Budapest

Budapest is the capital and most populous city of Hungary.  It is the combination of the medieval cities Buda and Pest (thus the combined name).  These cities were created in the 13th and 12th centuries, respectively, but were only combined into the Budapest we know today in the late 1800s.  Hungary has seen a great deal of political turmoil in its time.  The legacy of Ottoman rule is still clear in the city’s bathhouses and its love for the spice paprika, and the tumultuous change of rule during the 20th century included the rule of the Austro-Hungarian empire, takeover by the Nazis, Communist rule during the Cold War, and finally democracy that is now collapsing into authoritarianism.  The city is now a beautiful, thriving metropolis, full of fantastic culture and (especially) nightlife.

After a sleepless ride on the night bus, I arrived in Budapest.  Once arriving at the hostel, I put the couch to good use and enjoyed a few hours of recovery.  After these hours had passed, I joined up with new friend Tom to check out a nearby market and grab some lunch.  Fresh juice stands are quite common in Budapest, so I made sure to sample one as soon as I could.  After the market, Tom and I shared a startlingly large bowl of Goulash (basically beef broth with meat, potatoes, vegetables, and an intense amount of paprika). 

After lunch, we stopped back at the hostel so I could check in to my room.  We then joined up with new hostel-mate Joe and set out to take a walking tour.  The tour began in one of the city’s main squares, where I took the opportunity to drink from one of the spouts on the fountain.  Budapest’s fountains all dispense potable water, and make for a fun picture. 

The tour took us from the main body of the city (Pest) and across the river to the castle (in Buda).  Buda and Pest were originally two cities, but were combined into the Budapest we know today during the Enlightenment (???).  The castle had beautiful views of the city and stunning architecture.  Unfortunately, most of it was built after WWII, as it was destroyed by Allied forces in their fight against the Nazis who used it as a stronghold.

In the evening I went out on a pub crawl to check out the local nightlife.  Budapest is known for having excellent bars, and I certainly found that to be the case.

The next morning, I linked back up with Tom and Joe for some brunch and a walk through town.  While some parts of the city aren’t particularly interesting architecturally, they are still host to the occasional street mural or beautiful building.

After brunch, we went to the House of Terror, a museum on the role of secret police first during the Nazi occupation of Hungary then during Communist rule up through the 1990s.  This museum did not allow pictures, so I’ve only got a few below.  The short version was that those who sat in opposition to the state suffered greatly, and were often taken away in secret.  These prisoners were often severely tortured and sometimes executed. 

After the museum, we went for a walk towards the city’s main park.  The walk was along a lovely pedestrian path, culminating at the base of a large square with a huge obelisk.

Once we entered the park, we took the opportunity to take out a tacky plastic canoe onto the manmade lake.  The boat made for some awkward paddling, but it was a nice way to spend a half hour.  I took the opportunity to get a side view picture of the nearby castle.

After leaving our pseudo-canoe behind, we took a walk through the nearby castle.  The architecture was like something out of a Disney movie, with beautiful tall turrets and winding walkways.  It made for a few lovely handstand pictures.

After the castle, Tom and I went to sample one of the city’s Turkish bathhouses.  These, like the city’s preference for the spice paprika, are a remnant of the centuries that the city spent as part of the Ottoman Empire.  They use natural mineral water from the city’s natural springs, and are a lovely way to spend a couple of hours.  The baths are co-ed and thus clothed, though apparently there are segregated baths at the city’s more traditional locations.  Afterwards, Tom and I went out for Gyros near the hostel and got ridiculously large beers.

That evening, I teamed up with some new friends from the hostel for a night out.  One of our compatriots, Rachel, had just become a year older (25?) and was thus looking to celebrate.  After alerting the staff at the first cafe we visited, we were rewarded with a round of fruity shots and a flaming cup of absinthe.  We then toured a few more bars before ending up at a Latin dance club that we all throughly enjoyed.

The next day, we woke up late and visited a bagel sandwich shop for lunch.  It was extremely hip and we ate using an old door as a table.  I then spent the afternoon at the hostel catching up on my blog and picking my next destination (only an $82 flight!).  I also took the opportunity to call my friend Andrew from home to catch up.

Afterwards, I linked up with Nina (roommate) and Nick (hostel staff) to grab some food and a beer.  We checked out a local place that made grilled baguette sandwiches, stopped at a beer garden to drink and chat, and then got stuck in the rain on our way home and dived into a local bar for a second round of brews.

After a shower and a new set of clothes, I sat in the hostel kitchen to drink and get to know more people from the hostel.  We were all ready to go out when the storm kicked back in, delaying us by about an hour and a half.  Fortunately, the group’s energy prevailed and we made it out for a beer garden and a trip to the famous Szimpla, the crown jewel of the Budapest ruin bars.  These ruin bars are situated inside formerly abandoned buildings and are usually decorated with various reclaimed materials and objects.

The next day I headed to the packed Budapest airport for my flight to Morocco! 

Surf’s up, see you in Tamraght.