the elusive zebra

In my haste to exit the train station, I never found a storage locker so carted my luggage all over this end of Budapest today. The buildings are so intricately ornamented here, every small street offers an eyeful of beauty. I was on a mission to find a particular mobile phone dealer: telenor. On the google map I downloaded at McHurls it didn't look that far. Dragging my luggage started to become a burden, especially when I arrived and found out the whole square was under construction and the telenor was closed. I passed several mobile phone shops that went out of business; it looks like that bubble really burst. So for now I decided to get a phone card. I promised Dharlene I'd call her by now. Well, that quest turned out to be a real wild goose chase, which I wouldn't mind in such a well adorned city were I not lugging my luggage everywhere. A big reason for being perpetually lost was a reliance on a "zebra" (same word in Hungarian) by the train station. All the directions I received were in relation to this zebra. Go past the zebra. Turn right at the zebra. You should know that I'm not good at directions even in my home city and my native language. I sure tested the wheels on my new luggage, rolling it for several miles over course cobblestone streets. In any case, I couldn't find this darned zebra! Eventually, back at the train station, a young girl and guy working the tourist info booth, who both spoke excellent English, were being extremely helpful until they too referred to this zebra. I told them I struggled and gave up looking for such a statue. They had a really good long laugh and explained that it's the term to describe the striped crosswalks! So these cuties sold me a phone card and gave me a map, and booked me a great, inexpensive room (only about 20% more expensive than a youth hostel) in what has turned out to be a lovely hotel around the corner. I'm off to the free breakfast now!