Budapest!

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Welcomed at the airport by Hainji (Hoy-nee) and Lajos (Lay-yosh), both very friendly, and perhaps as excited to meet me as I was to be embarking on my new adventure in their home country. Since my bags were delayed in Dallas, I didn't have to lug them to my new house. Oh, WOW, the new house! It is a great house in a remarkably beautiful neighbor in the Buda hills. The suburb is called 'Budafolk' and I am told it is full of doctors, dentists, and plastic surgeons. The lush landscape is fulfilling everywhere, even the tram stops.

Speaking of the tram stops, it takes about 25-30 minutes to get to my favorite place to hang out so far, Allee. There is much more to the city beyond that, so it can take me 45 minutes to an hour on the public transport to get to popular tourist spots. It is important to point out that 45 minutes on a tram is still FANTASTIC compared to the hour plus drive on I-25 from Fort Collins to Denver. I get to sight-see and read and just daze off while in route to my destination.

There is much to see in Budapest, bullet holes remain in many of the buildings, every building is unspeakably beautiful with the amazing architecture and the history is endless. Since Budapest is the 3rd largest city in Eastern Europe, you can think of it as similar to New York City with the thriving hustle and bustle and people of all walks of life. The population of this metro city is not what I expected, as it is not overwhelming and crowded - it actually flows harmoniously. There are markets everywhere and ALL the food is fresh and I do mean VERY fresh. The meats, cheeses, vegetables and fruits, nuts, honey, spices-- everything is produced here and the taste = mmmwwaaaaa! The cuisine is mostly meats and breads, so I am working on enjoying local food, while at the same time balancing my diet to match the healthy habits I honed in Colorado.

Aside from teaching during the week, which is crazy awesome fun in and of itself, I am meeting some great people and enjoying all the city has to offer. All in all, this is proving to be the right decision. I
p.s. Palinka - google it ?

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