ICS MEETING IN HUNGARY, BUDAPEST 1996

After a successful meeting in Bergen in 1995, I wanted to be a guest myself in Hungary in 1996. This was my first visit to Central-Europe, and it should not be the last. I left as the only Norwegian participant on 31st of May. That was the last day you were allowed to smoke onboard a flight. Those who arrived the following day were met by the non-smokers regulations, but it did not affect the other Norwegians as most of them were non-smokers. I left Bergen in heavy rain, 10 degrees C and a freezing wind. Therefore I had packed my suitcase with warm clothes and some nice outfits. That taught me a little lesson as I had to get my fleece jacket and polo off coming to Copenhagen where I had to change flight.There it was 20 degrees +, and I was left with a fluffy collegejumper on. My flight to Budapest was mainly occupied by UN-soldiers that was to be replaced to those who already had served their time in Croatia.

By the arrival in Budapest I watched an endless que for the passport control. I must have sighed deeply and load as one of the Norwegian officers came up to me and asked if I'd join him by "playing the part as his girlfriend". I took his arm and went through the control of diplomatic immunity and was through in 10 minutes. This is the only time I've ben treated as a VIP-person. On the other side stod a person with a ICS-sign to pick me up. I did not know this person, and I still can't recall her name. But she was ever so nice, and took me to my hotel, Patria Honoved Hotel.
I figured out I would feel pretty much alone and lost until the rest arrived the following day in this huge city. But outside the hotel there were Carla (Harper's Field) from Luxembourg and Toka Briet (Nea Konea) Holland, friends from the year before in Bergen, so we joined each other. It was HOT 42 degrees in Budapest, and I needed to change clothes. Going by foot with Toka was a privilege as she always brought her traveller's handbook and a map along with her. We ended up in a fantastic and cosy restaurant by a little lake in the basement of a church with LOTS of cheap and lovely food. My plate was full enough to feed my family on x.mas eve, and I could not finish all of it no matter how hard I tried. Lovely wine, lots of talking and memorizing hours went by as thin air. It was time to go to sleep at my first night in Hungary.

On the leaflet of the hotel, it was told that every room had a bathroom, Colour-TV, telephone and a minibar. Yes, it was a huge bathroom with a shower. I had to pull a knob when I wanted a shower. If only the knob worked! It was not to be moved and I had a shower wheather I wanted or not. I shared room with Lyn Westby, and we had good laughs about this shower. The TV had three colours; grey, white and black, and everything was going on in Hungarian. The phone was a old bacalite phone in a size I've never seen before or later. It gave me the assosiations to the cartoon movie of Fred Flintstone where he is holding the phone with both hands screeming WIIIIIILMA!!!!!Have you seen it? The minibar was a huge, empty Russian fridge (soon to be filled), and the sound of the machinery of the frige made me think of the huge Russian Army having an excursion. Today these are charming and lovely memories.
 

Soon after breakfast, Carla, Toka and I went on foot to the city, crossed the Chain Bridge and walked to old Buda and had a sightseeing by ourselves we'll never forget. We went shopping as well (of course), and I ended up buying a national costume., and this is one of my favourite outfits today. Budapest is a wonderful city that can't be described, it must be experienced. I had studied political science at the University in Bergen, and now I was able to see what I'd read. It all gave me new dimensions to what I'd learned and set things in perspective. Back at the hotel "the crowd" had arrived from Norway, Denmark, England, Ireland and many more countries, and there were lovely reunions with hugs and kisses in all directions. It was like a big, warm family reunion. When all the formalities were dealt with, we all went together for a little late dinner in another lovely restaurant. What a crowd! In such company time flies, and when the sun set ut was far more comfortable - and all of a sudden very dark.

Next day it was a club show. Judge of the dogs was Mrs. Audrey Chatfield (Dunsinane), and the bitches were judged by Mrs. Sandra Wigglesworth (Sandiacre). It was uncomfortably hot, and I really felt sorry for the dogs walking on that boiling asfalt. Around the showground the were grass and shading trees, and we asked the organizer please to move the show to that area. After a while it was all moved inndoor, which was quite a relief. A couple from Portugal who also attended in Bergen, came rushing up to me. Could I please handle a tricolour bitch for their friends from Spain.? I did, but it was not easy. I don't speak spanish, and the poor collie did not have a clue of what I said. But we were fairly alright as she had a first but since unplaced. That day I only had a little T-shirt on and I'd put a necklece on. At the end of the day the string of that necklece had burnt it's way into my skin, and when I took it off when I got back to the hotel, the huge bit of skin came with it. Thanks to Joan Walsh it did not hurt as she relieved it all with Aloe Vera. I've used that remedy ever since.
In the evening we were invited to a luxurious restaurant down town for a dinner and dance and the traditional raffle. After a huge and again a very tasteful meal we were moved about being taught how to dance Zorba. I guess there were quite a few with soar toes next morning. Despite the problems language can cause, there were no problems at all after a couple of glasses of wine. We had tremndous fun all night.
 

