Our second day in Budapest started out with the rather uninteresting objective of finding a pillow merchant. (Ours were couch pillows and rather uncomfortable.) After borrowing some of a neighbor’s bandwidth courtesy of their unsecured Linksys AP, I found a convenient list of department stores and malls online. We made a (largely random) choice and found our way there using the Budapest subway system.
While I was initially wary of Europe’s oldest subway, it turned out to be a remarkably well-planned system. The yellow line uses a series of short trains that arrive every two minutes, and stop very frequently. The red and blue lines cover a larger distance, and are similar to traditional subways in having five-minute waiting times and longer trains. There are no locked turnstiles or gates here; if a traveler wants to risk the financial wrath of a controller then they are free to hop on the train with neither ticket nor pass. Of course, being caught entails a hefty fine. I would instead advise a quick beeline dash for an exit, since most controllers have so far been heavyset and easily distracted. Barring that, I suppose you could actually purchase a travel pass or ticket. The dollar is a good deal more valuable than the forint as of this writing, and prices are about 60% of what they would be in the States.
Upon our arrival at the department store, we found windows covered in sheets and the sound of jack hammering emanating from the building’s inaccessible interior. Apparently, part of the Hungarian description informed those in the know that this store was still under construction, and would not in fact be open for some time yet. Our initial dismay was quickly dispelled by the sights and sounds of the bustling city, however. We ended up wandering on foot over one of the three bridges connecting Buda and Pest. I don’t recall which one, but the view was breathtaking. My earlier jet-lag induced sarcasm notwithstanding, Budapest truly is a beautiful city. Turkish, Baroque, and some Soviet architecture combine to make a panorama that seems like something out of a history book. The few modern steel-and-glass buildings (four, perhaps?) look so out of place as to be almost absurd.
Anyway, from the bridge we climbed a tall hill on the Buda side, whose name I of course can’t remember. At the top is the Hungarian Statue of Liberty next to a shell-blasted and bullet-pocked bunker. Apparently it was a German command post during WWII, but has since been converted into a disco. (A rather droll bit of irony, in my humble opinion.) The reverse side of the hill is a huge, artfully designed park in the grips of an early spring. Various other, less interesting discoveries occupied us until dinner.
This post is already excessively long, so I shall skip ahead a bit to that night. We rendezvoused with Felix and Petre, and the six of us decided to experience Budapest’s night life. The first place we tried turned out to be little more than a room in the back of an alley, and doesn’t bear mentioning. The second club, Baroko, was much more fun. We arrived around 11PM, but apparently the scene doesn’t pick up until around midnight here. Petre and I sampled four (five?) European liquors, from Hungarian Unicum to Greek Ouzo. I suspect several cocktails were also involved. At some point during the night Mike came back from the bar with a girl, who joined us until the club closed early at 2AM. Apparently a water pipe or some such burst, as there was roughly 1.5 inches of water on the floor of the club. Given the rather large quantity of audio and video electronics, I can only assume that the place’s owners were less than thrilled at this turn of events. Regardless, Mike’s new friend convinced us to go to another club she knew of, which if I recall (and at this point I make no guarantees) was a short tram ride away. At this point Montana and Candice left us, citing their lack of interest in alcohol or some other dull excuse.
The building we staggered into had three dance floors, and a huge number of people. The first floor seemed to be devoted to American rap music, the second was a rave, and the third was European techno. Petre disappeared into the crowd on the first floor, as did Mike and his girl. Felix and I spent some time wandering about and sampling their refreshments before deciding that we’d had enough smoke, noise, and alcohol for one night. The time was somewhere around 3AM. Against all odds we somehow found our way back to the apartment, where I’m told ramen was consumed before we crashed. I have no memory of this meal, but abundant evidence points to its existence. Mike apparently arrived two hours later, and thoughtfully left the key in the door for any down-on-their-luck rogues. None obliged his offer, however, so we awoke with all the possessions and lives we went to sleep with. I shall refrain from providing to the world any more information on Mike's new friend, he's already provided more unwitting amusement than any man should be expected to endure.
The following days will be reported upon in the near future, however at some point tomorrow Mike, Petre, and myself will be making an excursion to either Venice or Prague. I can’t guarantee there will be Internet access, or indeed that I’ll feel like taking time to write a post before I return. Once we get back on Monday I promise I’ll have something for you readers, assuming you exist and indeed that you want me to continue writing. If you do, I thank you for your custom. If you don’t, bugger off.
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