Bittersweet. Last Day.

SO EXCITED! Throughout our planning process, we knew we would schedule Friday to be our free day. We could meet with people in the area or plan an event. As a class we ended up choosing the Budapest Zoo.

The Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden

Sheryl was able to work her magic, and we met with Zoltan Hanga, spokesperson at the Zoo. He gave us a private tour, giving us all the details about the Budapest Zoo. He told us about the history, architecture, animals. He seriously can sell this all with his passion and desire to inform people.

Zoltan giving us our private tour!

We started our walk to the Orangutan and Gorilla exhibit, where Zoltan told us the history of the zoo and Botanical Gardens. He also talked about the new baby gorilla, which is now ready for visitors!

Baby gorilla with momma – absolutely precious!

We were able to watch the animals interact, not only with the new baby, but also with each other. We also witnessed the zookeepers cleaning one of the exhibits and the interaction between the zookeepers and the gorillas.

Zoo keepers and gorilla interacting during the cage cleaning.

After a lengthy informative time in the monkey area, we meandered outside to view other animals. The zoo is open year-round so there are buildings at each exhibit for the animals. Outside we were walking passed the hippopotamuses. I rushed ahead to a low-fenced area to get relatively close to where they were napping. Apparently I interrupted their sleeping and they woke up. Once they raised their heads, I realized just HOW close I really was.

I accidently woke the hippos.

They opened their mouths, and I literally could have brushed their teeth. Well, to be honest, my first reaction was to scream like a little girl ­– which I did – and then I began taking a lot of pictures. Really, they just wanted to be fed, something completely frowned upon in the Indianapolis Zoo, but not so much at the Budapest Zoo.

Hippo want a teeth cleaning?!

I have watched plenty of documentaries with my Dad, and I have learned that hippos aren’t really as friendly as they appear to be. Truthfully, they enjoy snacking on people.  So I was a bit intimidated.

We cut through the Hippo building, and they followed us in. We got to watch them swim around, which really consisted of them bathing themselves and just lying in the water.

Very observant hippos, they watched our every move – perhaps they were contemplating dinner?

Outside, on the other side of the exhibit, we passed the zebras and pink flamingos. The Budapest Zoo has one of the largest flamingo exhibits. Here, we also passed the elephants, which were very playful. It may have had something to do with the people next to me chucking apples over the fence for them.

Elephant exhibit – most playful elephants I have seen.

I wasn’t expecting the rhinoceroses to be so tame, or quiet. I am not sure what I was expecting from them honestly. One was circling his pen, while the other napped. A large quantity of food was in the middle of each pen for the rhinos.

The white rhinoceros is the featured animal at the Budapest Zoo.

The zoo is in the middle of the city, near Heroes Square, Vajdahunyad Castle, the Grand Circus, and the Széchenyi Bath, which I talked about last night. Walking through the exhibits you wouldn’t expect to be inside a city. Each exhibit is divided into a different region: African, Arctic, etc.

We stopped outside the giraffe house for some more history and information. Again, this is another day where I am glad that all information is being downloaded onto my computer so I can go back. Thinking about it makes me realize that this sound and my pictures will allow me to relive my trip. I am ecstatic about this realization.

I felt so small compared to this longneck giraffe.

On our way over to our next stop, we passed lions, hyenas and bears, and a handful of other animals. I can’t get over the size of this zoo. With more than 2,700 mammals, birds, and reptiles, it is no wonder that this zoo gets over a million visitors each year.

Beautiful lions. Posing, of course!

The bears playing in the water!

We walked into another building, over a grate and through large flaps that reminded me of a carwash entrance. Stepping inside felt like a sauna. I soon found that the large flaps and grate were both used as mechanisms so the animals in this exhibit couldn’t exit. Lemurs and birds roamed freely in here. I was able to get relatively close before they would jump or fly away.

We had a staring competition – the lemur won.

Zoltan not only gave us a private tour, but he was also able to pull some strings to get us behind the scenes with animals. Leaving this exhibit, he tells us he had a surprise! We met up with one of his zoo buddies who took us behind the scenes. We got to go into an exhibit and feed tapirs, alpacaa, and some goats. The tapirs weren’t the most attractive, but they are like dogs. They LOVED belly rubs! We fed them all apples, which was a lot of fun. I felt famous for a hot second; other families were taking pictures and videos of us with the animals.

Tapir getting a belly rub from one of the zoo staff members.

The charging alpaca.

After feeding the tapirs and alpacas, the tour guide told us he had one more surprise for us. I, at this point, was in heaven. I LOVE animals, which is why my original major was zoology. Long story short I am now journalism – but my love for animals has never changed.

Our tour guide pulled a red head boa out of its cage. Then we all had the opportunity to hold it.  Jenny, Jessica, Molly and I all took advantage of this. I didn’t realize just how much I enjoy snakes. Holding this one made me realize that are a fascinating reptile – although I could never own one because I couldn’t handle feeding it.

Me and the boa, who was constantly trying to go up my shirt –photo thanks to Molly.

On our way to the exit, we got to see arctic wolves and camels – albino camels at that.  I love the layout and energy in this zoo. The zoo has always been one of my most favorite get-away locations, but being in one in another country adds a whole new excitement and meaning behind my joy.

Most beautiful animal in the world – arctic wolves!

Camels – albino camels!

Ball State PR alum Julia Sabatine asked us to meet her for lunch, down the street from Avantgarde Group where she works.  I got cold soup, which was amazing; it was like a fruit salad.  I also got a mixture of vegetables, which turned out to be something like the inside of a potpie. It was still, once again, absolutely delicious.

Delicious fruit soup.

We have the rest of the afternoon free. Jenny and I decided to take a little nap –except I couldn’t nap, so I packed – before heading to the Central Market, to finish our shopping. Once we decided to head that way, Sheryl was ready to go as well. The three of us set off down the street to my favorite shopping location.

On our way a lady tried to shove linens into our hands, telling us to take them. I thought this was a bit sketchy. I mean, did she steal these and trying to pawn them off to us? I don’t need another run in at the airport. Turns out she was trying to get us to buy them. She just failed to mention the fact that “take this” meant, “Here, aren’t these nice, BUY them.”

After wondering around for a few hours and bargaining for the best prices, I left with plenty of souvenirs and a beautiful hand sown tablecloth for my mother. It was by far the best sale I received and the most expensive item as well. However, it will look perfect on her table, and I know my mother will love it. I lost Jenny almost as soon as we started shopping, but I ran into Kelsi, Anna and Jess when everything was closing down.

We left for our smorgasbord dinner at 7:30 p.m.  Sheryl was going to meet a friend, so we ventured to the dinner on our own.  You got to choose from 125 combinations of different plates of food, for only  4999 HUF/person. All you can eat and drink for $25!  I am pretty sure we all tasted everything they offered. I’m not sure how we all managed to try it all and still fit in our pants, though.

