So aside from the AMAZING Kodaly Course, not a lot was going well for me in Hungary. I got back to Budapest and got to my hostel, which lets just say I will NEVER be visiting again and hit a mega low. I missed home, Lawrence, friends, english speaking people and food that didn't taste too much like paprika and vegeta flavouring.
After a bout of homesickness I was taken in by some very friendly Spanish people to explore the city with them for the day. The dad only spoke spanish and couldn't understand that I didn't so all day I needed a translator and Manuel (the dad) couldn't understand that I just had no idea what he was saying!!! It was actually pretty funny. Anyway the spanish folk led me around Budapest and were so kind when I needed it most!! We saw the Jewish Synagog (But couldn't go in because it was closing), St Stephens Bascilica (Where we got on the tail end of a spanish tour, eaves dropped and then it was all translated for me), the opera house and walked all the way down Andrassy to the Heroes Square. On the way I got a little taken by a small music store, where I purchased some classic 333 Kodaly Exercises books :) After that we walked around to the Szecheny Furdo, where apparently the 40 degree waters are thermal and have healing properties. I didnt have any ailments but I still wanted to experience it so after hiring a towel (actually a sheet) and some very daggy bathers I was in the 40 degree water and it was amazing. But then it hit me... it is negative 2 out of the water and to get to any of the other baths I needed to run between them, wet in the cold. That was the worst part about it. But otherwise this is an amazing thing to do in Hungary!!
The following day I woke up eager to explore the Buda side to the city. I got across one of the many bridges and noticed the liberty monument on top of a huge cliff looking hill. I thought 'yeah I can climb that!' and I did. About half way I needed to stop for some serious deep breathing but I made it all the way to the top (with a lot of phone encouragement from Lawrence). Once up there the views were awesome plus the great feeling that I had made it :) Then I climbed back down and found a little church in the side of the cliff. It was the cave church, fascinating. Apparently it was closed off during the communist years and re opened not that long ago in recent history. Then I walked down past the Castle District and t be honest was not in the least impressed. The castle looked like it was falling apart and had not been maintained at all and was just ugly, dirty and gross. So I continued on to the Royal Palace that had some nice parts but mostly I was just a little over it. You can only see so many 'apparently nice' buildings in one day if you know what I mean. Then I walked through the I distrct, the very first one in Budpest. I stopped at a little restaurant and had a three course hungarian meal:
1. Goulash Soup
2. Chicken Paprika
3. Apple Strudle
Yum yum yum!!!!
The following day I headed back through Pest to see the left overs on my list. Again not a lot worked for me on this day :(
I went to the Szecheni Baths to get a massage but couldnt get one unless I visited the baths again but the ticket was going to be way to expensive so I missed out, went to the opera house for one of their daily tours but found a note saying 'closed today only' and then went to the Liszt museum. Only three rooms were open but what I did see was beautiful. It was in the old residence of Liszt that he had later turned into the first location of the Academy of Music in Budapest. There were bookcases full of his collection of music scores and piano's and artifacts galore. It was so interesting to see and to get that feeling of standing in the footsteps of greatness!! After a little souvenier shopping I was done for the day.
The next morning was flying time, time to leave the city for this visit. Overall I was generally unimpressed with Budapest. It was dirty, people were not typically friendly or helpful, most of the buildings were old and falling apart and my hostel was just WEIRD. That said there were some things that I loved about Budapest. The thermal baths, the lookouts from Buda, the interesting history and St Stephens Bascilica.
I'm determined to try Budapest again in the summer so I will have to let you all know how it goes :)
