Budapest And Who Was The Man With The Golden Gun – What Happened?

So What Happened in Budapest and Who Was The Man With The Golden Gun? I think this is a good post to share for people Interested in my travel stories. I think this actually would make a good movie lol

This was a funny thing that happened to me whilst I was away in Hungary back in 2022. It shouldn’t really be funny what happened but looking back I think it kind of is.

It was a disaster. I had no smart phone to access what I needed to, I had no idea where I was and WORST OF ALL I could not find my hostel.

The worst part was after asking for directions and walking round in circles (for god knows how long) I got in a taxi that I couldn’t afford to pay.

This driver must have had me in his cab for over an hour. He had his friend in the front seat as a passenger. Both pretty big guys and my impression was that I didn’t think they were the sort of people you messed with.

It seemed to me they was kind of joking around about the predicament I had found myself in. They spoke English but was calling a woman and speaking Hungarian. In my head I thought they was going to take me somewhere and force me to do something I didn’t want to do.

Maybe they was trying to find me somewhere to stay. I don’t know.

It was a nightmare! I still had my 2nd burner phone with me so I called my sister and begged here to send me £100. It was around 2AM in the morning.

This money is actually what got me home in the end but I didn’t actually realise at the time that she had sent it. I didn’t end up paying the taxi drivers a penny and I was quite surprised when they let me go without paying them.

It was a shame I couldn’t really, as I think they were good people. It just wasn’t possible there and then due to my situation.

So they let me go, and at this point I had accepted that I would be out on the streets all night. It really didn’t phase me too much. I kind of didn’t batter an eyelid at this – I’d already spent the last 3 nights outside in Malta, and there was also Prague just a couple months before this which I was constantly getting lost wandering around till the early hours of the morning.

My plan was that I would somehow make my way to the airport. Even if I had to walk the whole way.

I will get back to this part soon. It was all one mad thing after another.

Now,

As For Meeting The Man with The Golden Gun

After being let go by the taxi drivers who said “I was now on my own”. I decided to head back to the airport so I was 100% ready to get my plane home the next day. It had been a long week and I just wanted to get home.

Although it was at this point after I left the taxi driver and his friend that I put my hand in my bag and went into a panic as I thought I had lost my passport. I was frantically looking for it, going through my bags, pulling my clothes out and walking up and down at this bus or tram stop (can’t remember which it was).

At one point I almost got hit by a tram crossing the road. I thankfully did not but what I never realised was that whilst I was not paying attention I was walking towards this man.

He had a dark red, kind of burgundy leather jacket on and a trilby hat if my memory serves me correct and when I got near him that’s when I see it. He did not talk but out of his pocket he pulled out what looked like a golden gun.

Not blatantly but he just flashed it to me from the inside of his jacket.

Really, I think I must have looked like trouble. I was a mess. I think if someone like myself had been walking towards me that night I would have been a bit worried.

So, yes maybe this was what it was like for the man with the golden gun.

I actually don’t know if people in Eastern Europe actually carry guns around for protection but I figured Budapest / Eastern Europe is not like where I live in the UK and perhaps this is more normal over here.

Or perhaps he was some kind of Eastern European gangster – I guess at least he didn’t shoot me lol

And I know perhaps this is wrong for me to assume this but I think this is believable.

So What Did I Do?

After seeing what looked like a Golden Gun I was SCARED! – I actually thought “screw my passport, I’m getting out of here”. There was a bus or tram (can’t remember which it was) and I jumped on without paying.

I was thrown off at the next stop for not having a ticket and the funny thing was I found my passport whilst on this bus.

This whole situation could have been avoided by just staying calm and looking properly but my mental state was not good. I was all over the place.

Although, still – when I thought about what happened later on I did laugh and think – was it really a man carrying a gun around with him? Was he really signalling to me “don’t come near me – I am not someone you mess with” ?

To be honest I kind of respect that. Some people just want to be left alone but then what I also thought was – maybe he wasn’t some sinister criminal but just another joker who probably used this Golden Gun to light his cigars or cigarettes.

It sound a bit more likely really as why would he have not had a normal black gun.

I had this image of him seeing me run away as he lit his cigar with his golden gun laughing his head off. I guess who knows apart from the Man with the Golden Gun

And I know people probably will think this is a load of nonsense. Like no way could this have really happened but something like this did happen HONESTLY and with everything else this should have put me off going back to Budapest ever again. But It did not.

I was back there less than a year later…

(And just to clarify whilst I am updating this I will be heading there again in about a weeks time)

Anyway back to the story

24 Hours Earlier – I am Still In Malta

Now, this was MY PROBLEM. The reason I come to Budapest was this was the cheapest flight back from Malta. I didn’t think it was a problem when I booked. I am really a sucker for stop overs and having the excuse to visit new cities but my trouble was that I lost my smart phone in Malta.

This was my 2nd time on the Island and my big mistake here was I didn’t book enough nights at my hostel and I could not find somewhere else to stay. I had spent the last 3 nights outside and I was drinking basically non stop.

One of these nights I lost my phone. It must have been in Silema I was sitting on a high wall over the sea and it was so strange because there was 2 objects in the sky in tandem with each other going round in circles. It was kind of just confusing and I think that is when I lost my phone.

And thinking about it all I’m pretty sure if I had somewhere to go this wouldn’t have happened and it was very stupid of me to let things get this bad.

One night I spent in someone’s garden by their pool on a sun lounger. They was not too happy when they woke up and found me underneath their towel and it was a silly idea – I was covered in mosquito bites and was badly sun burnt. Although, I didn’t really fuss too much about this at the time.