There was an array of alcohol that was also included in the price. So we had a few, about nine bottles of champagne to celebrate our last night in the beautiful Budapest.

Trófea Bar –Smorgasbord of delicious dishes and free alcohol!

After three hours of relaxing, eating and having a great time, Jenny, Jessica, and I headed to the Inztant, a ruin Pub that Jessica had visited with the Hungarian student from dinner. Anna, Kelsi and Molly decided to head home after dinner – ready to pack and sleep before the adventure home.

As we arrived at Inztant, Jess realized she had left her bag at the smorgasbord, so we drove back to retrieve it and headed back to Inztant. This place was everything that Jess had made it out to be, but I think my heart belongs to Szimpla. 🙂 We left after a few drinks and headed over to Rudas Turkish bath for our night swim from 11 p.m.-4 a.m.

When we got to the bath, we ran into Jacob – one of the guys we met at Szimpla on Tuesday. The four of us hung out. He gave us a tour of the entire bath. The bath has six thermal baths, an underwater massage, a swimming pool, drinking cures (natural water – water fountains), along with both dry and steam sauna chambers. The steam rooms were so hot I couldn’t breathe. The ice baths were so cold I couldn’t stand in them. The different pools were heated at different temperatures. They even had a sleeping room – to sleep. Most amazing place ever!

Throughout the week it is divided every other day for men and women to visit. On Friday and Saturday both genders are welcome to come at the same time to swim from 10 p.m.-4 a.m. We swam around and visited each area more than once. I wondered off at one point to test the different temperatures of the thermal baths. I am pretty sure my relaxing in these spas turned into catnaps.

Around 3:30 a.m. we decided it was best to leave because we realized not a single one of us had finished packing. I was the only one that had started, and I didn’t have much of a head start. We jumped in our taxi, bid farewell to Jacob, and went back to the wonderful Raday utca.

Scrounging around and throwing this and that in each of my bags, trying to remember the protocol of security to make sure I didn’t have a bag too large, too heavy, or something inside that would get me busted. I flew down the elevator just a tad after 4:45 a.m. Oops! Late again. :-\

Levente, our driver from the city tour on Thursday, came to pick us up and packed all of our bags into the back of the van. One of the customs I still haven’t got used too – and even one that I even questioned, I had to ask Csaba and Levente about – is if it is rude to open doors before they opened them? As an American, I am not used to men opening doors. It doesn’t matter where we traveled to or what we were doing, men always opened doors.

We left Ibis Centrum on for the last time. Less than a half hour later we arrived at the airport. Thankfully, we made it in time to beat the crowd to the check-in station. It was too early to deal with a lot of people. Lucky for me, they didn’t weigh my suitcase; however, some did have a few difficulties with the suitcases being too heavy. Rearranging was in order. We ended up switching things into each others bags – or in Jenny’s case wearing extra layers!

Security was a different story. My wish to not deal with crowds soon ended when we it took about a half hour to get through security. I suppose that isn’t too bad, and by now – after six security check-ins – we all have mastered the technique of making it through all the checks quickly.

The departure was seriously depressing; I was not ready to leave. I could stay here forever.

The bittersweet goodbye to the cities of Buda and Pest.

Information Overload

Well, I was up and downstairs ready for the taxi to take us on our tour of Budapest, and then we ran into a setback of not finding one of the recorders. Once we found it, we left the hotel a little after 8 a.m. with Levente, our driver, and Csaba (Chub-ba), our tour guide.  He is absolutely adorable; I would like to stick him in my pocket. He knew so much, more than just the history and had a really great sense of humor. The goal of this trip was to see as much of Budapest in one day as possible, and we did just that.

Levente and Csaba 🙂

First on the agenda was the Citadel where Lady Liberty, which is very similar to our Statue of Liberty, stands. She stands on the highest point in the city, overlooking both Buda and Pest.  She holds an olive branch, which symbolizes freedom, above her head.  Below her used to stand another statue – one from the communist era. This statue now resides in Memento Park.

Lady Liberty.

Being so early, the fog was still low on the city. Looking out over the city with this haze put a new outlook on this beautiful place.

Highest point in the city, with the early morning haze.

We drove over to St. Stephen’s Basilica.  Before going in, we had coffee at a small coffee shop. They literally serve the smallest, small cups. What an American small would be would have been a medium there. Crazy. Outside, we were all drawn to a souvenir cart.  Handcrafted rosaries hung in the windows.  I think everyone purchased at least one of the beautiful rosaries. I decided that I wanted to get one for Madelyn’s baptism, when I get home I intend on having it blessed.

St. Stephen’s Basilica.

Stepping inside the Basilica was difficult. It is the most absolutely amazing Catholic Church I have ever seen. I felt guilty for many reasons. First, I realized that I don’t practice as I once did, and it is clearly out of pure laziness.  Secondly, for thinking I wouldn’t enjoy this part of the tour, seeing as I have seen many churches and have been to other Basilicas. I was wrong; this is nothing like anything I have ever seen. Yes, statues and design were similar, but I have never been in anything so beautiful.

Front alter inside St. Stephen’s Basilica.

Exteme detail inside the St. Steven's Basilica.

Leaving the Basilica, things started to get interesting. I hadn’t planned on having my “time” of the month while on our trip. Although I prepared when packing, I didn’t prepare for this day out. Clearly this 10-hour day wasn’t going to happen if I didn’t make it to a store soon. So piling back into the van, we all try explaining that we need a drug store. Well a drug store for them only carries medicine, so Csaba was trying to figure out what we were looking for. Finally, I shouted, “I need tampons.” The car grew quiet, for a good three seconds, and then Csaba started laughing and said, “It’s OK, I have a girlfriend.” And we zoomed over to the mall, with restrictions that we weren’t here to shop around; the day was too long for us all to get out and shop.

Kelsi heard about this copper shoe memorial and had been mentioned it to the group, so we wanted to make sure we stopped there while in Budapest. What better day than today! We arrived at the Copper Shoes, a memorial sculpture in honor of the Jews that were shot by Arrow Cross militiamen and then pushed into the Danube River in 1944 and 1945.  A great number of lives were lost during that time, and it had a huge impact on the people of Budapest.  The memorial was built in 2005. We asked Csaba if this memorial had any other name, he said everyone just calls it the Copper Shoes.

Copper Shoe memorial on the Pest river bank.

Looking down off the edge, you only saw rocks and water splashing. All I could think about was what the men, women, and children thought looking down and knowing their fate. We visited a lot of places that had sad history because of communist times, but for some reason seeing these shoes – of all sizes – made me try to picture myself in their shoes. Such an impossible thought!

The view looking down off the ledge, at the Copper Shoes memorial.

