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It was a long weekend in the UK and so my friend Taryn and I decided to see where the cheap flights would take us. On the 25
th of May we arrived in Budapest and made our way to our Hostel, Carpe Noctem, on the Pest side of the Danube River.
I had originally heard about Carpe Noctem when I was travelling through Greece last year. Numerous travellers had been raving about it, so much so that I knew that one day I would travel to Budapest for a stay. The hostel was very small and homely, with only two rooms consisting of about 14 occupants at their combined max. Immediately Taryn and I were introduced to the staff and other guest who became our good friends and travel companions over the next few days.
Only a few hours after our arrival, the hostel crew lead us to the Lukacs Baths, one of the thermal spa’s which Budapest was so famous for. However, this was to be no normal bathing experience, for every Saturday night the djs come out, the strobe lights come on and the bar opens to turn the venue into one hell of a pool party.
It was nothing like I had ever experienced – with drinks for around 2 pounds a glass you can imagine what kind of madness people got up to. That being said, there didn’t seem to be any major problems and an amazing night was had by all. My friend and I agreed that it was an experience we will never forget and a brilliant way to begin our stay.
The next day we dragged ourselves out of bed and walked to Heroes Square, the castle and the city park where – to our good fortune – a large market was taking place. After lunch we set off on a 3 hour walking tour which would have taken us to all of the main Budapest sights – if only we had of made it until the end! Unfortunately, our night of partying at the baths had caught up with us and since rather large black clouds were also beginning to form, we decided it would be best to take a rain check. With that being the case, after seeing all of the touristic sights in Pest we left our guide apologetically with a good tip for her efforts
and returned to the hostel to get a couple of hours sleep.
With our batteries recharged and some great goulash in our bellies, we set out from the hostel as a big group, ready for our second night out. Our first stop was Retox, the sister hostel of Carpe Noctem where we made the most of the cheap drinks and bonded with some more travellers over an American game of Slap Cup. From there the night progressed as we had our first encounter of one of Budapest’s ruin bars; abandoned buildings that have been converted into artsy, funky and alternative socialising spots for locals and tourists alike.
Taryn had to fly back to London the following day, feeling rather worse for wear after another long night and only a few hours sleep. We spent the morning together enjoying a large fry up with the rest of the hostel crew and then went our separate ways. I joined some of the American backpackers at a cute restaurant where they ate their breakfast and then we made our way to see the Jewish shoes on the Danube; a moving memorial which honours the Jews who were killed in Budapes
t during
World War II. Next we crossed the chain bridge and walked along the promenade to take in the spectacular views of the river and the magnificent Neo-Gothic Hungarian Parliament building. It was definitely one of the most stunning pieces of architecture that I have seen during my time in Europe, especially when it was lit up at night.
Since my new American friends and I were in no rush, we decided to spend the rest of our afternoon visiting teahouses. Teahouses of all places, really? But yes, after spending a good hour trying to find buildings that even the locals on the streets didn’t seem to know existed, we found ourselves entering miniature, unsigned doors that lead to places like nowhere I had ever drunk tea from before. The first house we entered was named Sirius. Inside, we took off our shoes and entered a room that seemed to mimic either the world of Narnia or Aladdin, I couldn’t decide. We had the choice to climb up ladders to wooden bunks, crawl though a wardrobe door to sit in a small room where we could be served through a cubby hole or to simply relax on a
cushion and admire the patterned carpets on the ceiling, drinking one of 75 flavoured teas. The second teahouse we visited named was Altair and apparently “recalls the mood of Asteroid B 612”. To be honest I found it more like a drinking tea in a tree house, but it was brilliantly quirky and original all the same.
On my final night in Budapest the Carpe Noctem guests and I went for a few quieter cocktails (again very inexpensive at only about 2 pound a glass) and then to an open mic night where confident musicians took to the stage. The following day I did some shopping at the grand market hall, visited the Gellért Hill Cave Church and took a walk up the hill to witness incredible views of the city. It was the perfect way to end my great time in Budapest, I thought!
Overall, Taryn and I had an amazing break away. Budapest is a beautiful city, great for young travellers and it is a destination that I would return to in a heartbeat. What’s more, if it hadn’t of been for Carpe Noctem and the great staff I do not think I would have left
with half as many good memories and stories to tell. Thanks to the crew who showed us the best places to go in the city, you guys sure know how to party and I hope to be back to see you again soon!
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