July 9, 2007

Entry by Todd Newcomb, Bucknell Associate AD
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JULY 8

Our final day in Eger was met with mixed emotion. We can't believe how fast the trip has gone. One final practice in the famed outdoor spring-fed pool was all that remained in the water, and the team worked hard during that entire two-hour period.

We returned to the hotel for lunch and then a few hours later came back to the pool club one final time for a authentic Hungarian cookout. Imre had been hard at work since 9 a.m. cooking up a huge pot of goulash for our group and it smelled delicious as we walked onto the deck. The six-plus hours he put into the meal showed in its taste, and even though the group had eaten lunch just a little over two hours earlier they pounded down bowl after bowl.

Linda Toth, Imre's daughter, who had been our contact from the beginning to set up this trip, arrived from Los Angeles and we finally had a chance to thank her face-to-face for all her efforts. After several hours of enjoying ourselves on the deck, we said an emotional goodbye to Imre. He paid our group a very big compliment when he said that ours was the very best that has ever come through his program to visit Hungary in terms of intelligence and the desire to soak in the culture.

Most of the travel party took advantage of the next hour or so to return to the hotel and pack their belongings for the long trip home tomorrow. After that, we enjoyed our final dinner at the Hotel Aqua. The staff here has been truly remarkable in every way. They are hard workers and have met our every request to the very best of their abilities.

JULY 9

Travel day! After an 8 a.m. breakfast we boarded the bus for our trip back to Budapest and the airport.

How do you sum up the past two weeks? What an experience for us all. The team enjoyed the world's top water polo competition and had an incredible opportunity to come together as a unit. They've learned much from some of the top Hungarian coaches, and they've had an opportunity that very few will ever get.

Out of the water we experienced a different culture and learned so much about the history of this country. This was truly a once in a lifetime journey.

GO BISON!!