We traveled outside of the city to Memento Park.  During communist times, statues and sculptures stood all over the city.  Statues have been recovered for the past 22 years.  As you park, and walk up to the entrance of Memento Park, you look behind you and see the only remains one of the largest statues from communist times, Stalin.  The only thing left of his Stature are the boots. The rest of the statue has disappeared and is nowhere to be found.  Csaba said it is possible that the gypsies had stolen the pieces and sold them for money.

The remains of Stalin's statue, outside the entrance of Memento Park.

The entrance into Memento Park.

Statues that have been recovered were placed in Memento Park as a reminder of what Hungary has gone through and a way to celebrate the Hungarians’ freedom from communism.  As we walked up to meet our tour guide at the park, she gave us blue plastic booties, like hospital shoes, to cover our shoes since the ground was so muddy.

Anna flaunting her blue booties.

Our tour guide discussing communism advertising propaganda.

Every aspect of this park has a story, even the layout. I was absolutely blown away by the stories and history.  The entire park is constructed around telling the story of the development, duration, and end to communism in Hungary.  It’s set up into three sections in the shape of a figure “8,” symbolizing infinity, or something that cannot be broken. It is divided down the middle by another path.  When you finish the tour, the last reveal is the celebration of turning to democracy, a brick wall prevents the further progression of communism, and the guide has you turn around to face the entrance.  The boots of Stalin are framed perfectly by the entrance, and the path leads you to democracy.

The path leading to Democracy, exiting the park looking out the perfect window cut frame at Stalin's boots.

Per usual, our group was starving. So we stopped for lunch at Tabáni Terasz, recommended by Csaba. I had goulash soup, rice and fries. By now we are used to service being slower; however, this was unreal. We set aside 45 minutes for lunch, but I am not even sure we had our food by the time Levente and Csaba came back.

Our next stop was a special treat from Csaba, a Turkish thermal bath that is hidden from street view by modern, new buildings.  This bath is one of the oldest in the city and has been restored inside its original building.  There is no heating system for the bath because the thermal water provides all the heat.  This place hasn’t even opened to the public yet. Csaba has a friend that works at the hospital built around it, and thanks to her, we are included in the small portion of people that know it exists.

The oldest Turkish thermal bath hidden inside modern buildings.

One of the pools inside the Turkish bath.

One of the steam rooms inside the Turkish bath.

Next on our list was to head over to the Castle District to see the Fisherman’s Bastion, which overlooks the Danube. This has yet another elaborately detailed church. The Matthias Church is absolutely breathtaking.

The view from the Fisherman's Bastion.

Closer view of the alter inside Matthias Church.

Jenny has been clowning all day. She is getting pretty good with her jokes. She has some stellar knock-knock jokes. Inside the Matthias Church, while we were all looking around, Sheryl, Jenny, and I decided to share these jokes with Csaba. Well, when you mix together jokes as good as Jenny’s, confusion by Csaba, and an obnoxious laugh like mine, naturally you get one angry church watcher. I’m not sure what you would call this lady. She was sitting in a chair and ensuring respect of the church, which we clearly broke. Oops!

We roamed around the Fisherman’s Bastion, while Sheryl went on her hunt for marzipan – candy she has been looking for ALL break. Thankfully she found the store and was able to stock up!

Grand entrance up into the Fisherman's Bastion.

Fisherman's Bastion.

We finally arrived at Heroes Square, which is a huge square in the middle of the city with massive, ornate statues of the saints and kings of Budapest.  We wondered to each individual statue to hear their importance, and the legacy they left behind.

Heroes Square monument.

We also witnessed an accident while visiting Heroes Square. I knew it was inevitable with the driving here in Budapest, but when I asked around, it seems that they are all used to the craziness and accidents aren’t any more prominent here than in America.

Across the street from Heroes Square is the Vajdahunyad Castle, which hosts not only Europe’s largest ice-skating rink, but also the statue of Anonymous, who was a famous writer back in the day and liked to remain unknown.  It is said that if you touch the pen in his hand, you will become a good writer.  So naturally we all took a picture with him, and before leaving, we made sure to touch his pen. It is a very intimidating statue, with the lack of sunlight; his face was shadowed, making it appear that a face didn’t exist.

Vajdahunyad Castle, the ice rink is under construction at this time.

Anonymous, inside City Park.

Our final stop was at the Széchenyi Bath, which is one of the largest spas in Europe. Csaba highly recommended it.

On our drive we passed the circus.  Probably one of the most exciting looking circus’ that I have seen, not only just a circus, but there were also carnival rides. The Grand Circus is the only only permanent circus in Central Europe. This would have been a very exciting place to visit – if only we had more time in Budapest.

Széchenyi Turkish bath.

The Grand Circus.

Levente took us straight from our tour to dinner at Fátal on Vaci Street.  Marta was joining us, bringing six Hungarian students who are studying communications.  It was so fun discussing our experiences with them, and we took turns explaining a little about our lives.

I spent dinner getting to know Linda. We had amazing conversations comparing and contrasting school and our lifestyle. I couldn’t tell you the last time I had such a down-to-earth conversation like this. I think a lot of it has to do with needing to be more detail-oriented because we didn’t know each other. She spoke fluent English, since she travels a lot for gymnastics. I truly hope that we can stick to our plans to meet up again.

Kelsi, Molly, and Anna all left to hit up a ruin pub with one of the students. Jenny and I stayed to continued swapping stories with the remaining five. Most of the Hungarian students were commuters, but when we say commuters at Ball State, we mean they live in a 60-mile radius. These students traveled three hours to and from school. I didn’t want to leave dinner, I could have stayed and talked with these students forever. However, Sheryl wasn’t OK with that idea, and after the bill was paid we parted ways. The Hungarians students had a ways to go to get home that night.

Walking back to the hotel at night was wonderful! The breeze was nice, and it wasn’t too cold.

Viewing all of Budapest and the history really puts a new light on the city I have been in for the past week. This city is beautiful and I encourage anyone who can take a trip abroad to visit. One thing I learned today on the tour is that through all the hardships and war, Budapest is a very proud city, honoring and remembering the fallen.

I am beyond exhausted; thankfully we get to sleep in.  Tomorrow brings the zoo, a free afternoon, and a smorgasbord dinner at Trofea!

Goodnight world!

Introduction into a new culture

Sleeping in until 10 a.m. sounded fabulous until you consider the fact that we didn’t get in until the crack of dawn, and the time snuck up on me. I can assure you that each of us had a good time last night. Unfortunately, after last night’s adventures, we had to leave some behind to recover. Today was a walking/sightseeing sort of afternoon, making me fully take in how beautiful everything is. I hadn’t realized that everything really was within walking distance of our hotel. The day was absolutely gorgeous, perfect for walking. We stopped by the Post Office for those who were mailing postcards, which proved to be a much more difficult task than in the states. The lines for the post office and the lottery were deceiving. I suppose if you could read the signs, things would be less confusing.

