Day 54: Budapest

We had a busy morning planned, needing to run 6 miles (9.6km), pack up the apartment, and checkout by 10:30. All of this went off without a hitch. Surprisingly, we didn’t struggle too much getting out of bed and outside for our run, even though it was 8C and rainy. At 10am we were ready to go (just in case the apartment rep showed up early, as in Krakow). By 10:30 we were on the road.

We tried to purchase a 24-hour transit pass at the nearby metro station, but they only had single-ride tickets available. This meant that we had to walk about 15 minutes to the main metro station around the corner with all of our bags. This sucked and we worked up quite a sweat. Everything else went smoothly and we arrived at our hotel for the evening. Luckily, we were able to check-in right away (even though it was only 11:30) and drop off our bags in the room. We made our plans for the rest of the day and set out.

We stopped first at the Post Office to mail the package Daryl had awesomely fashioned the night before. We started in the first room but were told that our package was too large and that we needed to continue on into the second room. When we arrived in that room there were no signs or indication of which attendant to talk to. Daryl started at the first and held up the package; she smiled and pointed to the left. Daryl moved to the next attendant, who smiled and pointed to the left, and on and on and on. All the attendants were smiling and laughing. Finally, we got to the final attendant who had a large scale. The package was weighed, priced out, and sent to Canada. Success.

Next we stopped at the train station to inquire about seat reservations for our train the following day to Villach, Austria. While it was a long wait, we struck up a conversation with two older gentlemen, one from Calgary and the other Cleveland. We also had fun commentating the interactions between each customer and the ticket clerks, which helped to pass the time. Once our number came up we were told reservations were not necessary, as it would not be a very busy train. Money savings! Success again.

We headed back into the main part of Pest to grab a quick bite, then took a tram, then bus, to get to Memento Park, a collection of Communist-era statues that used to populate the city during the Soviet regime. While easy to navigate the transit system, the trip was pretty long, about 1 hour. When we arrived, we were disappointed at the size of the park. It really only required about 20-30 minutes of walking around the statues. While our guidebook added some commentary and descriptions for a few statues, many remained a mystery. On reflection, we are not sure if we would recommend the park. If it was closer to the city center or if one was extremely interested in that era, then definitely. Otherwise, we think it is a pass. Regardless, it was a great photo opportunity.

*Giant soldier holding the Soviet flag

*Vladimir Lenin

*"Worker’s hands" holding a sphere that used to be adorned with a red star

*Supposed to represent a Communist worker charging into the future clutching the Soviet flag; Hungarians joked that it looked like a thermal bath attendant chasing after a customer who forgot his towel

*Closer look at “thermal bath attendant”

*Little Drummers (Hungarian version of the Boy Scouts); while this institution existed before the Soviets took over Hungary, they were soon turned into propaganda machines

*Fallen hero with arm outstretched, wounded but victorious (?)

On the way back into the city on the bus, we witnessed these city workers planting flowers. This might explain why there are so many flowerbeds that are still in existence this late into the season.

Back in the city, we stopped for coffee and then popped into at a local shop that we found earlier in the week and that we love. It is full of beautiful handmade items, like scarves, tapestries, and jewelry that are designed by local artisans. Everyday the shop is staffed by one of these artists and it is cool to talk to them about their items. We browsed a bit and picked up one more unique piece for the road.

We headed back to the hotel, as we were tired from the busy week of sightseeing. We watched the BBC, which was showing the news about Ghaddafi’s death and just tried to rest up for the long day of traveling ahead (3 hours from Budapest to Vienna, then 4 hours from Vienna to Villach). In Villach we are going to meet up with Daryl’s cousin Lisa and her family. Lisa’s husband Kevin plays in the hockey league in Austria and we are going to catch a game Friday night. Should be awesome!