budapest

Europe » Hungary » Central Hungary » Budapest
August 1st 2006

Published: August 4th 2006

we left venice at 9 to take the overnight train to budapest, and it was very interesting!! karla got yelled at by the train ticket man at 3 in the morning in broken slovakian for about 10 minuts it was not fun. the people at the train station in venice told us that we could take the train to budapest going through slovakia with no charge (because the europas that karla has does not work in slovakia if you get on and off but was suposed to work just passsing through) BUT that was a blatient lie!!! we found out it was a lie when we were shaken awake at 3 am and demanded for our tickets, and then he made kar pay 30 euros for the hour ride passsing through slavakia .... it was shit!!

but we are here now in budapest and and it is surprising how much it feels like Canada. both with the landscape (with the trees and farmland) and, because budapest (since it has been pretty much all rebuilt since 1945) it is alot bigger then other places we have been to. the roads are the big as are the cars and there are virtually no scooters or mopeds to speak of it is really different then everywhere else so far. (mostly because of the war we were told). however at the same time there is nothing modern about the culture or the people themselves who still practice traditions and customs witch date back more then 200 years. yesterday we went on a bike tour around both cities buda and pest, it was unreal, everything that has been rebuilt since the war was built to resemble the old Hungarian architecture but all with modern touches so it looks like a combination of old and new. the history is so rich here as (we were told my the tour guide) the history dates back to pagan times and the beginning of european christianity and has traded back and forth between comunisum and democracy on and off eversince WWI. and in my opinion (ian) is one of the most culturally rich places we have been.

the city itself if beautiful and we are staying on a river boat right on the Danube with a view out over the water to an island in the middle of the river where for the pats three days there has been some type of music festival going on so there is perpetually music coming across the river into out room its great. and then today we went to the hungarian thermal baths, which are great, it was so relaxing!

The Hungarian baths are basically different sized pools with different temperatures of mineral water. The first one we went in was a huge outdoor hottub about the size of half a football field. the water was so warm it was excellent. then one of the biggest thunderstorms we have ever seem randomly came in while we were in the pool it was nuts, but really awesome having the cold raindrops hitting us while in a warm pool. There were 3 pools outside. Once you go inside you find a never ending (it seems) room on room on room of pools, hot tubs filled with mineral water .. sooo relaxing.. and saunas... not too bad i must say. we even got a 15 min massage each (gotta love the exchange rate ... hungary was definitely one of the most cost efficient countries we´ve been to) so after a nice and relaxing time spent at the baths we had to walk home.... ok not so relaxing. it was pouring rain and freezing. It took us 2 hrs to walk home. We couldnt take public transportation cuz it was rainng so hard that they were closing streets and trams werent working anymore, and where the road was flooded the cars were using the sidewalk as a road. the wind was so strong that we saw a few broken trees ontop of cars. it was crazy. it was all good though.. we made it in one piece and we´re both still having the time of our lives! cant believe we´re home in about 3 weeks! time flies thats for sure.. we both loved hungary --- next stop vienna, austria! - I & K

p.s. happy birthday mom iezzi!!!! (july 31) te amo.. estou com saudades!!! -kaka

p.p.s forgot the camera connection so more pictures to come soon ..
ciao

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