We were making today a Jewish day. So we set off toward the old Jewish ghetto area, near the Great Synagogue. Well, our original plan for lunch turned out to be a pastry shop, and that just wasn’t going to do. So, we took off again down the street. Not a problem for me, I took my camera out and took pictures of everything we passed.

Recycle bins on the sidewalk.

Wire wastebasket on the street.

Bike crosswalk signs. Genius.

After several blocks, we ended up in the old Jewish ghetto, right in front of a family-owned diner, Kádár étkezde. The owners were absolutely precious, the nicest group of people. They allowed me to take plenty of pictures inside; just by looking at everything, it seemed they were a popular stop for many people. They also had a lot of antique collectables and certificates on the walls.

The owner translated the day’s specials for us because they were only written in Hungarian. I got a chicken and mashed potatoes, Hungarian style, but just as delicious as the hearty meal in America. The diner began to fill up with locals right before the closing time, which was 3 p.m. You could tell by the interactions between the owners and guests that they were regulars.

Owner of Kádár étkezde.

Pictures of famous people and visitors – and some famous visitors!

The owner translating the Hungarian menu for us!

Chicken and mashed potatoes. Yum!

After lunch, we walked back toward the Great Synagogue. We made a quick pit stop at ruin pub Szimpla Kert, to show Sheryl how amazing it was. It also provided us with the opportunity to get pictures. I didn’t want to be a tourist last night by using the flash the whole time, just to document how awesome it was. The bar looked completely different during the day, but still looked more awesome than any bar in the states that I have been to.

Entrance into Szimpla KertTelephone as the handle for the women's restroom.

Szimpla's graffiti gallery.

We walked up to the Great Synagogue, and the beauty had me at lost for words. I got out my camera and documented everything possible.  Our tour guide was a very informative Jewish woman, who had been directly affected by WWII and the communist times that followed. Unfortunately, once again I would be listening, and somehow trail off and wonder around taking pictures. We started the tour in the courtyard of the Great Synagogue — a cemetery next to the synagogue. All of the Jewish people who died had been buried in the same place and were not supposed to be moved.  They had monuments with all the names documented. She discussed the Holocaust and provided detail information about the area.

The front half of the Synagogue.

Our Jewish tour guide, discussing the memorials in the courtyard.

The courtyard cemetery.

Tree of Life memorial.

The stained glass memorial – Each color has a different meaning to commemorate the Jews during communist times.

We went into the Synagogue and again I can’t even begin to articulate the beauty. I should really start working on adjectives so I can express things in a more comprehensive way. I worked on lighting for the longest time and again went to town taking pictures of everything. I will, once again, have to go back and listen to the sound once I download it.

The view from the back of the Great Synagogue.

We walked back to the hotel; and I am sure I forgot to mention it earlier, but having underground paths to cross diagonally, or in all directions, at busy intersections is a genius idea. For anyone who knows Ball State campus, it is a less obnoxious version of a scramble light, except you never have to wait for traffic. We saw a lot of new things on our walk back that we hadn’t yet seen here. First, when we were making a pit-stop, Molly was approached by a man selling, I believe magazines, to raise money for the homeless – or he is making bank by telling people it is for the homeless. Second, we saw a truck, this doesn’t seem odd, except it was the only passenger-type truck in Budapest I think, or at least the only I have seen.

Molly purchasing a magazine to help the homeless.

The only truck in Budapest.

We met back up with the other members of the group and gathered into our taxis and headed off to the House of Terrors Holocaust Museum.  This museum receives a lot of mixed reviews, although I am pretty sure everyone in our group would give it a five-star rating.  When you first walk in, you are face-to-face with an actual tank surrounded by a three-story tall mural of all the victims of the Holocaust.  The building was originally the secret police headquarters and was renovated into the museum, after the fall of communism.  I couldn’t take pictures once I was inside, but the images will forever be imbedded in my mind.

The entrance into the House of Terror Museum.

One of the memorials before I had to turn my camera off at the House of Terror.

Everything was in Hungarian, so every time you entered a new room, there was a handout that provided information based on the theme of the room. All labels were in Hungarian, so I couldn’t read what the description was for pictures and artifacts. But as the saying goes, “pictures speak a thousand words,” and this definitely holds true for this museum. Videos were descriptive enough, but they did have subtitles when someone was speaking.

The entrance to the basement, or the cellars for the prisoners, began with a four-minute elevator ride from the first floor to the basement. The elevator ride was very slow. During the ride, there was an interview with a man who had been responsible for cleaning the cells.  As you step out of the elevator, you inhaled the foul musky smells of the original prison. The cells on display were where the Jews and enemies of the state were kept.  There was one room, which was completely padded; another room had the device, which was used to hang the prisoners, putting into perspective the cruel treatment of the Jews and enemies of the state. As you left the basement of the museum, you walked through a room that listed every victimizer who was a part of the brutalities during the communist times. Many of these victimizers were still alive.

The Iron Curtain memorial, outside the House of Terror.

Part of the Berlin Wall, outside the House of Terror.

After what seemed to be the longest most information-filled day, we met up Zsuzsanna Gellér-Varga, a documentarian. Zsuzsanna told us about her documentaries, but we focused mostly on her documentary involving the victimizers of WWII.  We talked about the Jewish area that we discovered around the Great Synagogue and also talked about the House of Terror.

We went to Fülemüle ´Etterem, which was very quaint.  I got hickory-smoked beef brisket with cholent and chips.  Cholent is a type of Jewish dish — baked beans that are baked for an extended period of time.  Zsuzsanna highly recommended it, and I can agree with her, the meal was delicious.  Jess, Molly, and I split a bottle of wine with Zsuzsanna. Hungarians do not drink alone.  Zsuzsanna emphasized that Hungarians will only have alcohol if more than one person is drinking.

For dessert I had chocolate soufflé with chocolate syrup and ice cream, which was absolutely fabulous. I never get dessert at restaurants; but if I don’t here, I feel like I am missing out on something.

Fülemüle ´Etterem, where we met with Suzanna the documentarian.

Hickory smoked beef brisket, at Fülemüle ´Etterem.

Well, I thought today was long, then I am in a treat for tomorrow; we are getting a full-blown tour of Budapest. I can’t imagine everything that it entails, but keep reading to find out. Night world!

“American’s they are so dumb.”

I woke up far too early and was the first to be down in the lobby by 8:45 a.m. I had my usual breakfast and was ready to start the day. Today, the agenda has us touring the Budapest Parliament, the third largest parliament in the world. We caught a taxi to the tour agency, and then boarded a bus that took us on our adventure. Anna Maria, our tour guide, showed us a lot of the historical statues and buildings around the area. On our tour, we ended up meeting a couple from Florida. It was interesting to talk with other people from the States, knowing we were the minority.

