Day 12: Berlin and Budpest

Miles logged: 5030
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I only had until noon before I'd have to start mobilizing towards the airport, so I woke up early to tour the area near Berlin's parliament building, the Reichstag. After a bomb scare about a year ago, it now takes a reservation made a minimum of 4 days in advance to get into the building (Rick Steves, where were you with that piece of information???), and even the exterior of the building is roped off. After, I did a little more touring around my hostel's neighborhood, but found that most of the fun, artsy stores didn't even open until noon (back to that partying until dawn thing), so I packed up for the airport, where I had a short EasyJet flight to Budapest. I had a great time in Berlin, particularly at the excellent museums, and I wish I had more time to visit a few others. The city needs at least a week to do properly, which is a good excuse to come back.

My first reaction after landing at the Budapest airport wasn't exactly wonderful. The guidebooks had recommended to be careful of taxis, as they often charge very high prices for tourists. My hostel had provided instructions on using public transport to reach the city center, but when I got off the airport shuttle and walked into the very crowded, very confusing, and stiflingly hot metro station, I was starting to think a taxi ride at any price wasn't sounding so terrible. After a bit of a struggle to figure out how to get a ticket and which direction I needed to head, I finally got on a subway car that was clearly commissioned during Hungary's communist era and was packed full of hot (and a little smelly) locals. More than once I had to remind myself that if I had wanted a bit of an adventure, I was certainly experiencing it with this metro trip.

All of my negative impressions of the city dissolved once I reached the city center (although they still hold for the public transportation system). The downtown is beautiful, and I spent my evening wandering around the streets, sitting in a park and watching the world go by. I have no idea what exactly I had for dinner from a self-service cafeteria, but it was some sort of stuffed egg with a corn relish. It was very hot when I landed, but the evening was beautiful and cooler. I spent the end of my evening planning out the next few nights and then playing cards with a mix of Australians, Americans, and French fellow hostelers.

3 nights in Budapest, should be a good time.

Evening in Budapest