Budapest

I was in Budapest three weeks ago and was enthralled by the stunning views and spectacular scenes of the city. The autumn colours were amazing!

Autumn in Budapest

This McD's is classic!

Budapest is a city that comes from two banks of the river Danube - Buda and Pest. You can probably read more about Budapest elsewhere.

Liberation Monument

Vajdahunyad Castle

Heroes' Square

Anyway, we spent a lot of time doing very few things. Budapest is not about packing as much as you can. Talk to a Malaysian about traveling to Europe and you'll know what I mean. First timers to Europe tend to go for travel packages like "10 cities in 12 days"- quantity rather than quality. It's a luxury to travel to Europe for many. However you can't do that in Budapest. In fact you can't do that in any European cities for that matter. There are things that need time to appreciate. Just like the public bath which Budapest is known for. No one gets into a public bath as quickly as a bored Malaysian going into the National Gallery in London for the sake of telling his mates that he's been there and done that. In a public bath you need at least two hours. That's what we've done. We went to Szechenyi and took two hours to enjoy the outdoor thermal pool just by doing nothing. We sat there and let the water fountain hit our shoulders and back. It was therapeutic, especially against the ambiance temperature of 3 deg C. The water was 35 deg C. The public baths in Budapest weren't like the onsens in Japan where bathers were required to go nude. Everyone was required to wear something. Well, I heard they do have onsen-type ones as well.

Szechenyi public bath

Hungary had a tragic past like Poland during the second world war. It was the first country that resisted the deportation of Jews to Poland during the Holocaust. Many Jews fled to this country for asylum. This provoked the German Nazis to invade them. In the end, Hungary accounted for the highest number of Jews murdered during the Holocaust. About 450,000 of them were forced out of the country and killed.

The Jews were killed in cold blood. The photo below must have been the moment before the Jews fell to their death. Standing by the bank I was already frightened to death of falling head down. But that was how the Jews fell to their death. They didn't need to be shot.

Memorial site - spot where the Jews fell to their death

The resistance of the past now bears a passing resemblance of the tenacity and steadfastness of Hungarians. Hungary, along with Bulgaria and half of Russia, represents a large number of sumo wrestlers from Europe. Hungary is more than a sumo-wrestling country. It is for sports lovers. In the time we were in Budapest, there were many blue and green patches shown in the city map. These were swimming pools and playing fields.

Parliament

Chain Bridge

The apartment owner asked if I've brought a pair of running shoes, as he recommended me to run in Margaret Island, a pedestrianised recreational island in the middle of the Danube River. The island is well known among avid runners. The island has a track and field stadium, tennis courts, Olympic-size outdoor and indoor swimming pools. At 2 deg C, we saw people attending swimming classes in the outdoor pool!

Fisherman's Bastion

I can see why the locals are active in sports here. Margaret Island alone, was an inspiration to indulge in an activity. There's just so much energy here. When you see other people doing something, you want to do it too! And I can see myself doing a race here one day.

Running in Margaret Island

Budapest is cheap. We can do a lot for much lesser than other European countries; just like Krakow. For example we attended an opera for only 400 Forint. That's only £1.40 or RM7.50 for a 3-hour seating. I don't remember paying anything less than £2 for entertainment either in Malaysia or UK. So Budapest was definitely cheap.

Opera House

Another delightful part of the trip was meeting up with Sue-Anne, another Malaysian whom I met through Chevening back in 2006. I've met her in London, Madrid and Budapest. All but except Malaysia. We've never been able to meet up in Malaysia despite several attempts when I was in KL. Thanks to her she brought us to a posh French restaurant in nearby Opera for lunch. That was the first time I had foie gras and it was absolutely delicious despite all the bad publicity about it. Well, I guess it's just like the Chinese and shark's fin soup.

Lunch with Sue-Anne

The lunch came out to be very affordable by London's standard. It was certainly going for a song considering it was of high quality. So Irene and I did it again in the evening but we went for Hungarian cuisine. We tried their famous local delicacies like goose liver and Tokaji wine. I just found out Hungary is the biggest producer of goose liver in the world!

Second dining

Budapest is also known for its Christmas Market. We had plenty of mulled wine and tried their local food for two days. Interesting to find how different and similar their food can be compared to other countries. That's why traveling is always an enriching experience.

Christmas Market in Vorosmarty Ter

My opinion of Budapest comes with a few contradictions. But they are not necessarily bad. They are traditional, yet modern; old-fashion yet creative; appeared poor yet classy; looked posh yet plain; faces of people looked stern yet friendly, architecture of buildings looked simple yet elegant; serious designs yet funny; pretentious yet original. It's just something mystical about the city which makes it special. Ever tried saying, "Pretty girl, you're ugly." Know what I mean?

Serious yet funny

Posh yet plain

Road as straight as the eye can see

Pretentious yet original

Traditional yet modern

Simple yet elegant