Loading the bus for our Parliament tour.

Jess catching some Z's on the ride.

Anna Maria, our very informative tour guide for the afternoon.

The area was filled with quatrefoils and lion heads. I had to continuously stop to take pictures, not sure what I will do with them all now, but it is amazing to think how much more aware I am of the symbols and statues. Perhaps, I will send them into the Phi Mu national magazine, The Aglaia.

Lion guarding the front entrance of Parliament.

Quatrefoil grates in the sidewalk.

As we got closer to Parliament, we heard voices over a loud speaker followed by one bell ring.  We were given pamphlets, that we thought we would take back and translate; but that wasn’t necessary because we found out that this was an anti-abortion protest, and they were reading off the names of all the unborn children — right in front of the main entrance to the Parliament.  I was astounded by the participation and the courage that these protestors had.

Abortion protesters outside the front of Parliament.

When Anna Maria came back out with our tickets, she informed us that business was going down in Parliament, and we wouldn’t be able to take the full tour. We were offered a free boat tour for our troubles as compensation; we declined and took the revised, short version tour of Parliament. Outside was a large group of young children on a field trip, also going on the tour. I would guesstimate they were probably kindergarteners – loud and rambunctious. I don’t think I would have known what to do in such a building at that age. Honestly, back then; I imagine I would have been bored out of my mind; I was not into history as a kid.

Getting into Parliament was like going through security at the airports.  Thankfully, this time I didn’t get a body scan. I never thought I would get to see such an immaculate building so close and personal. On the tour, we were able to stand in the press box. We also saw golden cigar holders; these lined the halls and were used when smoking inside was acceptable. Oftentimes, men would use them if they wanted to step inside the hearing, and if the topics were interesting, the cigar would be burned up before they returned. I struggled hearing all the details because I couldn’t put my camera down. I was afraid I would miss something that could only be captured on camera. Thankfully, all sound is being downloaded on my computer, so I can go back to it.

Grand staircase in Parliament.

Flags of the different nations, only up for special occasions.

One of the many cigar holders in the halls of Parliament.

Sitting in a press box in Parliament.

Starving, and ready to shop, we headed to Vaci Street, a popular shopping street, which seemed to go on for miles; we only made it down the short half.  We had plans to be at the spa by 2 p.m. so we had limited time to eat and shop. We had lunch at McDonalds, or (one of my favorite words to hear them pronounce) “Mac” Donald’s. What would be only a double cheeseburger here, was rather large in Hungary. The burgers are much thicker than what I am used to. I am not sure I will ever get used to their portion sizes.

We dropped all of our new belongings, mostly scarves for myself, off at the hotel before making our way to the Gellert Hotel for the spa. I was looking into getting a stone massage, but the time it would take for three of us to get them didn’t fit into our schedule – so Kelsi and Anna went ahead.

Molly and I received pedicures, and I must say, I was very satisfied with the one I had. My pedicure took about an hour and was honestly the best pedicure ever; they are much more detail-oriented than those I am used to. The room was a little sketchy. It reminded me of a horror movie. It was antique-like – with two old dentist-looking chairs, two sinks that were in the floor, and a lot of open space. We were instructed to be quiet to help us relax, and I ended up falling asleep during the massage. Unlike American pedicures, Hungarians do not paint your toenails.

Some of the other women had some interesting stories about the massages they chose, making me thankful I didn’t go with the stone massage.

Here goes to my adventure... 🙂

Molly getting her pedicure, it is very important to be quiet and relax.

Sketch tubs to soak your feet in before and after your pedicure.

Sheryl, Molly and I decided to go to Central Market while the others finished their afternoon at the spa. We called the taxi and had the longest wait ever. Searching up and down hill, literally, to find the cab that was coming for us. Turns out we were at opposite entrances, and once Sheryl found them, they came to search for Molly and I, who went to their original location searching for them. It was a disaster, but makes for a great taxi story.

We got dropped off at the Central Market. The one thing that has changed about myself since being in Budapest, is that I love shopping. I don’t think it will last long once I am back home, but for now, I could shop all day, every day.

We thought that eating close to the hotel was a fabulous idea. Remember when I mentioned the pizza advertisement on Raday utca (Rod-aye oot-ka). Once again we notice these pizzas just sitting outside on tables at the Pink Cadillac. The appeal makes me crave it, every time! I am amazed that homeless men and women don’t grab them. Something interesting that I found out about people in Budapest is that they place food and drink in wrapped bags and place them in the sidewalk trashcans for the homeless. So to have a couple of whole pizza’s just on display was astounding that they never seemed to be taken.

So we went to the Pink Cadillac, and I got a spinach, garlic, and cheese pizza, which was absolutely amazing. I took forever to decide, for some reason I was completely distracted by everything.  Thankfully our server wasn’t too upset with me being so indecisive. He was absolutely precious, and although there was a slight language barrier at times, he taught us a phrase to describe things that we really like, “fenom,” which means “tastes good.”

Spinach, garlic, and cheese pizza – delicious!

Our adorable waiter, probably annoyed with how indecisive I was –and for the amount of pictures I was taking.

Group photo!

International Women’s Day is today, and in Hungary, it is tradition to give women a flower as a part of celebrating and appreciating women.  Sheryl mentioned to us many times that we would see women carrying flowers around, and to not be surprised if we went somewhere and received flowers. Well, we hadn’t seen many people with them, and the only one to receive a flower was Anna, for purchasing so many leggings! However, before we left, the waiter brought a vase with a flower for each of us, and I was still taken aback because of the gesture, even after Sheryl’s many stories about it.

Our flowers, a gift from the Pink Cadillac for National Women's Day!

Tonight was our girls night on the town. Getting a late start, like usual, we went to Julia’s for our “pre-gaming,” which consisted of wine, delicious treats, and “girl-talk.” We swapped stories about what Ball State is like for each of us, versus when Julia attended. Marta and Julia both offered some great advise in comparing the two cultures. Hearing the two of them interact was really interesting, especially getting both perspectives on the differences between American’s and Hungarians.

Wine and "girl talk before leaving for Szimpla Kert.

We walked from Julia’s apartment to a “ruin pub” called Szimpla Kert. I wish I could articulate the atmosphere and structure of this bar, but I am at lost for words. It’s one of the most amazing environments I have ever been in, and seriously, the most fascinating and exciting bar! Unique is a wonderful describing word, but it doesn’t do Szimpla justice.  It’s all stone and brick, and the floor is concrete, most of which is graffiti.  All of the furniture is recycled: old lawn chairs, bar stools, sofas, barrels, and even a bathtub.

