Tuesday 10th September

I learnt an expensive lesson today. Always check the currency exchange before visiting a cash point. 

I rose from my paid for campsite last night, alone, but not lonely. It was good to get into my own routine; up, showered, bags packed, tent rolled up and bike loaded. Sat for breakfast: more honey, banana on bread and peacefully munched. I've had various songs in my head over the last few days which we've all been singing. As I said, we sing a lot. I like this as I would sing anyway but as a threesome we'd put Il Divo to shame. Beyond my usual repertoire of Seal's Kiss from a Rose (it's about cocaine addition if you didn't already know) I'd had The Cranberrie's Linger rolling around my head. A beautiful song but I couldn't remember the verses so I sat, covered in honey, listening to youtube, getting lost in the lyrics.

Out of town I followed a road back along the Danube and into Esztergom (known as the Rome of Hungary) and looked immediately for a cash point as Id left the ease of the Euro zone. I stood in front of the screen and tapped a few buttons which presented me with a list of denominations. I tried to imagine the English equivalent and worked out that I'd probably need the equivalent of around £100 so took a stab at the best placed number: 75,000 Hungarian Forints. I felt like Monopoly money. I visited the bakery next door and paid with my enormous note. The woman on the till looked at me unimpressed as I'd swanned in with a week's wages and tried to buy a croissant. I later sat down and worked out some basic exchange rates and realised that I'd withdrew £275 for 4 days in Hungary...sh1t. Looks like I'm going shopping in Hungary!

I spent the rest of the day carrying out small transactions as a travelling currency broker with American tourists and anyone who'd forgotten to convert Euros. I think after my usual commission I finished in pocket. 

I bumped into dear Christopher again not long after drinking a coffee in town. I wasn't sure if he was pleased to see me or was a good liar as I think we all enjoyed our time alone last night. Too much of a good thing is never healthy. But we recounted stories again, I told him I could write off the debt of a 3rd world country with the contents of my wallet and he laughed. A lot. Payback maybe for my poking fun at his swollen face. 

We rolled out of town back towards the path. Esztergom is like a shabby heart of a once prosperous empire. Beautifully rendered buildings crumble to reveal their brickwork and it reminds me a bit of how I'd imagine Havana to look. A city frozen in time. Things are not pain stakingly renovated like a national trust estate, but are just patched up and seem to breathe charm and character. 

I met a group of American roller skaters today. All 30 or so of them. A funny lot, from New York, New Jersey and beyond. Not what you expect to see whilst crossing the Danube on a ferry. 

Whilst on the other side of the Danube, Chris and I stopped with 3 Germans on a beach for lunch and I decided to become a vegetarian. Or should I say a pescatarean. It seems like I may have finally lost the plot but I'm gonna give it a go. I started my journey into meat free living with a lunch of muesli. I could get used get used to this no?

 As if by design, who were we to see along the route but our dear companion kiwi Scott. In the 12 hours we'd left him he'd picked up another woman, about whom I'm sure he's already written a song, and stayed in a strange Slovakian bedsit. We continued on together, brothers reunited.. One last gig together for the battle of the bands!!

We were only 40km from Budapest but we decided to find a place out of town to wild camp. Of course before this our French fancy had suggested une petite biere in a local bar. This became 3 and we chatted with an 80s heavy metal accompaniment from the juke box. 

Off to the spot for the night overlooking the river, we ate, Scott pulled out the banjo and unleashed his weapon of seduction. In truth, he writes his own songs and they are genuinely very good. He has a real talent. He is a tortured soul bless him and his heart bleeds into his songs. We'll find him a wife along this route somewhere...

Anyhoo, thanks for reading. Speak soon x

Ben