Hungarian Baths

Buda and Pest

If you have never spent 10 plus hours on a rickety night train that slowly but surely chugs along through central Europe, you should.  The cabins may be cramped and smelly, but it's a great way to get from one place to another while hopefully sleeping.  That being said, this is how I arrived in the land of Budapest, Hungary.  Originally two different towns separated by a river, Budapest is now a thriving and overlooked destination for many travelers.  On the first day, we walked all throughout the city stopping at the Great Market Hall for goulash soup and some window shopping, crossed the river and climbed to the top of the hill to view the city, visited the largest Parliament building in Europe, and visited a memorial for the Hungarian Jewish children who died in WWII.  For the size of the city it was quite walk-able, enabling us to see numerous parts of it.  And on the plus side, a Hungarian Forint, or Huf, goes a long way.  Although it is somewhat concerning to go to an ATM and request 25,000 regardless of the currency.  Budapest had a great number of young people making the city hip, fun, and fresh and boasted great neighborhoods for us to hang out in.  On day two we ventured past Hero's Square to the famous Hungarian Baths.  We spent the day in the warm outdoor hot springs situated in the middle of a park.  Later that night, our hostel, along with three sister hostels in the city, organized a trip to and enormous indoor water park - quite the adventure.  I never thought I'd be hitting up water slides at midnight in the middle of November with a group of foreigners in Hungary.  Then again, it's always good to be surprised.  Budapest is definitely a place that is deserving of more of my time in the future.

The David

Courtesy of Michelangelo