Bathtub chair and barrel table at Szimpla Kert.

The bathroom was really interesting; the handle was an old telephone. The toilet paper hung on the wall, rather than being in individual stalls, so you had to guesstimate how much was needed. I never understood how to flush the toilet. Sometimes I would get it; other times I had to give up after minutes of trying. Apparently bathrooms and I don’t mesh well together overseas. We left the bathroom in much better condition when we left, by each adding to the graffiti by writing something about Ball State University, spring break, 2011.

BSU graffiti on the bathroom stalls.

Once we got settled in the bar, we started the night off with a shot of Palinka – probably the strongest shot I have ever had, without exaggerating. Julia and Marta didn’t stay out late, so we were on our own to make new friends. We met people from different countries and discussed differences in culture and language.  I thought it was really interesting to hear the opinions of others about Americans. These two French men kept referring to us as “dumb Americans.” I don’t think their meaning was derogatory to us. I think that it was a general statement about Americans. I can’t really say I disagree if all I ever knew were the stereotypes, like they did.  All in all, it was a great time hanging out with the whole group in the coolest bar I have ever been in.

Shot. Shot. Shot. Shot.

Well, lets see if we survive this night. Check back in tomorrow. Night world!!

Is this real life?

It is still so surreal that I am here right now. Every time I have down time, I think about the plane trip here and all we have already done. It’s like living a dream. I have never been to a place more interesting and beautiful. I am afraid I am going to come back and forget everything, just like when you wake up from a dream. I know it won’t happen, but I just can’t wrap my head around this opportunity I have been given.

View from Castle Hill, looking over the Danube to the Pest side.

The morning came too soon. My fault. What did I learn from this experience? Do not shower right before sleepy time. I rolled out of bed needing to tame my fro. Well, my straightener is 130 watts, concerned that I would blow out the circuit … Jenny, kindly enough, has been letting me use hers. Unfortunately, like all new things, I need to find a rhythm. I haven’t yet, and it takes me twice as long. After getting ready, I went downstairs to get breakfast. I was approached again by the same staff member from yesterday … Thankfully, she remembered me. We both had a good laugh remembering the language barrier from the previous morning. I had my usual: bread and jam, eggs and pears. Today they had a special at breakfast, similar to our grits, with small grains. YUM!!! 😀 I was the first downstairs this morning … I told you I wouldn’t be late again. We jumped in the taxi and headed off to Playboy.

We met Attila’s brother, Istvan, at the Playboy headquarters. Istvan is the deputy editor of the four-person staff. We were seated in the conference room and given an abundant amount of Hungarian cookies and pretzels, along with juice, water and Coca-Cola Light (Diet Coke). It is customary in Hungary for the host to provide guests with beverages and snacks. The group at Playboy was very engaging. I haven’t actually looked or read a Playboy, so it was really interesting to hear Istvan and his co-workers confront the stereotypes that have been formulated. Some of us had a really good discussion about women activists and women rights. Is the right of the women to choose to feel liberated by posing on a cover? We didn’t come to a conclusion, but Istvan noted the magazine isn’t designed to be trashy or to belittle women. In comparison, we learned that Playboy circulates to 20,000 in Hungary vs. the 1.5 million in the United States.

Istvan the deputy editor (editor in chief) at Playboy, in Hungary.

My favorite thing was learning that on every cover of Playboy there is a hidden Playboy bunny. I was handed a stack, and Anika, the designer for Playboy, watched me go through every cover finding the bunny. The first magazine took forever. When I gave up, Anika pointed it out, and I was embarrassed that I didn’t see it. I was determined then on not give up. By the end, I had gone through every stack and actually found them pretty quick. After finding so many bunnies on the cover, it was easier to figure out how to find them based on the cover layout. I felt accomplished! 😀 All the Playboy headquarters review the work of others and share their stories. It is a true honor to have your story and design in another magazine. I suppose this shocked me because I assumed the Hungarian Playboy featured only Hungarian models and stories. Yes, it is included in every issue; however, it is a global effort, featuring articles from around the world. Istvan said, “It’s not about the parties or the bunnies, we are running a magazine.” This quote helped me begin to appreciate the entertainment and art of Playboy – rather than judge the publication as women posing naked for men. My outlook has completely changed with the inside view of the work. I was even given this month’s magazine, in Hungarian, to bring back.

Hungarian Playboy magazines.

We walked to Central Market after our visit at Playboy. WOW! I can’t even describe how amazing this was. I would compare it to the size of Lucas Oil Stadium, which if you haven’t seen it… it is HUGE! Two floors of little shops that stretched forever long. Prices ranged from no thanks, reasonable, and a lot cheaper than most places.

We walked in and a blast of raw meat wafted over us. Ew. You look into the cases and you can see the meat, hanging and cut, shaped like the parts they came from, such as pig heads and feet. The place was packed; suck it in and say “excuse me,” and pray that they understand and don’t think you are a rude American. We went straight for the food, except Jessica and Molly. We lost them as soon as we walked in. The rest of us had Paprika Sausage with bread and mustard. Really good, a tad spicy, and it filled me up quick. The retail man for the venue kicked people away from a table so we could eat because we bought something. He also yelled at a homeless man for grabbing food out of the trash. Is it considered stealing if you pull it out of the trash?

After that, I was a goner. I was looking at scarves, painted eggs, toys, clothes, the list goes on. All the trinkets, and I am on a budget . I decided to not spend all my money on Monday. Lame. I did spend some chunk of change, but thankfully you get more for your money here. Scarves are my new obsession. I can’t believe how beautiful they all are. I feel like I need one in every color. I also think I can’t afford them all. Problem. We left the market and dropped all our new possessions off at the hotel before heading out to meet Ball State PR alum Attila Schillinger and staff at his agency.

Central Market

Pigs feet.

Shops lined up inside Central Market.

Very few, of the many scarf displays.

We walked down our street, Raday utca, to Attila’s public relations agency. I saw the most odd thing on the street – two freshly baked pizza’s sitting on a table outside of the restaurant with a menu to entice walkers to come in. First off, I couldn’t fathom wasting these pizzas. Secondly, I thought it was an odd advertising scheme.

Avantgarde Group is a consultant group that takes a more strategic approach to business problems. As soon as we walked in, we were again greeted with desserts and beverages. These were more of a bread pastry. I tried the milk and olive flavored bites. Very yummy! No worries. I easily broke the ice, with the 11 staff members, who sat in and talked with us by spilling water when trying to get creative with my pictures. The agency has 23 staff members who work to work on international and local relationships. They are the most marketable agency in Hungary because they have such a diverse staff. They ensure their work is broader than just PR, focusing on crisis management, media training, industry relations, expert relations and special events.

