Think Happy Thoughts...
I think I've had enough of planes for a while. After two, count them, two (!!) 6-hour lay-overs at LAX and Changi, I'm dead with exhaustion, ready to collapse, just freaking tired. I've worn the same clothes for more than a day. My hair is stringy and my face is on the verge of a major break-out.Traveling on business class helped a bit -- I slept 6 hours quite comfortably, got my foreign movie fix and ate gourmet food. But this endless waiting can put a strain on your soul and sap the energy out of anyone. I am NOT looking forward to more queueing at the PAL airport...Taxi to the airport $45Ticket to Manila $4000 (Thank you P&G)Buying pasalubong and gifts $500Arriving home at the same time as millions of other OFWs... nightmare.For everything else, there's the thought of seeing my family again, hanging out with the best of friends I've had since childhood and spending the whole day at the salon/spa!!Four more hours to home... here's to keeping me sane till then.
Budapest Day 2: Old Town Buda
The thing about winter is that people over-compensate on the heating systems, and not only does it make everything artifically too hot (so there is a higher chance of catching a cold when you get out) but it also makes you incredibly dry. I know this isn't why people are reading this post, but I've never slathered on so much lotion in my entire life that I was practically sliding off the bed.Ok moving on. My first impression of Hungary was that it was a country of old people. The fact that I'm staying in a resort-spa where old people come to convalesce did not help improve this. Nor did my hot spring session yesterday, where I saw more flesh, hanging bits and wiggly parts than I've ever seen in my entire life. But today I have young company walking the Castle District in the old hill town of Buda. Shannon was my regional account director in Saatchi when I still had my old assignment. Today he's my sightseeing buddy, which is really a good thing since my camera kept freezing up on me and I had to rely on his.In general, Budapest is a very small city. You could walk the entire length of it, all the way to Margrit island in 2 hours. Wear comfy walking shoes since it's mostly cobblestone and trust me, you do not want to be caught in heels, no matter if they're chunky... my feet still hurt!We got lost a couple of times in the old town as we made our way to see the recommended sights...
Fishermen's Bastion
The Dome of the Royal Palaceand decided to thaw out in the Hungarian National Museum, which has free admission! A definite plus in my book. We were not familiar with any of the Hungarian artists so snob that I am, we went through it pretty quickly. Maybe hunger had something to do with it, since lunch came at 2pm-ish. And as I already mentioned, food in Hungary is amazingly good... which shouldn't be surprising considering they are the second largest producer of foie gras in the world, after the French. I had one of the best steaks in my life (with foie gras on top of course) at a regular by-the-street pub. Parliament was the next item on the agenda but sadly, they had run out of tickets by the time we got there. Go early next time guys, this is one of the must-see's in Budapest.
Parliament
We split up at this point so Shannon could make the 2-hour trek back to the hotel and I could go see Heroes' Square 
and Vajdahunyad Castle, not a real castle but a complex of buildings reflecting various architectural styles -- Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, etc.
The Baroque buildingIn retrospect, it was probably not a good idea to take the river cruise on a foggy evening where one could hardly see anything.
But it was nice to meet up with some of the other office people for dinner, before I retired so they could enjoy other nocturnal activities.Even though I covered off the major parts of Budapest already this weekend, I will have to find my way back again soon, with sneakers, a warmer jacket and more time for wandering, for indulging in their thermal spas and for trying out all their local and high-end delicacies. And then we'd be off to Prague and Croatia. :)For more pictures, click here.
Budapest Day 1: Central Pest
You're never too old to learn something. In my case this week, I was tickled pink to learn that Budapest is actually divided by the Danube River into the old town of Buda and Central Pest, which is their downtown. Buda + Pest = Budapest. How funny.
I arrived in this little charming city on Saturday to take advantage of the weekend and do some sightseeing before our week-long meetings began. Once those start, there's never any time left over for touring as the evenings also consist of mandatory dinners and networking "events".
Before I left, I had the presence of mind to ask the local Hungarian peeps what to do. Too bad I only remembered 2 days before my flight, which did not leave me enough time to go shopping for new swimwear. Why would I need that, you might ask, when Hungary is tottering below zero and particularly freezing this Saturday.
The answer is Szechenyi Baths, the largest complex of spa baths in Europe.
While maybe not as popular as Gellert Baths (which is fine by me, only the locals were here), the unique experience of Szechenyi is that it has the hottest thermal springs in Budapest, and it's outdoor. Nice... My head was freezing but my body stayed warm in its 34-degree water.
The steam is coming from the hot springs
The guidebooks say you need swimming caps, which is not true, though the cap fashions were interesting to observe while being jetted by the hot springs. I spotted leopard print, Marge Simpson-esque blue and white ones and even baseball caps. What they don't tell you is you need to bring your own towel, slippers and toiletries. Thank God I swiped a hand towel from the hotel just in case. As for my lack of proper attire, I compensated with very nice underwear.
I guess I can strike off #27 in my list of things to do before I die: "Die of heat in a sauna and jump into the ice-cold river right after" but in reverse. It was a fantastic experience, particularly to have in winter time. And not all that expensive on top ($14 for 2 hours and a free locker)!
After I shivered my way out of the pool, I was completely relaxed and strangely languid. All the stress drained out of me and I could just meander through the rest of Budapest's other secrets. I decided to go shopping at Vaci Street and stumbled upon the Christmas night market in Vorosmarty Square just as the lights came on.
They were selling everything from puppets to pottery to hot bread flavored with cinnamon, walnut, vanilla or caramel to Hungarian sausage (yum yum yum), hot wine, ceramics... you name it. There wasn't much to buy, save for the food, but it was fun to rub shoulders with the massive throng of people, especially when the weather dropped below zero.
I was supposed to have dinner at a very trendy restaurant called Mokka, but the prospect of a 5 minute walk in did-I-say-freezing-temperatures was less than appealing. I ducked into the nearest restaurant, all the while fearful that I was in the tourist-y district where price and ambiance was king. 60 minutes later, I was very happy to report that the food was excellent! This would become increasingly characteristic of my memories of Budapest -- excellent food even in the most unexpected places.
That and the exorbitant prices one is charged for taxis. Note here that they charge (and over-charge) you by the meter so you think you're actually paying what you should. My colleagues were being asked to chalk up $50USD (!!) for a one-way 15-minute ride, when the actual cost was about $10. Completely maddening.
For some reason, the system in this country is to actually call for cabs. They arrive within 5 minutes and if you call a reputable company, won't ask you to pay anything more than $15 for a reasonable distance. My best bet is City Taxi, +361 211 1111.
For more pictures, click here.