Malta is not a bad place to wander round. It was actually pretty cool exploring places I wouldn’t otherwise see but STILL I wouldn’t recommend having nowhere to stay whilst your here.

So, I booked my hostel for the night in Budapest on one of my friends phones. I had to write down the name of the place and I never wrote down the address. I was not too concerned really. If I had just wrote all this down I may have been alright.

But anyway, whilst on the subject of Malta.

Funny Story About Malta

The reason I came to Malta was a group of people I knew had booked their own holiday and I thought it would be funny to gate crash it. One day I went to their hotel when they was all up in their rooms.

So I thought I would just wait for them like I did the day before but I didn’t just wait for them I went for a swim and made myself comfortable on a sun lounger for about an hour before being approached by the hotel staff..

This included the hotel manager and several security guards. There must have been about 5 of them. At the time I thought it was pretty funny because the Hotel Manager looked just like Wilson Fisk aka The Kingpin out the Netflix Daredevil show.

I wasn’t sure if he was genuinely concerned or what but after walking with him he asked if I was booked to stay at the hotel.

I said I wasn’t and that I was just waiting for my friends who were actually staying there. They did not even let me pick up my bag.

It was after I messed up with my hostel situation and after asking my name the Kingpin and his goons said “come with me Alex”. I’m sure they was all crowded round the sun lounger I was on before I had to leave with them.

I was taken into the lift without my bags and he was asking me “who are your friends” and I told him a few names. Probably I shouldn’t have done but I think in my head I thought it wouldn’t be an issue.

That did not go down very well. Afterwards he went and knocked on one of their doors. They thought this could have got them chucked out (thankfully it didn’t lol) and they was furious. The next holiday I went on with this group he did not come and I’m sure was for this reason.

But anyway back to the story – I was then taken down into the car park.

There was the Kingpin with his security guards either side of him. I don’t want to exaggerate but I think there seemed to be a lot of people there. Kingpin was repeating the same questions and he said he was worried about me.

It actually dawned on me though that these were not the police and they could not keep me there so I said as much and then I left.

I actually slept in the hallway here after this. At one point I was trying to sleep on some chairs and after I just stayed on the sofa at reception reading a book – I don’t think the Kingpin see me luckily.

So I had no trouble getting to the airport after this. To get from St. Julian’s in Malta to the airport on the bus is a piece of cake. It’s one thing I love about this country. I had no trouble really getting to Budapest except I had to pay to have my boarding pass printed as I did not have my phone to show them it.

I may have even had to pay for a new flight. It seemed a lot for a new boarding pass. Although I do know what rip off merchants these airlines can be. You would think this is no trouble for them but anyway.

What Happened After Golden Gun Gate

It was a pretty diabolical predicament. I got on a bus which I thought would get me closer to the airport for my flight the next day. I got off somewhere on the outskirts of the city. I think I had a 24 hour bus pass at this point so I could go wherever but after this the buses had stopped running.

At one point I was waiting at a bus stop and I was falling asleep and falling off my seat. Like I don’t know if anyone reading this has experienced this – I suppose it isn’t but kind of like Narcolepsy where you fall asleep without trying.

But I think it was just tiredness and coming off all the alcohol as I could not afford to buy anymore (or so I thought).

After this I gave up on waiting for the bus. I ended up walking down this road and it was horrible. There was lorries driving past me with no Catalytic converters the air quality was terrible and I think this actually made me ill.

There was a van which I’m pretty share said Bear Catcher on the side. There was a cage with birds in up the road that looked really grim as well.

I kept walking trying to find a bus to the airport but no one could understand me. The people that could I think must have thought I was mad because the airport is basically up a mountain. It was absolute peril but I did the smart thing in the end – I got in another taxi (not the same one lol) and I got them to take me to the airport.

My sister really saved my bacon here because I don’t think I knew it but I now had money to pay for this taxi – It wasn’t cheap but totally worth it.

I remember kind of just going round in circles in this taxi – I wondered if they was doing it to hike up my fare but I got to the airport at around half 6 in the morning FINALLY – I had to pay again to get my boarding pass printed but I actually unbelievably got my initial flight back to Luton.

When I got back it was the Queens last Jubilee, my sister was having a party for it and I was not very well.

I think I had piles or something – I will spare the details but this did not put me off going back to Budapest.

The Second Time Was a Charm

Going back to Budapest I had no trouble whatsoever. I was ready for it. I had my phone with roaming data and I actually came here and enjoyed myself the whole time I was here.

The highlight for me was Budapest Zoo. It’s an amazing place that i highly recommend. Really I wanted to go to the Bear Sanctuary too but I was worried about if I’d have enough time.

I will have to go back for this I reckon and also the Danube boat trip.

Although, the funny part was I went back to the same part of the city as before. I think I even see one of the taxi drivers. Really I could have gone up and offered them some money but I wasn’t sure if it was actually them.

I went back to the bus stop where I see the Man with the Golden Gun as well – I was giggling like a little girl – just at the thought – he was not there lol

Who knows if we will ever meet again. I was laughing at one of my Avengers comics the other day. If you look at the cover they are in Budapest.

I’m sure people can guess which villain they are going after.

Surely it must be the Man with the Golden Gun lol

And actually this was what I wanted to write this post about today. Seeing this comic book cover actually inspired me to write this but really and truly when I started TeddyBearsTravels.com this was actually going to be my first blog post.

I actually scrapped this but I guess it was only a matter of time before I shared this story in a blog post.

I shall finish up this post here but if you have enjoyed reading this there are a few ways you can help support me towards my future travels if you would like to do so.