The environment from dinner last night flowed over to this afternoon. Attila is so easy to listen to, and he puts things in easy terms so that those of us who do not understand or study PR understand what he is talking about. He truly is so easy to talk to, and he is very genuine.  I am not surprised when he compared his method of work to the movie of “Troy” – the scene when Brad Pitt has the shield protecting his back and the sword in front ready to fight anything in front of him. Attila and his agency work to be the shield that defend the backs of the clients, as well as protect the company in its move forward into the future. Great analogy. I haven’t even seen the movie, but I knew the picture that he was talking about, and he made it more vivid when relating it to his business.

After taking lots of pictures at the office, we headed back down Raday to the hotel! Luckily we left some time in the schedule for more shopping.

The street we are staying on also happens to be the same street that Attilas PR firm is on.

The delicious advertising tactics.

Whenever you walk into a room, you are greeted with drinks and snacks.

Attila, Ball State Alumni.

We worked our way up the street, and Sheryl and I branched off from the group and stopped in just about every store on our way back. I only bought one more scarf at this point. I was proud, though. There is so much for so little here. I just want one of everything so I can show everyone. It was great just talking with Sheryl. She has definitely gained mother status on this trip. We were able to hold educational conversations about the future, and the plans I had; and even though I am more confused now than ever on what it is I want, I never felt judged for being uncertain. We also talked about my nieces and nephews, which everyone knows I can go on forever about. I was able to listen to her favorite things to shop for, her experiences from the last trip, and we talked about scarves and jewelry in just about every store. It was just an overall great walk back to the hotel.

A short break before we had to head down to catch a taxi for dinner. Tonight we went on a boat dinner down the Danube. PERFECT opportunity for me to get all the night pictures I have been looking forward to. We called the taxis, one showed up immediately and the other showed up 10 minutes after the first had left. This was unusual since they usually arrive within seconds of each other. I decided to jump in the second one, so I waited with Jenny and Sheryl. This seems to be the usual taxi seating … I think I need to change it up.

Today was not my day for taxi rides. This morning, leaving Playboy, I was distracted by the scenery and my picture taking, when all of a sudden I was jerked forward as we were slamming on our brakes and flying into the next lane (which had cars in front of and behind us). Since this driving is completely normal here … No other drivers were concerned.

On our way to dinner, I experienced the most terrifying taxi experience, thus far. The driver was flying between cars, nearly hitting a bicyclist (they don’t have bike lanes), and testing busses and other cars (sort-of like playing chicken while driving) to see who would be the next to go … We always were, I think the other drivers knew the type of aggressive driver they were up against. Usually I am pretty competitive, but in a situation like this … I would have been more than OK with allowing the bus to win. I am not a gambler, but I think they have a better odds at winning. My absolute favorite part of the taxi rides is hearing the frustrated “huff” from the drivers … unfortunately, following these deep exhales there is a brief moment when I somehow end up fearing for my life.

Sorry, got a bit side-tracked. So we end up making it alive to the dinner on the Danube. We were dropped off in this shady ally and told it was down and to the left. Funny, we weren’t near any water that we could see. Is this a joke!? We ask assistance and are directed to the building next door. The inside structure of this building was gorgeous. While waiting for our walk to the boat, I decided to take the time to do some detail shots of this old structure. A large group is then directed, in true tour fashion, to the boat. We board and are seated in a little cove by ourselves. It was beautiful. The food was set up in a large buffet style and was directed in the most unorganized fashion. The boat was slender and didn’t have a lot of walking room.. not to mention there is a buffet down the center with tables surrounding it. So they let all the tables go at one, and they didn’t have a direction set up to help it move efficiently. Poor planning. I have been doing so well tracking my food. This was a disaster, so much without titles. However, I did have goulash, and it was fabulous. It is like our beef stew. There was also chicken, steamed vegetables, bread, sausage, cabbage rolls, different salad options (more like pasta salads… without pasta, but nothing with lettuce. Olives, oils, tomatoes, corn, etc). The list of items is forever long, and, of course, it ends in desserts. Always yummy!

After I was finished eating, I went up to the top deck for some air and pictures. Motion sickness hit when I realized I was enclosed on the bottom. When I had fresh air, I was much better. The night was perfect, a little chilly, but the sky was clear, and the pictures were amazing. Postcard worthy, I think, yes! 😀

Our dinner boat on the Danube River

The buffet was full of popular Hungarian dishes.

My yummy plate of food and wine!

The Liberty Bridge all lit up at night!

The Chain Bridge looks beautiful lit up with white lights.

Group photo!

When we got back to the hotel, we decided to have a blogging and a “lets see what you have purchased” party. Exhilarating! It was great to just relax and hang out with everyone. I think it is easy to break off or stay in your room on downtime. I am glad we did this early in the week, and I hope we keep it up.

Well, tomorrow is a new day. The morning will come too soon … You know the routine. A day at Parliament, the spa, our wine tasting at the House of Hungarian Wines, and a night out on the town with Julia Sabatine. 😀 Laughs and good fun to look forward, too! PLUS, it is International Women’s Day. Something taken very seriously here. Rumor has it, flowers are given to all women. This is a holiday not celebrated in the U.S., but it is recognized around the world?! Jump on it America!

Goodnight world!

National Art Museum and dinner with important people!

Alarm clock of death! I have gotten plenty of sleep and haven’t experienced any jet lag (knock on wood), but these beds are so comfortable that I had NO desire to move.

Rolling out of bed, Jenny and I were the first to arrive at breakfast. Turns out, in Budapest, it is uncommon for people to wear pajamas to breakfast. We American college students pulled our usual routine of eating and then getting ready.

The breakfast  buffet was elaborate: cereal, eggs, bread and jam, fruits, meats and cheeses. For those that know me, I typically am not a breakfast eater, and I am very particular about my eggs. This breakfast was dynamite. The fruit has so much flavor, including jams and beverages. It goes to show the preservatives and sugars are unnecessary. The eggs, fire. I could seriously down these eggs for every meal.

Jenny and I ate the same thing for breakfast every morning. Delicious!

I was approached by a staff member, asking if I were a member. My mind was racing, “A what? I mean I have no idea what this means. Can I not eat unless I am? Is Sheryl a member, because I know she told us breakfast was free …” I pulled out my room key, and said “I am a guest.” She was adamant on figuring out if I were a member, so I told her I was here with my professor for a class, and I wasn’t sure if she was a member. I followed her to the door, and she pulled out a clipboard asking for my name. Ahhhh, she wanted my room number. We figured out, at least I did, that members and guests are the same thing, and sure enough.. I am!

After breakfast, Jenny and I went upstairs to get ready. Well unfortunately there is no clock in our room, and we have now been late both days. THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN! I hate being late, and I am pretty sure their time goes faster than ours. No? You don’t think so? Hmm.

