Budapest, My first taste of Eastern Europe

After a three-hour late bus ride from Vienna, we arrived in Budapest and were greeted by a dazzlingly lit city built along the Danube. From there we checked into our hotel and I was one of many who chose to turn in and try to get some much-needed sleep.

The next day we went to Castle Hill which is located in the Buda half of the city. It gave us some amazing views of the Parliament building, as well as the rest of the city, and an opportunity to learn about the traumatic history of Hungary and its constant rule by foreigners. Quick history lesson: for most of the 1500's it was ruled by the Ottoman Turks, next up the Hapsburg Empire until WWI, then it had some domestic rule but was quickly taken over by the Nazis who were then replaced by the Soviets until the 1990's when Communism fell. Basically, only recently have Hungarians truly felt free from outside oppression.

Friends and I tried unsuccessfully to visit the Jewish museum (closed for repairs) so instead decided to head to one of the traditional spas they have in Budapest. They had a bunch of different pools, two outside (one heated) and then smaller ones inside. We rotated around and did our best to get the local experience. I wish cities in the US would open some giant bathhouse/spas that are just as cheap! After this we went to a (mandatory) modern performance art piece. It was one of the most painful things I've ever had to sit through and the entire group has decided never to speak of it again.

The next day we had some free time and we chose to wander and check out some of the sites. We went to another St. Stephan's and managed to climb to the top to get an amazing view of the city. We also acquired some delicious ice cream formed in the shape of a rose! We also saw the gothic style Parliament building and a Soviet monument (that is being actively protested). After some further exploring and shopping we met back up to all go to the Terror Museum. This museum is in what was formerly a house used by the secret police during the Soviet era. The exhibit is dedicated to teaching about both the Nazi and Soviet occupation and the effect they had on Hungary and its people. I learned a lot more in this one visit then I probably ever knew about Hungary in WWII.

This was to be our last night of the ECH study tour so we had a group dinner cruise up the Danube. Once again the city was beautiful at night and the food was amazing. It was a great way to wrap up the tour and also start out our last night together. Let's just say we had some Hungarian Forint left and we figured out a successful way to spend it.

I really loved my time in Budapest and wouldn't hesitate to go back if the opportunity arose. I felt like this city had so much personality and you couldn't walk down the street without running into a cultural landmark or something that caused you to really stop and think. It was also fascinating to be in a place with a language I had absolutely no familiarly with. Hungarian is part of the Finno-Ugric (aka Uralic) family of languages in addition to Finnish, Estonian and Sami (spoken by Native Northern Scandinavians). Unlike the rest of the languages of Europe these are not Indo-European languages. Ironically, I would unintentionally visit all of the countries where these Finno-Ugric languages were spoken!

I feel like Budapest and a lot of Eastern Europe is rather underrated and I don't understand why more people aren't as inclined to go there. Perhaps it’s due to its Communist past and only more recent opening up that it isn't yet viewed as a top tourist spot. Though I’d beg to differ and encourage people to go. History can be found everywhere, the city is an amazing sight and there are all sorts of different things to see and do. On top of that, there aren't any annoying people trying to sell tourist trinkets and since the Euro has not yet been adopted things are still relatively inexpensive! I’m so glad I chose this tour and was able to experience the two cities in such a way. While their links are historically present, they both are individual places and each have their own unique culture that made for an interesting contrast.

Next comes a quick jaunt to Krakow with Theresa!