“Travels to a Different Time” : 30May1975: Budapest, Hungary: A Megaton Nuclear Blowout in Budapest; Bribery, Booze and a Brothel?

The day commenced in orderly fashion but it was going to end in a way it may never end for the rest of my life. Up early I read two books. Less weight to lug around. It is almost a fetish reading and dumping the too many books I have brought along. But better than television which is not so easily encountered in the Iron Curtain. Went to Elemizer to pick up breakfast supplies. I read some more and for lunch a bottle of peas and a room temperature beer. This time it was off to the old town which reminded me of Salzburg. There are more tourists in Budapest than I expected. The old city is walled and lies on a hill overlooking Budapest. I went into the military museum which was moderately interesting. Yes the communist soldiers were the bravest ever! The old guy taking the admissions let me in free if I taught him how to count from 5 to 10 in English. He already knew 1-5. A bit strange as we could only communicate in German. I bought some mineral water and chocolate wafers on the way home. I took the Metro to the Astoria station. I arrived home and ate the wafers I had not consumed along with the mineral water. I sat out on my regal balcony for awhile and had a stupendous non-meat dinner for 65 cents. On my long walk home near the river I crossed the bridge and I heard rock and roll music coming from a boat docked on the river. A big line up to get in which was solved by giving an American dollar. Drinks were $1 each and the place was hopping, “The place to be seen”! I met a guy Alzam from Tanzania here on an exchange programme. I met a nice-looking chick named Marian who spoke flawless English. Her dad is a big politico and next week they are moving to Belgrade where he will be working in the Hungarian Embassy. I danced with her most of the night but at 1 a.m. she had to split due to the Mom and Dad complex. I stayed with Alzam until the boat disco closed and he said he knew a great club that was still open. We walked forever and approached a residential area. He walked up to a house and knocked on the door and a bar slid open and we were inspected and let in. I think the meanest criminals and lowlifes were here. Dark lighting, red lush furniture, bottles of Champagne and many heavily made-up ladies. Never ever has this poor innocent Canadian seen something like this! What we drank I am not sure as my mind was not in the glass but on the bizarre movie set in front of my innocent eyes. Is this a brothel? A den of spies and snakes. Was Maid Marian on the boat a spy?  I did have a man approach me on the disco boat and whisper in my ear, “I am a Capitalist”. We left at 5 in the morning and swiped a couple bottles of delicious milk on doorsteps. Took a taxi home and thundered in the door at goodness knows what time to a surprised landlady!