Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Budapest is one place that, before leaving the states, I was very sure I would not bother with. Same goes for most of eastern Europe actually. Didn't hear much about it, and assumed it wasn't a popular destination for backpackers. Slowly, my perceptions of the eastern European countries have been developed and matured. They are not dirty, dangerous, and backpacker barren places at all. They are historically rich (very interesting recent history for Hungary), culturally proud and stable, cheap, and contain some of the most interesting travelers (much more of whom are going it alone as well). Croatia taught me some of this, but the second example of Hungary solidified it.
Arrived at a decent hour in budapest and had some action right from the beginning. An Asian woman that I met on the train tried to get off at the wrong stop and the door closed very hard on her bag. Someone from outside opened it back up for her and she proceeded to careen her head out the door to look at the stop name. Well, when the doors are forced back open chances are they will close again soon. Saw it start to close and I yelled to get her attention. She starting pulling back in but the door was too fast and smacked her right in the face. She wasn't bleeding but it bent her 300 dollar glasses in half and shot the lenses across the railcar. Next bit of excitement came when I realized I was in the belly of the metro station with an invalidated ticket. Canadian guy came up to me and advised me not even to try exiting the station and saying I didn't validate it cause the security was very curt with tourists and would surely fine me anyways. Well, he scared me quite a bit by pretty much summing up the fact that the people hate tourists here, but in retrospect I can sum up that he is a dumbass. Being that Hungary currently has zero tangible exports, they rely on tourists to keep their country afloat and apprecite whoever is interested in their country. Anyhow, once getting to the hostel I was pretty beat and just sat jabbing with some backpackers and watching a hilarious gameshow called szexy vagi nem. Sexy or not in English, and must say I don't know if it would have been as hilarious if I understood it. Next day myself, four Brits, three Irish, and another American went to the natural baths of Budapest. Very clean and sophisticated thing to do here. Sulfur smell was pretty powerful and one of the saunas was almost fatally hot. Steam probably burned up most of my nosehairs, but the cold mineral water pool just outside was a great relief. Cooked up some chicken with fresh chilis for salads and everyone had a few drinks in preparation for Budapest famed nightlife. First we went to a very chic bar with two floors and five different themed areas. Happened to be the shootout game between Uruguay and Ghana, which made the place a very exciting spot. Next stop was a club also with a few levels, the best of which was the rooftop where I met the brazilans I had previously seen on the train to cinque terre. Didn't know they would be there, and there are over 2 million ppl in the city, wild. Sunday was a slow wake up for everyone and I tried to rally the clan for a free walking tour that was supposed to be very informative. Was the longest I'd been in a European city without seeing the sights, but the tour did the trick. Guide was funny, insanely smart, and best of all very nationalistic. Parliament building here is the biggest in the world and very awing with it's spot on the Danube river. After the tour we had traditional Hungarian cakes and headed for a tour of the buda castle labyrinths. Spookey, but surprisingly funny. There were many fossils and such with write ups. We went along with it until we found a footprint in fossil form...with rubber treds. Turns out they were all fossils of new things with spoof write ups. Also saw the terror museum which is located in the old Nazi and communist headquarters. Neatest part was the elevator ride down where a video comes on about the Nazi treatment of Jews in the very basement where we were headed. Brutal, horrible acts of course but putting them out in
Public like that is the right thing to do if people don't want it to happen again. All that great exploring and the highlight came when we stopped at a food shack. Another kid had joined the group and I noticed the tray of saucy testicles. Once making sure that my travel channel education was correct, i made sure the server put one on his plate. Halfway across the Danube, I had finally guilted him enough that he took a nice sized bite of roasted rooster nuts. Today what was left of my new friends and I walked out to a place called Hero's square. Had lots of neat statues and such. Currently on the railjet train to Vienna!
- comments
Mom I haven't heard of or thought about many of these places since grade school history calss. So much more fun to read about you visiting them. So you didn't mention anything that you were eating. Are you creating a bad reputation for the Americans....are we chicken???