Bathing in Budapest

Early morning RyanAir. Woke up 3:00am. No, that’s a lie. Started getting ready at 3:00am. Never went to sleep. Was out the door with Eva at 3:30am. Walked to Eichendorfring to meet the others for the 4am/4:15am taxi to the train station. Train station by 4:35. Train at 5:20am to Frankfurt. Slept. Frankfurt by 6:15am. Breakfast. Boarded the bus to Frankfurt Hahn airport at 6:45am. Left at 7am. Slept. Hahn at 8:45am. Checked in. Flight at 10:20am. Slept. Arrived in Budapest around 12:30…

The 11 people split up. 7 were staying in one hostel, 4 in another. It was actually 6+1 in the one hostel, but Steve, the hostel owner, knew we were together and put a 7^th bed in the 6 bed room (both for us and for ease of the room key situation). After getting settled and receiving maps and city tips from Steve, we headed right across the street for lunch (a place Steve highly recommended). Traditional Hungarian style. I ordered Goulash, along with two others. It came served in a hanging tin pale with a live flame below, keeping it warm. The flame eventually burned out shortly after refilling my bowl from the pale.

The rest of Friday was picturesque. We walked passed St. Stephen’s Basilica where we met up with the remaining four. The tower closed just before we got there, so we vowed to return again the next day. From there, we headed to the Chain bridge. There I was called the paparazzi; after which I decided to earn my given title. [See the Budapest album if you haven’t already.] After crossing Chain Bridge, many of us headed up Buda hill. Four decided there were too many stairs to climb, and didn’t join us. They missed out on some beautiful views. The parliament was a popular photo subject while I kept myself quite busy shooting Fishermen’s Bastion.

After the day of sightseeing, the seven of us found dinner at an Indian restaurant. Dinner for seven came to 32,000 HuF (15% service included). After counting and recounting, we finally came to our total (the waitress refused to give separate checks). Three different people counted and arrived at 32,000. Someone insisted on handing the money to the waitress, for whatever reason. Probably thinking someone would swipe 32,000 from the table. Two people handed the waitress the money down by the register while the rest of us waited outside. The waitress counted the money and came up with only 28,500 and a slight of hand. That left the group 3,500 short, or 500 HuF short each. Which amounts to €2 a person. Sucks. But €2 isn’t the end of the world. The waitress earned herself a quick €14 with her equally quick hand.

Saturday’s highlights included St. Stephens Basilica inside and above. Then again up Buda Hill, this time over to Buda Castle, with a lunch stop at the foot of the castle, at the top of the hill, overlooking the Buda bank of the Danube and the entire Pest side. We watched a rain cloud come in. Eventually we dodged the 10 minute shower by hanging inside the entrance to one of the two museums in the castle. It was 15^th and 16^th century renaissance art, so waiting for the rain to pass what the only thing we did there. Buda castle around the outside was also worthy of a photo shoot. From there we played phone tag with the other four, who were headed to the citadel, atop Buda Hill’s neighboring slope. We must have passed them on our way up the hillside as they were coming down from the citadel. The refreshing ten-minute rain shower after hiking the hill in the lovely warm weather was almost as enjoyable as the view.

We finally met up several hours later for a group dinner at a guidebook-picked restaurant. It was supposed to be the most traditional Hungarian meal available, but it was not as cheap as the guidebook claimed, nor was it as traditional as the restaurant right across the street from our hostel. Again we were refused separate checks, but at least this time we were allowed to pay and get change back individually, which is almost the same thing, just without the paper that guarantees how much one actually owes. Watchful eyes (often multiple pairs) looked over the waiter’s shoulder to make sure we weren’t going to get scammed again. Three of us met the other four in a bar for drinks later that ..early morning (1am). We stayed out long enough to see the sun come up, after the bar herded us out at 4 o’clock.

Day Three started with the Great Synagogue, which was unexpectedly closed to tourists April 27 even though it was Sunday (not Saturday, though it was obviously closed then too). We walked around the side, where remnants of a cemetery lie protected inside the synagogue’s gate. Tombstones side, doubtfully atop the remains of the name they each read. All - every single one - disturbingly marked with the same year:

1945.

We attempted to get into Parliament, for which tickets were sold out for the day earlier than our 1pm time of arrival. Instead, we relaxed in the sun and green grass just outside Parliament for about half an hour, enjoying the beautiful spring weather. Afterwards, we received a vivid history lesson of WWII and Communist Hungary in the “House of Terror” Museum. We were shooed out of the museum at its 7pm closing time; though it was clear they were pushing us along ever since 5:30 when we got there.

Later, we met the remaining four in Heroes’ Square and the surrounding park on our mission to find Turkish baths. Steve said to ignore the (many) guidebook recommendations and head to the baths in the park instead of the other one the books recommended. I can’t compare to the book-recommended baths, but the four of us that enjoyed the baths certainly weren’t let down. The Turkish baths were an amazing way to wrap up a fantastic trip in Budapest.