Is it a stress reliever to scare yourself half to death?
Well, three expat, first year teachers, desperate to forget their lesson planning duties for a night were about to find out!
For the thrill-seeking (and just plain curious) visitors of Budapest, a popular attraction of the city are Escape Rooms. There’s many variations on their set up, but the concept’s the same: you and your friends are locked in a room and your only way out is to solve a series of puzzles.
There’s no shortage of escape rooms to choose from in Budapest, but the “Lost in the Jungle” theme and price of 2990 forint ($11) per person had us settle on Paniq Szoba.
Atmosphere was everything there. We entered the quiet, unassuming building, were given a walkie-talkie by the mysterious assistant, and then were ushered down the basement stairs to our doom–er, room. If I said that descending into a bare walled, dimly lit, musty basement didn’t up the anxiety factor, I’d be lying. And when we heard the door lock shut, our survival instincts were awakened.
The 60-minute clock ticking against us, we wasted no time overturning props, sifting through gravel, and generally skimming everything in sight for a clue. Each time we found a key or unlocked a code you could see the jolt of excitement that ran through us. No wonder some people get addicted to these things.
We had to use the walkie-talkie to ask for hints a few times–Sherlock Holmes I am not–but for the most part we relied on each other as each of us helped put a different piece of the puzzle into place.
With mere minutes to spare, it was equal parts rush and relief to unlock the final door and walk into our freedom. And our friendship surfaced stronger, smarter, and a bit more patient than before.
If you’ve ever wanted to feel like you’re on your own reality show, or if you need to build some camaraderie, escape rooms are the place to go! And remember: don’t panic.
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