Next day we had a day off to do what we wanted. Some went to see horses that Hungary is world wide famous for. I joined Per, Birgit and Audrey to visit Nyitramenti Collies. We were introduced to their friends from Russia, Ukraine and some more countries and to all the collies. There and then I decided once to have a Nyitramenti collie. The quality was breath taking and is still hard to find elsewhere. But I had to wait until my own flock was reduced by natural causes. I will never ever forget that kennel, the lovely well kept collies and happy collies with a superb temperament, and of course, the fabolous barbeque they set up for us in the garden. We were lots of people there, and I met an elderly man who was "just a neighbour", and it turned out he had been married to a Norwegian lady accidently coming from my birthplace. Sometimes world is a small place.

We also had an excursion around the Danube Bend and went through the towns Zentendre, Visegrad and Eztergom with its huge basilica and ended up in a middle age town called Tihany. In Zentendre we had a wonderful lunch in a georgeous restaurant accompanied by gypsy music and the most wonderful Hungarian Gulash.

 What a fantastic dish! There were so much to see and to buy, and I would just say to you all: Go and see for yourselves.

The second excursion took us round the Balaton Sea, through one of the best wineproducing districts in Hungary - and very tasteful wine it is, and te lovely green waters of Lake Balaton, full of natural minerals. We persuaded our busdriver to make a stop off schedule by the sea. Quite a few of us had a very quick change and cooled off in that wonderful water. It was like being re-born after that swim. Because of this we were quite late on our return. We arrived approx. at 21.30 at night, being utterly delayed by the police. We were stopped by them and introduced to a new law that had been imposed. Even the busdriver did not know about this law. Buses of our size was not suppose to cross the outer boundaries of Budapest after 20.00 at night. The guide told us everything what they said. The busdriver was fined and had to pay them a months salary, an the poor man was devastated. We were quite close to our return home, so we gave him all our change as we could not use them at home or even change them, and he was a little embarrased as it was quite a lot (much more than the fine). Our guide told the police that in this bus there are people from all over Europe, and that this incident would be very good news in our respectve countries when considering Hungary was applying for their EU-membership. We nodded our heads and agreed with her. Well, fine was paid and we were allowed to go on. 10 minutes later the same police officers stopped us once again, returned the money and made us promise not to tell this story to the news . 12 years later I asked if this law was still working, and I was told there has never ben a law like that. Our driver was told to keep the money as he wanted to return them.

Then was the World Show 1996, and we spread around the different rings as there were at least 4 of them just for collies. Among the collie judges there were Peter Harsanyi (Kaokoi Collies), Mrs. Lisa Burtenshaw (Pelido Collies) and Mr. Peter C. Fricke (Rosegarden Collies). Once more I entered the ring as handler to a tricolour dog from Portugal. I was pretty proud being able to bring his owners a first, excellent and 5th best dog. BOB was IntCH Nyitramenti Pastoral.

I have to tell you about my experience with a bank. Randi, Ada (DK), Carla (harper's field, Lux) and I went in to first bank we spotted. We all had to change to Hungarian money, and I would change 800 DM to Forints. They took our checks, our passports, asked us to sit down and wait and disappeared. It took 4 HOURS before they returned. Most likely they had to go to other banks to have enough to give us, I don't know. But the 4 of us started to make histories of what happened to our passports and nearly laughed our heads off. The rest of the people waiting in the bank never showed any smile on their faces. Unfortunately, my laughter is pretty load and in the end the bank clarks obviously had enough. All of a sudden I faced an armed uniformed guard pointing at me with a huge gun and said "IF NOT QUIET I ARREST". Good grief, I nearly bit my arms to bleed just to keep quiet. Well we had our money and passports and the money were stuffed everywhere we possibly could stuff money. I think this is the first and only time I will experience to be a millionaire, and it was lovely as long as it lasted. Had we walked 600 meters further we had reached a more modern bank where we would have had our money in no time (we used that ever since).

The last day, Per, Birgit, Randi and I went to the Roman Baths at Gellerts. It's not just lovely, it is devine. Hot water, cold water,bubble baths in the various pools inside, and huge waves in the outdoor pool. We only went out of them to have yet another huge and delicious meal.

During our 10 days in Budapest we had +42 degrees C every day. At the time it felt a bit uncomfortable, now it is a lovely memory. 10 days went away far too fast leaving me with wonderful memories of a most beautiful country, wonderful lifetime friends and a lovely stay.