It was about a ten hour train ride to Budapest so we got there at around 2330. We stayed in a hostel on the Pest side and went to a neighborhood bar for a few beers before getting hitting the sack. There were some Hungarians sharing tables with us that were very nice but crazy. The great hospitality of the Hungarians was a constant theme throughout the trip. The next day was mellow as we got our bearings on the city and prepared for New Years that night. Some pictures of the Széchenyi Chain Bridge and the Royal Palace. No one lives in the Royal Palace and the Hungarian President actually lives in a humble building next to it that doesn't even have armed guards or anything. It too is white.
Our last meal of 2009 was TGIFriday's which was a suitable substitute because Budapest does not have a Hard Rock Cafe for some reason (Poland has two, I mean come on!) I think Mike has drank more hot chocolates than I've drank beers in Europe. Here he is enjoying another in European fashion.
We went out with two Swiss-French girls, an Asian Aussie, New Zealander, and some German guys. They couldn't figure out where they wanted to go but we finally ended up at a place called Corvintető. New Year's was pretty crazy as there were people all over the streets and fireworks going off on every corner.
The next morning (somehow) Mike and I went on a walking tour of the city. I had never done one before but I knew so little of Budapest I thought we'd give it a shot. Here is a lock tree, one of many things Hungarians claim to have invented (others are molotov cocktails and the saddle).
It wouldn't be a European city without a famous church (St. Stephens Basilica)
A young fat American with a statue of an old fat Hungarian policeman.
More of the Chain Bridge...
A view of Pest from the Buda side of the Danube.
The Hungarians are known for their horsemanship (is that a word?)...well they are good at riding horses.
An example of Communist architecture...perverts
Young Hungarians touch the genitals of the horse on this statue which is supposed to bring fertility. Luckily it didn't work on me because I don't need any baby mama drama.
The Matthias Church which had a neat roof on it.
The Fisherman's Bastian
Sweet amphibious tour bus motoring up the Danube
Hungarian Parliament
This might have been the first time I have taken a subway under a river, or any large body of water. It was also the longest escalator ride I have ever taken.
Christmas tree made up of plastic bottles and scotch tape.
Heroes Square
There is a reason I was the only person in Budapest wearing shorts in below freezing temperatures...
Vajdahunyad Castle
The Great Synagogue
A neat thing behind the Synagogue
I talked the guys into going to a Hungarian indoor waterpark because they had one thing there that I have wanted to do for a long time. It turned out to be much larger and much more fun than I had anticipated. Mike can't really swim so Jerome and I had to have double the fun.
Riding around a giant toilet bowl (I think they call it an onion)
Surfing, well at least I was at this moment...Mike seems to have preferred bodysurfing
Jerome and Mike shredding
This was a lot like the river surfing in Munich I did with Brian
Then we headed over to the Széchenyi Thermal Baths which are outdoor and around 38 degrees Celcius all year round. It was snowing on us in what might be one of the largest hot tubes (although this one is naturally heated) in Europe. Budapest has these thermal baths all over the city. Many of the baths in Budapest are Turkish style, meaning men and women are separated and people are usually nude. We chose this bath not only because of it's popularity, but also because of it's co-ed usage.
Budapest was great but the best parts about it were how nice everyone was and how cheap their currency is. I still have 80,000 Hungarian Forint (US$420) that I can't get ride of. We tried to spend up the Forint but couldn't make it rain hard enough.
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