The moment I stepped off the Metro, I took a liking to Budapest. Usually, it takes me a day or two to warm up to the city...
Just a little geography lesson. The Danube River separates the west side, Buda, from the east, Pest. Making Buda..pest. Budapest!
There are very old and beautiful buildings here, and they are not polished and "perfectly" restored as in Prague. How dare I say that about Prague?! The buildings here in Budapest are dirty and just the way they would be sitting in a big city after years and years. I like it like that. More normal, down-to-earth.
Allergies? Bugs? What is it?
I got a bad case of something.. hive-like bites all over my face, neck, near my ears. around my shoulders, around my wrists and on my fingers (3 down one thumb), my lower back and hips, my knees, ankles, toes, and the bottom of my feet.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I felt like my body was in a constant state of reaction.
I almost saw a doctor, and in the meantime, went to the Pharmacy multiple times buying gels and medicine for whatever it was I had. I tell you, the hardest part was the mystery as to what the cause was.
I got to the Eleventh Hour and slowly began to recover. By the way, the Eleventh Hour Hostel rocks. (I never use the word 'rocks' when I talk)
When walking across the Danube one day, I realized I made it to Eastern Europe. (I'm slow sometimes) I really made it here. 'Good for you, Anna.' It was a touching moment.
I was a little sad to leave Budapest, but I was grateful to have stopped here.
Thanks Student Travel Agency...the endless hot cocoa I asked for and the first two Czech movies I saw. Plus, the two American movies...which I own at home. Different goulash than in Czech, salami sandwiches I ate since my mom wouldn't let me eat salami growing up ;), the unforgettable people from my childhood who're popping up in my mind during long bus rides and at night, black and white photos haunt me - those are us in our pictures today, thinking about traveling the whole entire earth (had some time (too much time?) to think) because what other planets do we have the option to do this?, Ana and Liliana - my Mexican angelic girlfriends who pulled me through my skin attack, fried cheese dish MMM, the four fun Canary Island guys :), my Spanish lesson, pretzels and Spider Man III and Anchorman, and finishing Harry Potter The Goblet of Fire through many tears and laughs.
Must have forgot some stuff. I'll be back...
