This really started the patrons wondering about us. Not only were we
definitely not locals, we dress really different, we couldn't even speak
Dutch. As we drank our light lagers the bartender asked us if we were
English, we told him we were Americans on vacation. The other patrons were
asking him about us, he would ask in English, his English was pretty good,
then he would talk to them in Dutch.

     The bartender's name was Ivo, pronounced E-vo. He wanted to know why we
had come to Belgium for vacation, and we told him, the beer. This interested
him and he went to a cooler at the back of the bar. A guy sitting around the
bend of the bar started talking to us, his English wasn't so good but we
talked a little. Then Ivo comes up with some bottled Belgians. I still don't
know if it was to engage our interest in Belgian beer or as an opportunity
to get rid of some stock he couldn't sell to the locals. Finding that Primus
was a very nice light lager but we didn't go all that way to drink American
style beer, we started on the bottled stuff.

     I don't recall all the different beers we drank that day, but our
system was that we would all order something different, all taste each
others beers, and if we really liked one of the other guy's, we would order
a bottle for ourselves, but for the first few rounds we stuck to 3 different
styles. I know we had some Abbeys, some Trappists, some regional ales,
Saisons, etc. For the type of bar it was, this Ivo really knew his beers,
and he served each in its proper glass. This is when we noticed the large
collection of different glasses he had behind and over the bar.

     The guys in the bar kept asking Ivo to translate questions and comments
and the other guy who spoke English got more into the act. His name was
Daniel and he was very friendly and funny. So it was after our third, no
fourth round that we were all good buddies. A few of the regulars settled
into a card game and we, while continuing to sample the wares, talked to Ivo
and Daniel. They wanted to know why we had come on our vacation to Genk and
proceeded to ask us what we were going to do while we were there. We told
them we were just passing through basically, then they started to tell us
all the things we must see while we were there, the open air market, Bokrik,
the Ford plant, and Daniel's plant which made some component of the cars for
Ford. Turns out Genk is a hotbed of manufacturing with people from all over
Eastern and Western Europe living there because of all the blue collar jobs.
The pay scale is low but so is the cost of living, (the beers were cheap)
and there is plenty of work, unlike other places.

     We asked about accommodations in town if the hostel didn't work out, I
had a funny feeling about it, it was so unlike our other hostels, They said
there was a pensioner (cheap hotel) called Byford, around the corner. We
figured we would check out the hostel first, then the Byford, it was 1,000
Belgian marks pre person per night, about $27. Daniel who was getting a
little loaded by now gave us his address and said if we couldn't find a
place to come to his house and he would put us up. Only if we couldn't find
a place. This guy was a blast. He was playing songs on the jukebox making us
guess who the group or singer was. He's really into Joe Cocker.

     Daniel made us promise to meet him at the bar at 7AM the next morning
for breakfast, (beer), and he will give us a tour of the town and the open
air market they have once a week and then his plant. We tell him we will
most definitely be late. Ivo gave us all hats, Daniel said we shouldn't miss
Bokrik, and we bid adieu to the Genker Pub. On the way out one of the guys
tells Tony that he looks Italian, the guy was from Italy in Genk for the
work, and Tony verified that he was Italian-American.

     Momma-Mia, that's all paisons.

Next - the Hostel

Pictures - This looks like a nice place, - Ivo, Daniel and the boys