Budapest

2014/08/04

Woke up early and tinkered online sorting a few things and packed my bag and had a quick shower as was so hot. Went downstairs and checked out at 6:45am (only thing I had to pay was E1.65 city tax which I knew about) and then waited for breakfast to start at 7am, got in there at 6:57am so a few min head start. Why so early? Well, the train from Bratislava to Budapest was at 7:53am or the next is 2hrs later. So wanted to get the 1st one to have more time on this end. Managed scoff down some bacon, egg, sausage, salami, ham and cheese and a croissant and left the hotel at 7:11am – not bad speed eating hey !!! I sneakily took a 2 hard boiled eggs and had those while wandering around later on. I wasn’t going to take stuff from the minibar, but took the 2 still waters, Pepsi (that will come back to “bite me” as you will see), the nuts and one of the beers in the end. Left the other beer as didn’t sound to my taste and the 2 sparkling waters I decided not to take either. I got to the station at 7:25ish, was a bit of an uphill walk but not too bad. Bought my train ticket (E16.10) and waited on the platform, it was 10min late in getting there so we left at 8:03am. Was pretty full until a few stops in then most people got off.

I got to see a bit of the countryside, but nothing really worthy of taking photos of, was nice to go along the Danube for quite a bit of the trip. Got in to Budapest 10min late as expected, found my way to the travel center and bought my Metro card and was on my way to the hotel (big thanks to RV for the tips and info on how that all worked – appreciate it buddy). Got to the Metro Széll Kálmán stop and then headed to the hotel, was a bit of an up hill to get there (started with loads of stairs to get over the tram line) but made it fine. I’m staying at the Hotel Castle Garden which is dead easy for the main attraction – all the Castle stuff. I had asked for early checkin and was able to do that, my room was ready, so offloaded my bag and then relaxed a bit for 30min, connected online and checked in with people, and then went sightseeing.

Obviously started at Castle and wandered round there, started going anticlockwise and was thinking to myself “this place is a bit lame” until after a while I turned a few corners then it picked up big time and was really cool. Spent most the day checking out the buildings and finding new things here and there while I was there. I enjoyed looking at everything there. There are some really cool sights, it really does make your mind boggle at how they were able to make such fancy churches/buildings back in olden times.

Matthias Church

Bride waiting to enter Matthias Church

Matthias Church

Fisherman’s Bastion

Parliament

National Archives of Hungary

Archery

Guy flying his GoPro Drone around, I asked if he was allowed he just looked at me with a bit of a smile

I went back to the hotel late afternoon, as I was a bit knackered by then so needed a break, weather is 32C and upwards today, you’d think I’d be used it from home, but when you are walking round outside all day in the heat it knocks you. I already knew where I was going to have dinner, and what I was going to have, so no need to think about that. Booked my Airport Shuttle online and also did my online checking for my Air Berlin flight, added the info to Apples iOS Passbook. Had reception print out both the shuttle and boarding pass incase for me.

Headed out at 6:45ish to dinner. Went to Osbudavar Pizzeria Restaurant (another RV recommendation, and no – it is not a pizza place). I had this stunning Goulash Soup dish served in a bread bowl. WOW was it nice, also had a Csapolt Soproni Aszok 0.5l draught beer to go with it. Total cost for both came to about R93 if you converted it back.

Osbudavar Pizzeria Restaurant

It started drizzling while I was having dinner so got a little wet going back to the hotel, even though it was close. I waited it out and also waited for it get dark, the weather then cleared so headed out again at 8:30ish to do some night time sightseeing. That was really cool !! I had a good time and saw loads and got some nice pics, was out and about until about 10pm. Got home had a shower and called it a night.

