Budapest

Oh boy, where to even begin? So on Wednesday, I took a casual trip to Budapest, Hungary, and Prague, Czech Republic with 6 friends from UNC for our second week-long spring break, during which time I learned how to convert two foreign currencies stranger than Monopoly money, paid a visit to a Turkish bath, received a VIP couples massage, hiked two gorgeous mini mountains to see views of the Danube and Vltava Rivers, and found out what my max number of Prague sausages is for one day (it's about 2 1/2). But starting with the beginning of the trip...these are a few of my first views of Budapest, day 1:

Okay so not my very first views--after our super early flight through Barcelona, arriving in Budapest around 1 and getting a cab to the address of our hostel (where the driver said it would be just up and to the left), we proceeded to walk up and down Baross Utca, trying with all our might to understand Hungarian street names and navigate our way to Hipster Hostel. It was nowhere to be found. We finally did find it (exactly where the cab driver originally said, of course), tucked in between two restaurants in a very unassuming apartment complex with the tiny word "Hipster" beside a little buzzer for the third floor. So we got off to a rocky start, and from the beginning a few of my fears of traveling with such a large group seemed to be coming true as a few people wanted to find food, some wanted to walk around at their own pace, and other wanted to try to make it to a communism walking tour that started in 15 minutes. We elected to stick together, or at least try to, since it was only hour 1 of what could be a very long week otherwise, and booked it to the walking tour. Very informational, only it turned out to be a lot less walking and a lot more standing in one spot and learning how Hungary has been hit by every awful aspect of history imaginable. And I had no idea. After being conquered and reconquered by a number of tribes, the Ottoman Empire, the Hapsburg's, losing WWI, II, being oppressed by Stalin, and only getting out from under communism in 1992, the city has got some character, to say the least. I had never experienced anything like it, and this area of history has always gotten lost for me- whether its because the year ended before we could work our way up this far in history, or teachers wanted to avoid it altogether- so seeing it in such a real way made me glad I took the tour. But after 2 hours of info we decided to duck out and find food. Tim said the words "what I would give just to have some Chick-Fil-A right now" and as if by magic, we passed by a little place called "Csirkefalat," a fried chicken sandwich shop, and obviously the Hungarian answer to Tim's prayers.

After a rather stressful commotion of people adding their two cents about how to spend the rest of the afternoon, we made moves toward the train station to get all that figured out sooner than later. Thank goodness we did. Being the planner that I am, it put my mind to rest to know that I was going to end up in Prague after all. Chloe, Emily, and Eric chose last minute to squeeze Vienna into the middle of the trip, so it was only MC, Tim, Julia, and me leaving Friday at 3:30 for Prague (not a night train, such a good call). Now that that was all sorted out, I could begin to take in Budapest for all its beauty. The train station, for one, was designed by Gustav(?) Eiffel, designer of the Eiffel Tower. I leisurely strolled, now, through eclectic streets composed of Gothic-style architecture, modernist buildings, and contrasting communist-influenced  structures until I reached the parliament building. I also saw the river at sunset (the pictures above), and found a hummus bar and got the most delicious falafel to have ever graced my lips. I also saw my first 24/7 convenient store since being in Europe.

Now let's talk food. Hungarian food is like the world's best kept secret. Why are there no Hungarian restaurants in Chapel Hill?? I guarantee it would fit in perfectly on Franklin Street, and I know I'd be there at least twice a week. Chloe has a friend from Budapest who kindly showed us around some and took us to a place for dinner we never would have found on our own. It was right by the hostel but it didn't even have a sign out front, much less any type of English menu or English-speaking employees. Somehow we almost had the place to ourselves so the food came fast and it was all to die for. Julia and I started our trend at this restaurant of sharing almost all our meals. The same things looked good to us both so we'd each order one and split it- tonight was honey ginger turkey with pineapple and grilled veggies, split half way with an order of stroganoff (more like a pancake/crepe with cheese and sour cream on top in Hungary, AKA all-round deliciousness). Other foods included a spinach gnocchi and Gorgonzola-stuffed chicken, but Eric's perfectly-cooked duck took the cake. Needless to say we all joined the clean plate club. And the total bill was less than 60 bucks for 8 people. Unreal. After dinner we stopped into one of Budapest's well-known ruins bars, an old run-down apartment not fit for living any more, but now a fun, low-key beer garden hidden in the Jewish quarter of the city. I ordered some traditional Hungarian wine drink (which tasted a lot like a more syrupy version of Tinto de Verano to me) but we all enjoyed experiencing some local flavor and hearing the things Chloe's friend had to say. Thank goodness she was there, too, or else I would have been at a total loss for what to order. I'm honestly surprised people don't say Hungarian is one of the hardest languages to learn...did you know they actually create words as they go along in conversation? Our walking tour guide told us today they turn a subject, predicate, pronoun, all that business of a sentence into one word as they're speaking.
The next morning we found the Central Market Hall right by the Hipster and grabbed some pastries and fruit to go before trying another walking tour of all the main sights of Budapest. This one was awesome. Great tour guide who knew so much and didn't waste time on the things the group clearly wasn't interested in, and we saw the whole city, both sides of the river. I jokingly said under my breath, "maybe he'll show us a good lunch place and eat with us after the tour," and sure enough, when it ended he did offer to show us a not-so-touristy, not-so-expensive authentic Hungarian lunch place. After translating the menu and helping me decide what to get, I settled on a sauerkraut stew and mushroom soup to share with Julia's tomato lasagna. I'm telling you, this stuff is better than heaven on Christmas day. And what better way to top off lunch than a trip to Trip Adviser's number one recommended restaurant and ice cream shop. My flavors were white chocolate lavender and lemon basil, yes please.

