Casa Robino

Well, so I got picked up by Dalma, a beautiful 24 year old with amazing mimic.
We go to the Budapest CS meeting, she goes to the bathroom, saying "make yourself some new friends" and who comes around the corner right after? Jeppe! Just incredible.
I spend the next day exploring the city and have a nice time walking over the Danube island with him. Dalma is busy, she studied ecology and is looking for a job in her profession now. Besides, she volunteers for green and fair trade projects. It somewhat makes me realize how much energy my job sucks out of me. Working as a Linux systems developer has many freedoms and the benefit of learning more about open source while getting paid for it, but it's still time I could use for noncommercial projects.
I was planning to stay till Saturday, but I can't stay at Dalmas place for Friday night and the German travellers I wanted to meet forgot to turn their phone back on apparently. So I make coffee with my coke^Wbeer can stove and hitch out. A romanian family gives me a ride to Belgrade, they seem to listen to a sermon recorded on tape - while speeding through Serbia with a radar alarm :)
I get stuck on a resting place near Nis until Sunday morning. So many Turkish trucks, it must be possible to get a direct ride to Istanbul. But no, I miss one opportunity and wait for the next one until I get picked up by a guy going to Thessaloniki.

He drops me right on the highway next to an industrial area. I'm very hungry so I ask my way to the next gas station but it's closed. The area is almost dead, except for guard dogs that often get out on the road. I stare back at them angrily. One follows me peacefully, but I get the impression that he's more interested in the blood on my calf than on my good character :) I make my way to downtown, find a quarter with nice bars and ask a guy with a "no borders, no nations" t-shirt if I could join them. We have a great night out together, they insist of inviting me for everything. I regret I bought junk food on the way - I wouldn't have needed to. In the end they point me to a squat.

A guy comes by. Can I come in and stay for a night? Yeah, one night should be okay. "But we're not a hostel, you know.." I do. The place is unbelievable. They squatted a 9 story hotel, every room has a balcony and a seperate bathroom. They don't pay for electricity and water, food is dumpstered from the marked and they get tons of "old" food from a bakery every day. There is a concert room, a free store and even a (defunct, unfortunately) swimming pool on the rooftop!
It's yesterday evening by now, and God has another miracle for me. Two German girls come by to hang out. Soraya wanted to go to Istanbul, but her train isn't going because the flood damaged the railway. She didn't want to hitch alone but we'll leave together in about two hours.

Life is just wonderful :)