Alright, I am now in Budapest
I arrived here two nights ago, after a leisurely eight hour train ride from Prague through Slovakia, and eventually Hungry and Budapest.
The following day, I spent with Jess, Mikey, and two of Jess' friends Dan and Will, two aspiring filmmakers from American University. Together, the five of us tackled a tall hill, and saw amazing views of the city, stormed Budapest castle, took in a contemporary art museum, got yelled at by an irate English language tour guide, visited the Hungarian national shrine, and ate dinner at the local Hungarian Mafia hang out. It was a very full day.
We got around this expansive city with the help of the Budapest metro system. It is like every other metro system in the world with one exception. The noises the loudspeakers make right before the doors open and right before the doors close are THE EXACT same noise as one of the effects in Bases Loaded, a video game for the original Nintendo Entertainment System. It is uncanny. Honestly.
A quick note about the Hungarian people. They seem to have embraced capitalism better than their former EasternBloc brethren. There are the ubiquitous advertisements, the pricey theme resturants, and an amazing awareness of salesmenship that I had yet to witness outside of the grand ole US of A. They also seem to be happy and fun loving, and maybe a bit loud at times. I think that if Hungarians spoke English, they would be Austrialian. (I might get flamed for that)
Today, we went around again, did some shopping in the Christmas market, and then went to the Bathhouse. Most people don't know, but Budapest has loads of hot springs, and as a result, bathhouses. The bathhouse we went to was mixed, the largest in Europe, and largely outside. Mind you, it was at most 30 degrees outside, but the water was warm and incredible. And the people watching could not have been better. It is a real institution in Budapest, loads of people of all ages are all in European swim wear (read: Speedo), splashing about the pool, and getting out in a hurry to grab their towel. There were the old men playing chess, the young couples practicing PDA, the fat men with an (almost) refreshing lack of self consciousness, and the pretty Hungarian teens splashing about in large groups. Truly an experience that words do little justice.
Going back to Prague tomorrow, a safe and happy holiday season to you all.
I arrived here two nights ago, after a leisurely eight hour train ride from Prague through Slovakia, and eventually Hungry and Budapest.
The following day, I spent with Jess, Mikey, and two of Jess' friends Dan and Will, two aspiring filmmakers from American University. Together, the five of us tackled a tall hill, and saw amazing views of the city, stormed Budapest castle, took in a contemporary art museum, got yelled at by an irate English language tour guide, visited the Hungarian national shrine, and ate dinner at the local Hungarian Mafia hang out. It was a very full day.
We got around this expansive city with the help of the Budapest metro system. It is like every other metro system in the world with one exception. The noises the loudspeakers make right before the doors open and right before the doors close are THE EXACT same noise as one of the effects in Bases Loaded, a video game for the original Nintendo Entertainment System. It is uncanny. Honestly.
A quick note about the Hungarian people. They seem to have embraced capitalism better than their former EasternBloc brethren. There are the ubiquitous advertisements, the pricey theme resturants, and an amazing awareness of salesmenship that I had yet to witness outside of the grand ole US of A. They also seem to be happy and fun loving, and maybe a bit loud at times. I think that if Hungarians spoke English, they would be Austrialian. (I might get flamed for that)
Today, we went around again, did some shopping in the Christmas market, and then went to the Bathhouse. Most people don't know, but Budapest has loads of hot springs, and as a result, bathhouses. The bathhouse we went to was mixed, the largest in Europe, and largely outside. Mind you, it was at most 30 degrees outside, but the water was warm and incredible. And the people watching could not have been better. It is a real institution in Budapest, loads of people of all ages are all in European swim wear (read: Speedo), splashing about the pool, and getting out in a hurry to grab their towel. There were the old men playing chess, the young couples practicing PDA, the fat men with an (almost) refreshing lack of self consciousness, and the pretty Hungarian teens splashing about in large groups. Truly an experience that words do little justice.
Going back to Prague tomorrow, a safe and happy holiday season to you all.
