We recently took a bicycle trip around Hungary’s Lake Balaton, the so-called “Hungarian Sea”, which I feel ashamed to even propagate here, as it is so far from being a “sea” that it’s not even funny. Nevertheless there is a great deal of lore and legend about the temperament of the lake, which, at an average depth of about 2.5 meters, is pretty much a puddle for the Jolly Green Giant.The pictures from the trip are HERE.

So, we started by taking a Thursday evening train from Budapest’s Déli train station to Siófok, on the south-eastern end of the lake and stayed at the Camping Ifjúság, rated at two stars (who even knew campsites got starred ratings?) but really deserving of none, as it was a) not really close to the water, but really close to some amusement park rides, b) infested by noisy brats and obnoxious German-speaking tourists, and c) located exactly between a railroad line (on which endless freights clacked and clanged all night long) and a busy roadway (on which endless motorized vehicles, apparently ignorant of a concept called “common decency” rode up and down all night long). We had packed:

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If you’ve come to Hungary as a traveler or as an expatriate, you could probably chalk up some of your impetus to “wanting to see the world.” Meeting the local peoples, sampling local cuisine – these are the things that we revel in. The jet-set hops from place to place by plane, students take the slow route by train, poets hop freights or hitchhike, and those on a mission might ride in a plastic car.

Keiichi Iwasaki, however, is doing something else entirely. He’s going around the world – by bicycle. Currently 6 years and more than 30,000km into an estimated 10-year trek, this air conditioning repairman left his native Gunma-ken, Japanin 2001 with 160 yen (USD 1.25 / HUF 235) in his pocket and a vague notion to yes, see the world. Since then he’s traveled through more than 25 countries and reached unimaginable highs and lows.

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Have been meaning to post this beautifully-produced video of San Francisco bicylcists doing their most excellent thing, the achievement of which should be the goal of any serious rider (along with winning the Tour de France 7 times in a row, a la Lance). These guys bomb hills with no brakes, skidding to maintain some control and just cruising through cross street traffic like they had a death wish. Of course, skateboarders have been doing this since, well skateboarding started, but these guys deserve respect. As my sister might say, in Chinese, “you are crazy in head, question?”

50,000. Fifty-frickin’-THOUSAND. That’s how many people came out for today’s critical mass ride. This was the biggest turnout for a CM in the world. Ever. I’m speechless.

Pictures here (click on the picture for more).

The weather has finally gotten just lovely, and we spent a very nice Saturday afternoon plodding along in another slow-but-fun Critical Mass bike ride. This was my second time participating in the event, the first being upon my first arrival here as resident in September 2005. Like that one, the crowds (estimated at 32,000) made the riding quite slow, but we got to cruise up and down the river and over the chain bridge for a really enjoyable day. Later on we had dinner with blogger-buddies Eszter and Balazs (who also rode that day). Here are some of the pictures.

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