On the evening of Thanksgiving, after a nail-biting late arrival at the Athens airport, I start a trip that will land me in Budapest, Hungary. Budapest marks my first international venture outside Athens, my first stay in a hostel, and my first serious solo international travel. Even though I flew to Athens alone in August, I knew that there was a support system waiting for me on the other end. In Budapest, all that's waiting is a taxi at the airport and a hostel reservation! I take the time during the flight to look through a couple of guide books that I checked out of the library, and I make note of what I'm interested in seeing and doing in this beautiful Hungarian city. I booked my visit purposely during the Christmas Festival that the city has, so I know that's going on my list. There's also outdoor skating, the opera house, the thermal baths, and museums; my aunt, who loves the city, adds the Historic District, the zoo, Parliament, and the bridges.
When I arrive in Budapest around 11 pm with my backpack stuffed to the zippers, I am happy that I booked a taxi to take me to my hostel, about 30 minutes from the airport. The taxi driver, though he speaks only a little English, is very nice. Here, I must sing the praises of the hostel that I stayed in, because it was amazing. Seriously, if you're ever in Budapest, book a bed at the NJoy Budapest hostel. Right in the center of the city, staying in this hostel feels more like hanging out in somebody's exceptionally clean, brightly decorated house than anything else. They provide free lockers, a communal kitchen, copious amounts of information about the city, and a truly friendly and helpful 24-hour reception desk. I've booked a bed in room of six, but I have it to myself when I arrive. I snuggle into my green polka-dot bed for the night.
 |
| My nook under the loft. |
 |
| Home Sweet Hostel The entrance is the door with the fern. |
The next morning, my first adventure is of a decidedly mundane nature - I need to find soap and shampoo. I didn't check any luggage, so I had no way of transporting large bottles of liquid. Luckily, there's a convenience-type store next to the hostel, and I amuse myself browsing through the foreign items. I settle on a small bag of pretzels, a brand of shampoo I've never heard of before, and a Nivea bar of soap. The bar of soap is labeled "Happy Time," so it's clearly the right choice.
Armed with a map, I head out to tackle the public transportation system, which actually proves to be much simpler than the one in Athens. My figuring out Hungarian, I fear, is hopeless during my three-day stay. My guide book says that since it is not an Indo-European language, English is actually more closely related to Hindi than to Hungarian. Like in Athens, however, a lot of signs are in English, and many people speak some, as well. Never have I been more relieved that English is such a widely used language.
 |
| The metro in Budapest has really long, steep escalators that make me feel like I'm leaning forward. I think that it's deeper underground so it can go under the Danube River. |
 |
| Gyros, anyone? I guess this is foreign food in Hungary! |
 |
| Me, posing with a small bronze model of the church. |
Unfortunately, I spend most of my afternoon stubbornly trying to find a restaurant that my guidebook recommends, despite the fact that it's not on my map. I finally settle on a different one that is easier to find. I eat a delicious, if awkwardly solo dinner, complete with apple strudel and a serenade by several musicians.
 |
| Three kinds of Hungarian stew plus yummy gnocchi. |
 |
| Apple strudel and cinnamon whipped cream. |
To keep this blog from novel length, I'll devote a separate one to the truly amazing Christmas Festival where I spent the next two days of my stay in Budapest.
No comments:
Post a Comment