Next stop: the House of Terror (Budapest's communism museum in the building of the old headquarter's of Hungary's Red Cross party). Things got real, really quickly. I actually didn't like the way the museum was set up; there was a long sheet of paper at the beginning of each room with small font, lots of words, that you had to read and then as you walked around the room, you couldn't figure out what artifacts meant what. But I could still pick up on the fact that Hungary is still very much affected by the communist regime and this museum doesn't sugarcoat anything. The bottom floor was filled with preserved cells they kept prisoners in. I had never seen anything like it. As important as it was to see, I was glad to move on to see a happier side of Budapest as it began to get dark. The group finally split up when some people wanted another sit-down meal (last night was good, but figuring out how to split a check of Hungarian currency where the ratio is 290HUK: 1US dollar, making the bill in the thousands [and I already struggle with math when its in manageable terms]...well that just wasn't for me.) I wanted to hike up Gellert Hill and see the city from above, and a Chloe, her friend, and Eric wanted to join me. I had no idea it was a legitimate hike, so I was so glad to have a local there to lead the way. It was pitch black and I would have most definitely gotten lost. But the view from the top, freedom statue that overlooks the city to my back, was breathtaking.

The four of us also stopped in a local bar that the university students normally go to and chatted about which language was the hardest to learn and other nerdy topics of that nature while we sipped on creative drinks with flavors like white chocolate raspberry and apple pie. After meeting back up with the rest of the group we went to Szimpla, another ruins bar (although this one is fake, its a huge bar/restaurant/lounge with the greatest vintage vibe). I know I'll make the place sound so tacky by describing the things I saw, but I'll try. Christmas lights wrapped around chicken wire and old wooden fence posts to act as a ceiling between two floors, leaving space for you to walk around the outside on the more sturdy flooring, up and down spiral staircases that will lead you to outside bars with fun drinks and a live band, a hookah lounge with lampshades of all shapes and sizes and random household items hanging above the bar, or an Amelie's-type hang-out spot with old living room chairs in some areas and old bathtubs-turned-love seats in others were all things you might encounter by meandering around. It was a great way to end the night with the 7 of us. 

Early the next morning MC, Julia and I rode the antique metro (although the escalators operated dangerously fast) to the Szechenyi baths...

...also known as my very own paradise. We ordered tickets beforehand and got there right when it opened, so for the entire morning we lounged in the different baths of various temperatures (except the cold one, because apparently you have to have a swim cap to get in that pool? We learned quickly when many wrinkly Hungarian women frantically started pointing at their heads yelling weird things and then the lifeguard blew his whistle at us until we got out). What can I equate a Turkish bath to? Maybe something like the YMCA, in that there are definite regulars that come to soak in the baths on a daily basis (I am just imagining this, but the fact that there were two men playing a set of waterproof checkers that they had set up on the concrete beside the steps to one bath made it seem like that was their usual spot). Only these baths focus solely on relaxation and healing of the mind, none of that working out business. The only sweating you'll do is in the huge sauna, which I of course did. Following my long sauna I took a cold shower, a dip in the warm pool, a spin around the whirl pool, and relaxing sit against a hot spring coming from the side of one of the warmer pools, a lap around the hot pool with cold water shooting out of fountains along the edges, a hot shower, and then sun-bathed until my couple's massage with Julia at 11:45. Somehow an appointment was cancelled and we got ours at just the right time so it worked out that we were in the VIP room, ambient music and all. I haven't gotten many massages  but this was my first ever experience with a 250 lb Hungarian man using techniques like massaging the backs of your knees and rotating your ankles at the same time...but hey I can't complain. Best 15 euro I could think to spend, and why not when you're in a Turkish bathhouse? The water left a chalky, dry residue on your skin but once you showered it left you feeling incredibly smooth and rejuvenated...which came at a great time since I hadn't showered yet on the trip (too much info? oh well). We found Tim back at the hostel and looked for lunch on the way to the train station, as well as a grocery store to blow the rest of our forints. However, we sorely misjudged the distance to the train station on the map and ended up having to run to make it to the train on time. Luckily we made it, snacks in tow, onto the train (with no air conditioning) without a hitch and had the whole car to ourselves for the first long stretch towards Prague.

So that, in a nutshell, was Budapest! The second day we did so much and I feel like we really got a feel for what the place has to offer, and everyone got along so great (which is such a blessing when you have that big of a group), but the last day might have been my favorite. Maybe its because after the museum on Saturday I tried to take a HOT yoga class from a studio in the SAME building that our hostel was in, but the woman told me I had to register online and that I'd miss the class and I'd have to come back another day...well sorry lady you just lost my business. But at least I tried. And it attests to the fact that our hostel couldn't have been more perfectly chosen. It was essentially just an apartment for us; I think there were only 2 other guests in the whole place, and its next door to hot yoga. But on the third day I experienced the bath, something I might not ever do again, and got a lot closer with my 3 travel partners. We planned on sleeping on the train but ended up talking the entire time, and before we knew it 7 hours had passed and we had arrived in Prague. We easily found the hostel, which turned out to be more of a bumping night club on the first floor, hotel on the upper floors, and once we spotted the late-night pizza/kebob place across the street we knew what dinner would be. Half of a large veggie pizza later I was ready to call it a night, so we happily crashed in our private room with no intentions of setting early alarms in the morning.

The only picture I have of all 7 of us