Hungry in Hungary
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Train to Budapest shows a much different countryside than Austria...things start to look...darker. I sat across from a cute guy, and offered him gum (which he didn't take), but sadly, he got off the train before Budapest. One thing I am starting to notice after all these train trips...Europe is SO far ahead of the US when it comes to clean energy. I saw fields and fields of wind turbines and solar panels. Also, very specific recycling bins everywhere.
Got to Budapest in the dark. Thankfully, the airbnb wasn't far from the train station...but I'm in the first city where there is VERY little English (particularly on the signage). Thank goodness for Google maps (pro tip: download maps of the places you are visiting to your phone and then you can use them offline without data)! The darkness also made it a bit scary. Got to the airbnb and had some trouble opening the door (no one there to greet me), but finally got in...very cute! Walked down the street for some Chinese food...which wasn't very good. One thing I'm noticing in Europe: their food doesn't taste like our version. Whether it is Chinese or Mexican or McDonalds, it tastes different. Less flavor.
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When I got up the next day, turns out Budapest is BEAUTIFUL! THIS is what an Eastern European country looks like in my mind--grey and old! Walked around for a couple of hours just taking it all in. Danube river here is still green :-) Saw the huge Parliament building and a very moving shoes sculpture on the banks of the river. It is called "Shoes on the Danube" and is a memorial to the thousands of people who were lined up on the edge of the river and shot so they would fall in and be carried away during WWII. One of the more moving things I saw on my whole trip. Across the river (which separates Buda from Pest), saw the giant Buda Castle. Couldn't find that "most beautiful" McDonald's though!
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Headed back to the airbnb to grab my stuff and get to the airport. If you can avoid the Budapest airport, do so. It is very small and very disorganized. They won't let you check in more than an hour before your flight and there is no place to sit (and no place to eat until you get past the gates...which you can't do without checking in!). So I stood for a very long time, and was very hungry (in Hungary). Finally checked in and ate some really un-KFC KFC. I DID buy a giant bag of Haribo gummy bears in the duty free shop, so SCORE. But I made it to my plane on time, and that's what matters!
Impressions:
As I said, this was the most "eastern-European" city I visited. Very old, and lots of history oozing out everywhere
Less English than anywhere else
really crappy airport
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