Stag do in Budapest had all the making of a good piss up, the exchange rate holding up, beer cheap, strippers - although Bruno, The Stag had banned them and guns.  Arrived on the Friday morning and quickly checked into the apartments (lotus house flats) that we had rented in central Pest.  We had hired a tour guide for the initial night to show us the clubs which initially I was a bit dubious about but turned out to be an inspired decision.  First stop the local pub over the road and then onto the more exciting locations of a local sociallist pub and then a great club based on the top floor of an old department store and accessed via a maintenance lift.  Looking like some club out of hostel or some torture porn movie it didn't look like it would be that good but was pretty cool inside with random rooms with a variety of rooms and some good music.  We ended up there on two nights, the first meeting a random hen do and then the second night a late night music set of all types of eastern european folk music set to heavy beats.  You can find the site here - http://www.corvinteto.com.  The hen do allowed us to score points based on a stag task list, quickly amassing a few points and devil horns it was off to another club and a load of Italian exchange students.  A few drinks later and after nearly getting run over by a bus, believing that standing in the bus lane means they will slow down wasn't quite working as it does in the UK or even Italy for that matter, it was off to the strip club.  Having not told Franco this cued an argument and Franco's early departure with Biggs taking the role of the stag and a live on stage strip with one of the girls. 6am and bed!  I think this 6am was after a trip accross the river to a club in a this time modern shopping center before my beer autopilot kicked in and I walked home -  a somewhat longer distance than expected...

 

Second day was much of the same but this time with guns, after a gruelling 2h wander round Budapest to see a football stadium which was frankly shit it was then off to shoot guns.  Again looking like a building from hostel this was looking a bit random.  Sitting in the waiting room you could hear the sound of the guns as they went off in the room next door.  Once inside the line of guns resembled a Matrix film and we were going to get to shoot them all.  Now my aim is dodgy at bet, no idea why but if i aim in snooker i'll miss.  I play on instint and not sure shooting guns should be attempted in this way.  After the first few guns though I'd hit the target more times with a 10.  But once the Dirty Harry gun cam out it was all down hill as gun after gun left me wondering what the hell i'd been hitting.  Only the pump action showed I could hit the target! 

 

Chirag showed his Luton roots being allowed to shoot his gun side on gangster style to comedy effect as he hit the roof with a shot, possibly not the safest way to shoot but totally endorsed by the gun trainer and his mate (who looked like he might open up on all of us at any pont).  The final gun was a sniper gun with an amzing accuracy, despite shooting the wrong target to start with i manged to hit the bull clean off.  I think that is where my skills lie rather than with the AK and uzi.  After the guns it was more beer and music at Corventino and then bed at 5am.

 

Final day was more chilled with a spa and massage at the Gellert a old spa hotel on the banks on the Danube.  Although maybe deiring a fit 25 year old Hungarian female massuse it turned out to be a fat 50 year old burly bloke who was actually pretty damm good and feeling chilled after the warm spa's managed to clear alot of tension, must have more of these at home!  The final night spent partly in the rain trying to find somewhere and then endless games of table football and beers ruining much of the massage and chilling earlier.  Back to the strip joint, again without Bruno and this time just watching while the single guys took a dance.  Bed at 6am.  Flight home at midday!  Good weekend, tired and sleepy for another bruising week at work!  Roll on Sicily.