It was an early morning call to come to the front desk for face check this morning. We were told that there may be a five thirty call but it was more like 6 o'clock. It didn't matter to me as I had been awake for hours. A German ship docked next to us and they had to go through the same. It seems that Hungary belongs to some kind of commerce union with some countries and they can move freely between them. Coming from Serbia it was a different story. We also thought that since Serbia doesn't belong to the European Union they were making it extra difficult. We have traveled through four other countries and there was no trouble...they stamped our passports with out seeing us. This was quite different. As it was early, people came with a face check with Jammys and no make-up. The Customs guy had to give them an extra hard look. He seemed to be having trouble scanning mine and it did make me a little nervous but then he let me pass.

The next thing... don't miss breakfast for goodness sake, the four guides talked about their experiences during communism. Irina said she was only five years old, but she and her cousins were afraid to go to church and there was only Father Frost who brought them an orange and a green banana at Christmas. She said the children were all told if they waited and didn't eat them right away the bananas would turn yellow, but she could never wait that long. All the others said the same thing. It was many years before they saw a yellow banana. When her mother took her shopping for clothes there were always two styles and two colors of dresses. She remembers there was only animal soy and salami for meat protein and her grandmother would wait in lines for it. It reminded me of Cristina's telling about her visit to Cuba. Some times the lines were as long as six or seven hours and the saying was if you see a queue go stand there as maybe they will be selling something.

The communist TV showed only two not-communism shows and they were very popular: Dallas, and M.A.S.H.... They said all Americans might have big houses and long driveways but they were all mean and they had affairs, poor morals, and were like JR and Sue Ellen and that wasn't good! Of course secretly the people wished for it and it did not have quite the effect the communist leaders thought it would. Instead everyone wanted blue jeans. If you had those or canned cigarettes you could get anything on the black market. They showed M.A.S.H to show what a bad army Americans had... not nearly as good as Romania's. Of course they made everyone believe that Romania was the very best life available in the world.

Stevans, another Romanian, said that before communism his family had been very wealthy. His uncle was a dentist and often took his pay in art. He was an art collector of many famous artists in the early time. When communism came he was made to "donate" that art to the party. After communism failed what hadn't been sold was put in the Romanian Art Museum with a little sign that said donated by... his uncle's name. No way for the family to get even one returned to them!

Irina had a communism joke. She said that Ceausescu was always wanting his picture on everything. In later times he decided he wanted his picture on the postage stamps. After some time he went into a store that was selling the stamps and asked the lady, how were the sales on his new stamp. Very meekly she said, "Not too good; people tell me they don't stick to the envelope!" "Impossible!" he said, "Give me a stamp I will show you!" He grabbed the stamp, licked it and sure enough it stuck tight to the envelope! " Oh," she said, "Usually they spit on the OTHER SIDE!"

Bujana, another guide's experience was quite different. She was from Serbia and she said most older people feel they were better off during Tito's time. At least people had a job and some security. She herself had the best passport during Tito's time. Of course Tito said "No!" to Russia and so it was then socialism not communism. She said her parents and grandparents were always so sad that her life was not better than theirs. People like to think their children will have a better life. After she got through with her Masters she put out over 200 applications but they were not accepting people anywhere.. no jobs anywhere. She said she finally decided to use her neighbor's influence to get this job. She is very happy being a guide even though she has been a Spanish teacher and speaks many languages!

Another guide told about the conflicts in Hungary. His grandfather was sent to Siberia as a POW. Ninety percent of them died. They were given bread and tried to make soup out of it to make it stretch. They were under communism from 1945 to 1989 except for 2 weeks of the Hungarian uprising. He remembered the Russian soldiers everywhere. He wanted a soldier's vest and saved for months to buy cigarettes to trade for the vest. His mom still has it. They answered many questions and then it was LUNCH, Are you seeing a pattern here?
 

After lunch we went on a great trip to an Hungarian Horse Farm. It was amazing! As the bus came up the long drive we were met by one of the horsemen. He wore a blue Hungarian gaucho outfit that looked a lot like the ones the Argentina gauchos wear. He was riding a beautiful black horse and cracking the whip above his head. The horse never shied away from the whip as the whip never touched him. It is just that the end of the whip is breaking the sound barrier.

We were served their homemade wine or apple juice and bread with paprika mixed with lard! I know it sounds disgusting but it really wasn't that bad. They had a beautiful huge farm with at least forty horses, Hungarian white cattle... Google that one... curly horned sheet and curly pigs! They had the cutest black donkey that was the clown of the show and as the guy rode him it reminded me of the Hodja stories. One guy played a few Hungarian musical instruments out in the field and then the show began.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Six of them galloped around cracking the whip over their horses heads. The horses laid down with the horseman laying on top of them...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...and then... surprise! The horses sat up like a dog on their back haunches! I have NEVER seen such a thing,

 

 

They had three palomino-like horses that galloped as they pulled an antique wagon. At times they went so fast I worried about the guy in the rickety wagon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then they'd had six beautiful black horses that galloped with a black carriage. Six white Hungarian cows (oxen?) pulled a heavy cart and maneuvered slowly around the arena.

 

The gauchos sat on their horses while they knocked down bowling pins with the crack of their whip. Next the gauchos played a game of "steal the scarf". They would go as fast as the horses could possibly go maneuvering and dodging so as to steal the scarf off the neck of the rider that has it. It looked very dangerous! It is something often done in competitions. We toured the barn, then took a carriage ride out to the well in the field for more music, more wine and watched the guy with the donkey corral the white cows. After our carriage ride back there was paprika to buy if we wished and some postcards. It was the most interesting horse show ever! So entertaining!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The bus took us then to a Paprika house (they make paprika...the house isn't made of it). There was the cutest little lady in her nineties who greeted us in her regional outfit, she was so cute. She had beautiful handmade lace and embroidered clothes with many petticoats. She told us in Hungarian how they plant and process paprika while the local guide translated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This town of Kalocsa is best known for paprika and embroidery. The lady started picking paprika when she was seven! Paprika is the crop for which this part of Hungary is best known, although they have good land for grains and soy as well.

Our last stop was at a "peasant" house; a huge one-story home with the kitchen in the middle, two rooms on each side, and a beautiful thatched roof. There was a married couple all dressed in their regalia who performed Hungarian folk dances for us.

We watched two elderly ladies apply their craft. One was on a modified Singer Sewing Machine that made lace and the other lady painted eggs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were things to buy at the souvenir shop and we were on our way back to the ship for... of course... DINNER!