Budapest

---

Just finished an awesome time in Budapest, but I'm writing on my iPod again so I doubt I'll be able to type it all out on here.

My first day I went for a walk down the Andrassy ùt, Budapest's grand boulevard. I had my Rick Steves book in hand and looked like a complete tourist, but there was absolutely no way I could've blended in there--the language is incredibly difficult to pick up. In fact, Hungarian's closest language relative is Finnish, and it's not even in the same language language family as the rest of the European languages. Anyway, I thought Andrassy ùt was pretty, but not spectacular in itself. What I really loved the first day was my visit to the Turkish baths. These are all over the city and are a Budapest tradition: in fact, doctors will prescribe patients a visit to the baths for treatment sometimes. Anyway, after managing to communicate enough to get through the entry process, the baths were a treat. Part is outdoors in what looks like a scene from ancient Rome: three huge pools with fountains everywhere. I came out totally relaxed, if a little smelly from the minerals.

The next day I checked out the House of Terror museum on Andrassy ùt. This museum is dedicated to the double occupation of Hungary by the Nazis and the Soviets. I was really blown away, and wound up staying 2 hours. The exhibit was high-tech, the descriptions were well explained in English and the building itself is the former headquarters of the secret police of both regimes (complete with an all too realistic installation of the execution chamber in the basement). I noticed that the entrance is free for Hungarians over a certain who probably remember the building in its earlier form.

Next I checked out the Great Market Hall--one of the biggest indoor markets I've ever seen. I'm not usually a fan of markets, but I actually managed to haggle for a few deals at this one, so I feel like I won this time. Hah!

Next day I hiked up Castle Hil on the Buda side of the river, which had incredible views over Pest, where just about everything is. In fact, the subway hardly even goes into Buda. Another note about the subway, and the public transit in general: while it functioned well and was on time, I'm positive that many of the same vehicles and trains are from the communist era. They were big, ugly and old...and I saw the brand "Ikarus" on the subway, which I'm pretty sure I read was a communist company. Anyway, it just goes to show that things don't change overnight, and unlike East Germany, Hungary didn't have a rich western half to rebuild it. I actually think Budapest is doing a great job, and there were much less homeless people there than back in Berlin.

The hostel I stayed at was perfect, as far as I'm concerned. They had a community kitchen, a bar...basically everything you need in a hostel. The employees were friendly, as well; in fact, one of them took us out in Pest on Friday night (a big reason why I didn't do so much on Saturday). The other guests were cool, too, and although I'm traveling alone, I never got lonely there. Friendliness was the name of the game in Budapest for the most part, though. Rick Steves said the Hungarians are known for their hospitality, and I'd definitely agree with him. The people in Budapest made me feel very welcome, even though I couldn't speak a single word of their language!

---