Day 56-57 - In transit; Budapest

Monday 13 September 2004, 17:45 CET

This place feels just nuts. I'm in Budapest, and everything I've seen on the way to the hostel is either being replaced, being repaired or being badly in need of it. There's a very decadent feel to many of the buildings. I'm a wreck after walking 30 minutes with my luggage and having to cross the street every minute because alternate lengths of the footpath have been dug up and/or fenced off.

(Update from Istanbul: I've since met a Hungarian traveller who has informed me this used to be a red-light district, which probably explains its state of being, and why they'd be replacing everything.)

Firstly, to today. I was thinking about things I will miss in Vienna - there is an abundance of really cute, well-behaved dogs, sometimes with shaggy fur and those sort of eyes that just look up at you. As those who know me would know, I usually have a problem with dogs up close, so this came as a surprise even to me. Then there's the look and feel of the place - it's one of the few places I've been where you can actually 'feel' the culture; Quebec City was possibly the only other city that fitted this category. The other thing is of course the home comforts, cooking and hospitality I've enjoyed courtesy of Christine, George and Catrin. I've certainly not gone without anything in the last few days.

George (my aunt's boyfriend) gave me a lift to the boat station at Reichsbrucke where I was to depart for Budapest. After the usual paperwork, tickets, passport control etc that I'm now starting to just accept as standard issue for travelling, I was surprised by a friend and reader, Julie, who came out to meet me based solely on information contained within this blog! It was a great, but very short, time spent, and was prematurely terminated by the boarding of the last passenger in the line.

The boat journey itself was probably not as amazing as I expected. It was good however - there isn't much that beats going down the Danube in a ferry, given its fame and reputation, and we saw some great sights, including Bratislava and the ancient cathedral at Esztergom. The staff were incredibly friendly and knowledgeable and provided us with something of a running commentary as we passed a place in both English and German. The food was also good (and if you didn't mind waiting until an hour before docking, it was free too).

However my gripes were - firstly, the boat was quite low and the windows were dirty, so I didn't get to see a great deal unless I went out to one of the open doors and looked outside. Unfortunately, these prime viewing locations were usually being hogged by one of maybe two or three individuals. The smoking section was not detached from the main section, which made some things a bit unpleasant. I also came to learn on this trip that whiny middle-aged Canadian package tourists can be just as obnoxious, annoying and rude as their south of the border counterparts. However, I did enjoy the company of a judge and lawyer from Iceland and his wife, who made for interesting conversation.

On arrival in Budapest, things were a bit chaotic - I had been given a free map, but I had no idea where I actually was. When I figured this out, it turned out to be quite a distance away - not fun when you're towing 22kg of luggage along narrow streets with people coming the other way on occasion. The street the hostel is in was in a terrible shape, and most of the buildings seemed on the brink of ruination.

The hostel itself, however, is amazing. It's the smallest I've stayed in, having only three bedrooms, but the staff are very friendly and with a great sense of humour and I've met interesting people from all over the world, including several bits of Australia I didn't even know existed. (Well, not quite, but you get the idea.) There's an atmosphere here which is hard to describe but it's a very warm, social sort of place. It's in an old building with a Communist-era lift (elevator for you Canadians :) with red manual doors and wooden interior - henceforth called "the Communist lift". I've had great fun playing with it, even if it doesn't entirely work (it goes from first to ground but not from ground to first.)

Tuesday 14 September 2004, 23:40 CET

My activities in Budapest sadly haven't been many. Didn't really get the chance to see much as I was here such a short time, ended up socialising with other hostellers and had to take care of admin stuff. I walked up to the Buda citadel today (quite a tiring one-hour walk) via the Elisabeth Bridge and saw an overview of the whole city. My impression of Budapest is considerably more positive than it was earlier. In some ways it is like Vienna but just doesn't have the charm screaming out at you like the former does, but it is definitely there if you look for it. It isn't as cheap as Krakow and Ostrava were - I've spent $25-$30 without even realising, not counting the ticket to Belgrade and the hostel, and I really have not eaten much at all. Thankfully the tap water here is drinkable.

I'm going to Beograd tomorrow - staying at a hostel that came recommended from the guys here. It sounds really good - it's on the main square and everything. One final tip before I leave - Eurail passes, unless you travel lots and lots, are a waste of money. I was quoted $749 for one and my total train travel has yet to exceed $150. This is considering I went from Poland to Austria and am now travelling the same distance again down into the heart of Serbia.