What did you do on the weekend?

Im bored at work on friday afternoon... nothing planned for the weekend. All your friends are working in bars or away skiing. Your possibilities so far... take to the bathroom with bleach or watch re-runs of Krypton Factor. BORING! I didnt move here to sit at home, do brain games and clean. So I booked a flight to Budapest instead (Tim, that's in Hungary). I left home at 6am with one little backpack, toiletries under 100ml (so I didnt have put them on as check on luggage) and my passport.

I was flying Malev Hungarian Airlines, named after the famous hungarian aviator Josef Malev, who in 1928, made the first trans-pacific flight from the united states to hungary. He also made the first non-stop crossing of the hungarian mainland, the first flights between hungary and New Zealand, and the first eastward Pacific crossing from hungary to the United States.




Josef was never one for being on time and it seems the airline that bears his name lives up to this mantra to this day. I was delayed by an hour. Don't they know I've only got 24 hours to discover all the jewels of the former glorious crown of the Hungarian empire?

Anyway we finally boarded the flight and I was seated next to a man who had some serious obession with stonewash denim. And on the other side of me was this Eastern European looking man, but he kept going to the bathroom...




Once we landed there was no one waiting to greet me, but if there was Im sure they would have bought me some flowers from this Flower Vending Machine in the Arrivals lounge.




I then went to an ATM, put my year 12 maths into practice. In an attempt to withdraw about £50, I used what the worlds most inspirational maths teacher taught me, and actually ended up withdrawing £400. With an exchange rate of 400 Hungarian thingys to £1 I was quite the millionaire. I got to a hostel, which was boring mind you so dont stay at the Mellow Mood Budapest, found a bed and headed out into the cold. Having only just opened the lonely planet I wasnt overly sure how I was going to spend my time.



But I quickly found myself walking across a chain bridge toward a world heritage area. Some limestone plateau that had a big castle and church on it with tunnels and stuff. I would have tried to figure out what it was, but I had no time and had to move on.




Here is the view of parliament from the other side of the Danube. To me it look like they had copied the inside of Jenolan Caves.




So if I get my licence I'm going to drive this car. It's a Fjord - car for the people.




As the sun set on the Danube and the twin cities of Buda and Pest, seriously, one side of the river is called buda and one side is called pest... hence Budapest, very creative (word association wit). I went back to the hostel to see if anyone was around that I could meet. Apparently not, but I did fall asleep on my bed for a little and these two girls came in put 6 bottles of baileys into their bag and left. So I went off to dinner on me own.

This is when I start to learn one main thing about this city - don't go here in february. It shuts down after Christmas and closes in february to prepare for the massive summers that they have. Most things were closed and not many people around. I found a restaurant, went in to find the chef and waitress playing cards at one of the tables. I sat down and they reluctantly served me my food and some very nice beer. Here it is....




I then walked around for a bit, looking for some of the really cool clubs and bars that the lonely planet was telling me where "the place to drink in budapest". All shut. I did see some one Budapestians go into one place called Paradiso Cuba, so I followed. Once inside I ordered a beer, attempted to pay in pounds, realised that the beer wasnt worth the small change I was trying to pay with and tried again with Hungarian thingys. I sat down on a stool, and within one minute was approached by a nice young hungarian lady. She said something in Hungarian and I stared blankly. Then her male friend and two others came over and started asking me questions. I replied with "I have no idea what you are saying I only speak English". They all laughed and insisted on giving me high 5s. I soon decided to leave and when i stood up to put my jacket one of them grabbed the elastic of my underwear (that was showing above my jeans) and snapped it. Quite unexpected.




The next morning I left my hostel and hopped on a tram. I have never been on a tram before so this was uber-exciting. I was heading to the Thermal Baths. Now these are amazing. It is like swimming in a cathedral. I dont have any photos of this as I decided that taking photos in a speedo dominated area was a little creepy, not that that bothers the guys at Cook & Phillip, but whatever. They are supposed to be very medicial with all the minerals in them and stuff. Here is where I went...




... I sat in the termal pool for ages. It was a bit weird because I was next to a couple that found the baths, um romantic, on the other side was a kid and in front of me was an elderly lady in a bikini who kept raising one leg up out of the water with a smile on her face. So, where ever I looked it was a bit creepy.

Here is me outside the Baths. My body was really warm having been in hot water for an hour, but my head felt like it was in a freezer because it was still wet.




I then casually walked back to my hostel through the city, along the banks of the danube. But how could I go to a place that is so built around it's waterway and not visit the local yacht club?
My father would be so disappointed in me... ahh, but here it is:






And here is the commodore out the front... is the hair standard issue around the world?




Here is where Erwin lives....




... and this is the place next door where Malcom Turnbull lives...




So yeah, that's Budapest. Cool place, would be awesome in summer and with some friends... a place to go back to and explore a bit more.




Thanks to Mr S Bell, I can now do links.