Flooded

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Just before arriving in Budapest, we were approached in the train by a suppose to be tourism agent offering tourist informations. The first moment we were surprised with the efficiency of the tourism authority of Hungary. After a while we discovered she was actually a tout in charge of getting guests for a certain hostel. We normally don't like this. If the hostel was as good as she said there was no need to push us there. Anyway, she gave us a discount card for the hostel and after checking other places we stayed there and it was very good!
Hungary has a currency with many zeros, and this confused us at the ATM. Claudio had to type 5 zeros to withdraw the equivalent of US$100. Thinking it wouldn't be enough, he tried a new withdraw but the machine refused it telling it was over the limit. Claudio got mad with the machine and almost kicked it! Counting the money back at the hostel we found out that Claudio miscounted and typed one zero too much. Thanks to the machine we didn't went bankrupted.
On the list of "must do" in Hungary, are the Roman Bathhouses. We picked the most traditional one of the list and went. We wanted in reality was go to the unisex pool located between the boys-only and the girls-only areas. In the maize of corridors from this ancient building we got lost, finding only the male sauna. Like in the ancient times in the sauna man uses only a small curtain covering the genitals leaving the back exposed. We felt a bit uncomfortable but joined the tradition. The discomfort became a real problem for Claudio when a old men approached him in the hot pool asking "what is your beautiful name?" and "Can I touch you?" We decided it was time to leave. Only few days afterwards we were told it was a gay bath!
After our attempt to go to Romania (Dracula), we didn't want to stay in the same hostel, so we moved to the BBA hostel (Backpackers Budget Accommodation). In the first moment we didn't like the place. I didn't look like the nice hostels we have been. It was nothing more than a big apartment in a old building with lots of bunker beds inside. Our bad impression about the place started to change when we got to know the owner Pablo. A guy from Porto Rico that runs this kind of hostel everywhere he goes. Instead of temporary job, he has a temporary hostel! Staying at BBA we learned that the people staying in a place is much more important than the place itself.
During one of the many conversation we had with Pablo, he said we admire the trip we were doing, but so clean shaved we didn't look like real backpackers. From this day on, we decided to be more relaxed on our appearance. No more shaving, hair cuts, clean clothes every day... we would look like Ogres!
"Girls prefer the laid back backpackers" said Pablo.

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Photos

Danub River
Hungary parliament at the distance!

Baths
The pool for after the hot bath!

Entrance hall
The feeling is that you came back in time.

Stairs
Fernando's geometric pictures

Flooded
Supposed to have a street between the parliament and the Danube river.

Stop!!! Water
The street in front of the parliament.