The Train to Budapest & Budapest

After 14 hours on the train (the one without heat) we finally arrived in Budapest. Wait a sec, I never really did tell you about the train ride. First of all, this was no pretty train. It looked like it had been built in 1939 in communist Russia - no beds, no curtains. . . I even refused to use the bathroom - but after 12 hours, I broke and I'm still traumatized. After sitting in the cold, barren train for more than an hour later scheduled, the train finally departed Krakow. Shortly thereafter, the heat turned on and we managed to fall asleep for awhile. However, that didn't last long. When I awoke, I was drenched in sweat - my throat was on fire - I've never been hotter in my life. And of course, I was trying not to drink too much water - as that would mean using the scary bathroom. So I opened up the window in our cabin and tried to fall back to sleep. But the train kept stopping, and every time it stopped, it made this horrifying screeching sound, similar, I think, to what it would sound like if a cat was getting skinned. Not pleasant. Each stop seemed to take longer than the last - some took hours. Somehow, I think I managed to fall back to "sleep" again. This time when I woke up, I was FREEZING! I thought it was because I had opened the window - but after closing the window and still not regaining the feeling in my toes, I concluded that they must've turned the heat off. I guess that's how they do it over there - they blast you with heat until you are near death, then abruptly turn it off, almost as though they're trying to teach you a cruel lesson - shut up and don't complain. The border police that came barging in our room four different times with the big guns weren't too receptive to my request to turn the heat back on. At this point, a good 10 hours had passed, we must be getting close, right? Wrong. Turns out trains in Eastern Europe march to the beat of their own drum. Check out the pic of me in my five layers and three hats.

Clearly, I'm not happy. Recently a coworker mentioned that she had flown to New Zealand, when I asked her how long the flight was, she replied 14 hours. Cool. Kirk and I moved about half a centimeter on the map in 14 hours, she scaled the globe. I've officially sworn off night trains, at least in Eastern Europe. Thank goodness we met a young Hungarian student, that, in as best English,pointed us to another train that would get us to Budapest "faster." Who knows how much longer we would've been stuck had we not gotten off that train. Thank you, young Hungarian student.

Okay, we we finally arrive in Budapest. Upon first glance, we were only mildly impressed, if at all. Within two minutes of arrival,we were accosted by scam artists, unfriendly ticket agents and a busy,litter filled street. I was the one that insisted we go to Budapest and Kirk was giving me the evil eye, rightfully so. Luckily, it was nothing that a hot shower, or Bath, couldn't cure.
Budapest is actually two cities divided by the Danube River. Pest (pronounced pesh) is the more urban, metropolitan of the two, while Buda, is relaxed, lush and peaceful. The two cities are connected by the Chain Bridge - a spectacular sight and lovely stroll that is an absolute must. Once in Buda, we hiked up, up, and away to Castle Hill and were rewarded with a panoramic view of both Buda and Pest. Stunning. Finally, that "I'm in love with Europe" feeling flooded back to me. We meandered around the windy cobble stone streets, passing cute little cafes and pubs. We stopped at a more touristy place, but the view was well worth it.

Back in Pest, we spent the majority of our time walking along the Vaci Utca - a hip pedestrian-only street lined with boutiques and shops. We ate at a charming Cafe, Central Kavehaz as well as the Budapest's landmark cafe, Gerbeaud, where we actually preferred the brewery in the basement over the ritzy Viennese-style cafe upstairs.
The next morning we made our way along the Andrassy Ut - the "Champs Elysses" of Eastern Europe. From there, we stopped into the House of Terror museum, the former headquarters of the Arrow Cross - communist Hungary's secret police, now the building honors those that refused the oppression and serves as a startling reminder to never forget. Further up the way, we stumbled into City Park, complete with a Transylvanian castle. Now, for the best part of Budapest, and maybe even the whole trip - The Szechenyi Baths!

Budapest is a naturally warm climate with natural springs throughout the country. After a somewhat confusing check in process, we were in the warm baths! It was like a pool-sized hot tub, with couples relaxing, singles lounging and the old timers playing a rousing game of chess. I would happily take a bite out of that life - a daily, year-round soak in a bath the size of a pool? Can't beat that. Again, the baths are natural, so there's no harsh chlorine or chemicals. There wasn't even a single kid. In the US, something like this would be overrun with screaming kids. So after all our troubles, the bath was exactly what we needed - it was the midweek therapy we needed. I even donated my swim suit. Who knows who will end up in that thing. After two nights in lovely Budapest, we were well-rested, refreshed and ready to conquer Vienna.