Budapest, Hungary - Day 1

Our first full day in Budapest started with a free walking tour. Our guide, Endre, was exceptionally knowledgeable and he focused a lot on history and politics. He didn't hesitate to share his views. He also provided good insight into the psyche of the people. During the communist (goulash communism) regime, people were afraid to talk / express opinions in public because they didn't know who was watching - people reported others because they were afraid that if they didn't report, someone would report them for not reporting. There is still a carryover effect today. Since Endre, age 39, was brought up this way, it still has some effect on his behavior, like not eating out in public much, although I think he is over it - he is pretty outspoken.

Budapest used to be 3 cities, Buda, Obuda (old Buda) and Pest, separated by a river, but now connected by bridges. In 1873 they became one city. Some smart ruler called for the creation of a bridge to connect them for easier access. The Chain Bridge was designed with such advanced technology that it became the model of future bridges. Connecting the cities created the way to them becoming one - Budapest.

One of the most interesting thing on the walking tour was about McDonald's! The McDonald's here opened in 1988 during the rule of communism. It was a sign of hope for the people living here. It's interior had gold colored trim and was fancy looking. Today it still has that appeal and is considered a classy place to take a date. They have music and a party like atmosphere on the weekends. Another interesting thing was the Interactive Fountain in Liberty Square. The fountain had sensors so when you got closer the water stopped flowing. Our tour guide took us inside the fountain and we felt like we couldn't get out and how scary it was to walk toward the water and not be sure it would stop. He related it to people who are controlled and told one thing and then are afraid to step out of that thinking.

After the walking tour we went to see St Stephens Basilica, the largest church in Budapest. It is a grand Catholic Church whose tallest spiral is 96 meters high, the same as the parliament, representing equal power of church and state. Catholicism is the dominant religion here but church attendance, like home, has significantly dropped off. The 96 also represents the year of 896, when the Magyar tribes settled in the region which is considered the birth of the Hungarian nation, and 1896 there was a grand celebration of 1000 years of Hungary. We also walked along the river and found the Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial. There are bronzed shoes to remember the Jews who were led there, told to remove their shoes and then were shot. There bodies feel into the cold river and were carried away.

After a short rest in our room, we headed out for the evening. First stop, a ruins bar, Szimpla Kert, located in the Jewish quarter and only minutes from our apartment . It opened in 2002 and is considered the pioneer of Budapest ruin bar movement. It had a little bit of a Randyland feel to it. Located in abandoned, dilapidated buildings they were developed by entrepreneurial people into bars. Furniture was whatever could be found in dumps or leftover in people's houses so nothing matches and the decor is very eclectic. There can be multiple bars in one building, each with it's own vibe. We went around 7, late enough to get the party vibe but early enough to miss the very busy young crowds.

We went a short distance to Mama Goulash, a very popular restaurant close by. There was a line to get in and we decided to wait. While waiting in the cool evening, we were served hot tea of some kind. While enjoying dinner, we struck up conversation with the people at the next table: two young ladies (age 23-24?) from Toronto and the cousin of one who has lived in Budapest for 10 years. The girls were Kinda (originally Syrian), Tamara and the male cousin Reda (originally from Kuwait). Reda was doing his residency in opthamalogy and had a goal of relocating to the USA to make more money. He has 2 brothers that are already doctors in the US. Kinda was headed home and planning on going to dental school. Tamara loves to travel and wants to check off as many experiences as possible. She was headed to Romania to visit with grandparents. She has major travel plans for the coming years as soon as she figures out how to fund them.Read more