded to go past where we were meeting (we were there in the first place, but didn't realize it). But that way we got to see the Museums of Biology and Fine Arts (gorgeous, identical buildings). And we knew that the Parliament was the Parliament, so we got pictures taken of us outside it. It was cool.
On the bus ride home, sleep really started to catch up with all of us I think, especially after the first hour or so. For the majority of the ride, I just listened to my Ipod. I don't think I ever feel asleep, though.. Just got into that half-asleep-dazy frame of mind.
Anyhoo.. We ended up getting back at about quarter to midnight. I had to wait with Dzsip for her host mom because she was going to help me catch a taxi home. We waited for like 20 minutes in the very cold-ness. Not cool. Then I was driven to the train station to catch a taxi, and came home. The taxi rides there and back were expensive... I'm mad because my family gave me 3500 Ft. to pay for them when they costed 4500 Ft. I so almost wouldn't have had enough money, but I was lucky and had put a little bit of Ft. in my wallet anyway, just in case. I ended up getting home around 12.30. So it was like a 20 hour day. I had something to drink and then went straight to sleep.
So yes, it was a good trip. Still mad about the mall, though. I would have rather had more time exploring the city and whatnot. But apparently there's another trip to Vienna in May, where they'll take us to a theme park and whatnot. Can't wait for that. :)
So yeahh... I think I'm taking the early train to Budapest tomorrow morning to say goodbye to Esteban.. Then leaving in the early afternoon or something. But I have to call him once I'm done with this, and if he doesn't pick up (like he didn't before), I don't know if I'll be able to go because I need to go into town to buy the train tickets and I need to know when I'm coming home. So bleh. I don't feel like going into town today, but whatever.
And my host parents are in Budapest for the day today. Why don't they ever tell me these things?? Not that I would have gone with them, but it would have been nice to know that they were going in the first place. I dunno what they're doing.. Apparently some sort of tasting thing. I'm thinking wine tasting, but I really have no idea.
Anyway, that's all the news for now.. Szia!