Fisherman’s Bastion

Fisherman’s Bastion lit up for I think a wedding reception

Matthias Church & Fisherman’s Bastion lit up for I think a wedding reception

Fisherman’s Bastion

Parliament

Matthias Church

Chain Bridge

Mike & Parliament

Woke up early, 5 something but managed to get back to sleep until just after 7am when I got up and headed to breakfast. Breakfast was nice and filling and had all I needed, so made sure I had a damn good chow then so less need for a big lunch. If I had to compare my 2 hotels, I’d say the hotel in Bratislava was maybe a tad better (and cheaper) than the Budapest one but both were really good and pleased with the choices. At breakfast I “acquired” 2 hard boiled eggs, a yoghurt and an apple. All of which served me well later in the day. I checked out and left my bags in storage and then headed out sightseeing at about 8:30am and about 50m into my walk I felt a few drops so went back and picked up my brolley. Half way to Gallert Hill it drizzled a bit but that was OK, wasn’t too bad. Glad I did that option 1st as the hill was super tough with all the stairs and it was a bit overcast then compared to how hot it got later on. Looked round up top and then headed down and into town and looked all over there at architecture and all sorts. It felt like I walked the place end to end, I probably matched my biggest walking day of the trip today (not that I can recall which other day that would be off hand). I’m not going to post the detail of the route I took checking stuff out as there is too much detail to write all about but will put some info under the photos if applicable.

Zoom

Bridges

Chain Bridge

St Stephen’s Basilica

St Stephen’s Basilica Stairs

St Stephen’s Basilica Top

St Stephen’s Basilica Top looking at the Wheel and Gellert Hill

Behind Parliament

Behind Parliament misty spray

Atten-SHUN

Opera

Dohany Street Synagogue

Museum

Statue Ronald Reagan

Cool steps down the back of this water pool

Looks like I’m swimming

Shoes on the Danube

Not a bad fit but a bit heavy for my luggage

Hero’s Square

Funicular to Castle

I found this cool fountain where you stand close to it, it stops the water so you can move into the middle, nice. See the video below, I started the video from when I was already in the middle and shows how you get out without getting wet.

Had to buy myself something to cool down during the day so just got one of these massive McDonald’s Strawberry McFlurry with KitKat Balls on the top – YUMMY !!!

I made sure I got back to the hotel with enough time to relax before the airport shuttle arrive, which it did and picked me up on time. Got to the airport and had to wait 20min or so before I was able to checkin. There were 3 Air Berlin checkin queues (and no dedicated bag drop queue), I was in the slow one, so jumped to another and got sorted. Pity they didn’t have 1 line that fed to all counters. The airport had free 2hrs wifi which was nice to make use of to catchup with friends and family to give them updates on my whereabouts. I was worried about my bag … it weighs 20.5kg which was OK, whew, that’s not too bad. Then headed to the security area to go through, I get pulled over. Oh oh …. what now. Guy asks me if I have any liquids in my bag, I tell him my water bottle on side is empty then the coin drops …. the Pepsi. Felt really stupid. He said I could drink it or chuck it, so I just binned it as it would be all fizzy and warm anyway. I was planning on having it on way to airport but forgot.

Looked round the departure area and picked up a few things and then used up most of my Florint on a XL KFC chicken snack thing, about the size of a hotdog roll with chicken burger piece in it, and also got a drumstick and fries. Was nice and tasty. I was then going to put the 140HUF I had left over in the WWF box but I totally forgot, 140HUF is nothing really, you can’t buy anything for that little.

Budapest is Trendy, you scanned your barcode then won something, I scored a marzipan choccie (think that was all anyone got)

Budapest Sunset at airport

On the flight

We boarded the plane a few minutes late, then once everyone was onboard they came over the intercom and said we had missed our slot and due to the weather enroute we would only leave in about 1h 30min time. NO, WTF !!! Thankfully after about 20min they made a new announcement we were departing right away, so that was good. I didn’t think we’d get anything to eat/drink on plane we did. I had a Fanta (is more yellow than it orange like it is in SA) and then had to choose out of a 20g Rosemary & Sea Salt kettle chips or a chocolate brownie, told guy … “hmmmm I can’t decide which” – so he gave me both. Score !!!

Sat typing this up and charging my phone during the flight. Can’t sort which pics I need as the memory card is in my bag overhead and feel bad asking people to get out for that, so will have to sort that another time.