Budapest – Day 1
Still reading? Good, between you and me I don’t like those “I only read the flight part” guys. Don’t tell anyone though. So anyway, where was I? Oh right, getting to Budapest! Well luckily this was Europe so I knew there would be public transit. In this case, the 200E bus to the M3 terminals at Kőbánya–Kispest (say that one five times fast). The bus ride was 25 minutes and the Metro another 20 or so to my hotel. Incidentally, the fare card machines didn’t work, but there’s a staffed office near the Terminal 2A baggage claim which sells tickets and fare cards. The 24 hour pass for 1650 HUF (about $7.25. It’s 227 HUF : 1 USD) was my friend. You can also get a single ticket for 350 HUF or a transfer ticket for 530. I found the transit system to be a bit amusing. The trams were an honor system, but the buses you showed your ticket to the driver, and any time you went into the Metro three employees were standing by the escalators to check your ticket. The latter seemed really expensive and outdated but what do I know? I’m from the land of the turnstile. Anyway, getting back to Budapest.









The Metro transfer was seamless and I enjoyed being on the Russian made trainsets. Plus, they made announcements for the major stations in English which is always appreciated.



Twelve stops later and here I am near my hotel. I was staying at the Hilton Budapest WestEnd which put me a little bit away from the Danube and major tourist attractions (and also the other big hotels like the Marriott, Four Seasons and IC) but it was near a lot of transit which is always a plus.



I decided to try and check in (mainly because I was willing to trade any number of my family members for a hot shower) even though it was only 1030. Right away I knew I’d chosen the right hotel. They said my room wasn’t ready yet but would be shortly and I was invited to wait in the executive lounge until it was. Even though it was after breakfast hours, as soon as I got to the lounge I was offered coffee. I only had to wait ten minutes until I got my room. The hotel was off to a great start with me!







My Deluxe Room. I paid a little bit more for the deluxe room and I was glad I did. Not only were those chairs really comfortable, but I liked the extra space. Booking a deluxe room also comes with a coupon for a free beer, wine or coffee at the lobby bar and while this is redundant for lounge access patrons, it’s a nice touch for others.



Two welcome letters! Two!



Another nice touch, they updated these every day. Anyway, as tempting as it was to crawl into that big bed and sleep until Thursday, I had sights to see and experiences to have etc. etc. so after a shower and clothing change I was off to explore.



I’d been told that riding the Metro was “confusing” but for me it was as easy a system as one could take. They even had English directions and major stations and the aforementioned announcements.



Stop One, the Great Synagogue as part of the Jewish Quarter Walking Tour. Oh and the guidebook of the trip would be Rick Steeve’s. My first time using one of his.





Now THAT is a Jewish house of worship! I might add I put the Reform in Reform Jew but I really felt in touch with my faith here. My Grandparents were Holocaust survivors and I know they’re proud of me for spending time here reflecting and thinking about them.



This will be a theme of the morning.



The ticket to the synagogue (about $11) also granted admission to the upstairs museum and the gardens. It’s well worth it for anyone who wants to learn more about Judaism or the Holocaust. Specifically, the awful fate of the Hungarian Jews. For a nice intro now read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jews_in...#The_Holocaust.







The museum was quite good, a mix of Jewish artifacts and a pull no punches room on the Holocaust.



Next up, the gardens. That’s a mass grave of 2,100 victims.









The Tree of Life. The “leaves” contain the names of the victims of the Holocaust.



They have a guide so you can find people too.





Feeling as connected to my faith as I have in a long, long while, I left to go do some walking. Speaking of which, Budapest is everything I like in a European city. Very walkable, but not dirty and while there was a beggar or two (where isn’t there?) it wasn’t too a frustrating degree. Plus, shops and cafes and restaurants for days!









I popped in here for a cup of coffee, it was a really fun spot as it’s a clothing shop-cum-coffee bar.







Back on the move!





My plan was to cross the Chain Bridge to head up to Castle Hill. Sure, I was tired, but I love walking and where I live now I don’t get much chance to do it. Plus, crossing the Danube on a beautiful day? Sign me up!













I decided to go up via funicular. It’s really expensive at $6 and lasts about a minute, but sometimes stupidly touristy is stupidly enjoyable.









The Legitimate Tourist Attraction Seal of Approval!





Well, I could take such pictures all day but I have a walking tour to walk and a day to do it!





The Hungarian Art Museum is housed here inside the Michigan State Capitol (not sure how they got it all the way from Lansing though).





It wasn’t too bad, the big attraction is these 14th Century Altar Pieces which somewhat contrasted with my earlier Jewish day.





The Buda side, not quite as panoramic, but I didn’t want them to feel left out.





Note the former War Ministry still covered in bullet holes from WWII and the 1956 Revolution.







Hmm, maybe I should just declare today Religion Day. That church was definitely worth popping inside even though it was a few bucks. Frankly, if you’re in Europe and you see a giant church, it’s unlikely that going inside will be a waste of time or money.





I love seeing military museums and never miss a chance when I’m overseas. Unfortunately, this one was not very good. It was fairly small and the WWII sections were, and there’s no nice way to say this, a bit pro-Nazi. They didn’t caption in English but you could get a copy of all translations and they were not flattering. Basically, the Russians were worse.



Thanks Castle Hill, you were great!



As I mentioned earlier, I’d brought the wrong power adaptor so I swung by the WestEnd Mall. It’s a really really good mall actually, one of the best I’ve been to outside the US. I got my adaptor too so all was well that ends well. And I was back at the lounge in time for afternoon tea! For the record, the lounge’s hours are:

Breakfast: 0600-1000
Tea: 1500-1700
Happy Hour (Drinks/Apps): 1800-2000





Nice attached balcony for the smokers.





They also had two refrigerators full of soda and juices.



When I got back to my room I found this waiting for me, another nice touch by this excellent hotel. I also then went down for a well deserved nap. So well deserved that when I awoke 90 minutes later it was nearly impossible to drag myself out of bed but hey, I came here to EAT and I hadn’t had dinner yet! Speaking of dinner, what about pre-dinner at the lounge? Let’s see what they have.







The hot options changed the next day to another meat and a vegetable. The rolls were also really good.



Off to diner at Halakas Halbistro, a little seafood joint.



Spicy Lemon Surgeon Steak and coleslaw which was excellent and a local beer which was awful. Frankly, I think as a whole Hungarian Beer is as weak as American beer! After finishing that I headed back to the hotel, used my drink coupon, did some FT (naturally) then went to sleep. It would be another long day tomorrow after all.