We grabbed our taxis and headed off to the National Museum of Art. Just so you all are aware, I never want to hear a comment about my driving again. The streets are so narrow, and there is parking on both sides of the street. Mix this together with no speed limits, impatient drivers, a lot of horns, and swerving, and you have just experienced Hungarian driving.  Of course, between holding on to my seat and trying to take in the beautiful scenery, I am also taking pictures of everything we pass. I can’t get enough of this city.

We used City Taxi for the majority of our trip! Highly recommended!

Entrance into the National Museum of Art.

The museum was breathtaking. We had access to three floors. The first floor, was artwork from the 1700s – mostly dark war paintings on display with some sculptures.

Artwork from the 1800s was on the second floor. A lot of this artwork was very detail-oriented portraits and scenery. Some of my favorite artwork were the portraits in this era. Benczúr Gyula painted “All My Children” in 1881, a picture of four young children. The detail was so realistic in both “All My Children” and another one of my favorite pictures, “Portrait of my Family” by Than Mor, completed in 1855. The pictures are captivating. I felt as though I was drawn to this style of painting because of the passion I have for portrait photography. I needed to get extremely close in them to see the cracks and brush strokes to tell they were artwork.

Gyula Benczúr - All My Children, 1881

Than Mor –Portrait of my Family, 1855

One of the staff members was not OK with us examining the artwork so closely – that or she hates Americans. She followed us through the exhibit. When we stopped, she stopped only a few paces behind us. Rude! 🙂 Making our way to the third floor, I found my favorite artwork in the museum – piece painted by Bíró József in 1927. “Franciscan Square” was a vibrant piece of work that emphasized life on the square. I am not sure what drew me to this picture, but I couldn’t look away from it. Unfortunately, I know nothing about art or brush strokes so I can’t give any further educated description of it. (Naturally, the picture I want everyone to see can’t be found online.)

The view around the museum was awe inspiring. I truly do not believe we have a word that fully describes what you see. The Danube River below and the Chain Bridge, Parliament, Liberty Statue, and nearly the entire city can be seen in all directions. Not to mention, the area we were in was breathtaking.

We meandered through the little shops outside the museum, and I tried Glühwein, hot wine, and it was absolutely amazing… no need for gloves when you have hot wine.

I also had a Kürtőskalács, a Transylvania funnel cake, which is like an elephant ear, in the shape of a cylinder.  Very delicious! We had lunch at a small diner, and I ordered Toszkán Melegszendvics, or Tuscan Toast, which is like a panini. YUM! We shopped some more and found another area with a fabulous view for more opportunities of pictures. 🙂

Parliament across the Danube Rive

Looking at the Chain Bridge over to the Pest side.

Hot wine!

Kürtőskalács – lovely deliciousness!

We had about an hour back at the hotel before dinner so I used the time to upload the pictures from the afternoon’s adventures. We have free Wifi here, unfortunately it takes a few tries and a long wait to upload the pictures.

I then took a 5-minute catnap while those uploaded, put on my NEW scarf and headed out the door for dinner with Attila Schillinger, Julia Sabatine, Marta Rusko, and Jandi (Yan-di) Jantner. Attila and Julia are BSU alumni. Attila started his public relations company here, and Julia came to work for him sometime after she graduated. Marta and Jandi both work with the agency as well.

I have heard many stories about the two from our instructor, Sheryl Swingley; however, she hadn’t done them justice in fully describing who they were. Finally being able to put them and their personalities with the people Sheryl described was awesome. The humor and knowledge, from all of them made for a relaxed and fun dinner!

John Bull Pub for dinner with the Avantgarde Group.

The group at dinner!

The evening was full of laughs and chatter. I don’t think the restaurant was quiet until we left. For our appetizer, we had samples of duck liver, deep fried pork fat, eggplant spread (for bread) and langosh. I made a vow to myself, at the beginning of the trip, that I would try anything that I had the opportunity for. So tonight I tried it all. Some things never change. I don’t like liver in Budapest, either. It was the only one that made my gag, which I suppose is good. The deep fried pork fat tasted like deep fried bacon, which makes sense. It was not my favorite, but I am glad I tried it. The eggplant spread was descent. I could eat it again. And the langosh was amazing. Langosh is an unsweetened doughnut with sour cream and shredded cheese spread across the top. I ordered Fogasfilé Rántva Petrezselymes Burgonyá Tartármártassal, or in English I ordered breaded pike-perch with parsley potatoes, for dinner. It was the most amazing fish I have ever had. It literally melted in your mouth. The potatoes were wonderful and full of flavor! We also ordered dessert, which is a real treat since I never do it at home! I ordered Geszenyepüre Rumos Meggyel Tejszínhabbal, chestnut puree with rum flavored cherry and whipped cream!!! 😀

Appetizers!

Fogasfilé Rántva Petrezselymes Burgonyá Tartármártassal

Dinner was full of laughs and stories. Hearing the PR, traveling and college experiences helped put the trip into perspective. It also helped remind us that they have been in our shoes, and they’re not as intimidating as I thought before the trip. Hearing Attila talk about his stories from his first time in the States was priceless. Thankfully we have Sheryl and the others who have traveled abroad before.

Although money still throws me for a loop, I think it is just the math and I am getting better at it.

Our drive back to the hotel was exciting. Seeing everything that we had seen earlier at night, all lit up, was a whole new aspect. I feel the need to walk to the Danube and take pictures to prove the magic of it all. I can’t wait until our dinner on the Danube … it won’t be disappointing.

Tomorrow is a new day, involving a visit to Playboy, and to Attila’s PR agency. I can’t wait to update you all, but I officially need some sleep. Can’t be late in the a.m.

Goodnight world!

Day 1: Destination Budapest

Well, Friday started off … early. There was too much anxiety from the night before, resulting in lack of sleep. I was afraid I was going to forget something or that I would pack something and be stopped at the airport. I was a wreck trying to finish packing and felt nauseous before even heading to the Alumni Center.

Ken, Chad, Josh, Adrienne and Sara all went to Ihop with me at 8a.m. (I must say, I have some awesome friends willing to bid me farewell at this hour.) Chad and Ken picked both Jenny and me up and took us to the Alumni Center. The best goodbye I could ask for. I give a huge thanks to my very best friends!

However, when we got there we couldn’t see the limo; how do you lose a stretch limo? After unpacking everything, Molly called us and told us the limo was down closer to the stadium. Great! In the pouring rain, we repacked everything into the car and trudged down to the limo.

Just before leaving campus, I received a phone call from my brother-in-law, Brice. He and Vickie had Madelyn this morning. A beautiful healthy baby girl! I insisted on receiving picture messages up until we left Chicago since I couldn’t see her before leaving for the trip. All morning and afternoon everyone had to listen to me rave about my nieces and nephews while I passed around my phone so they could see the pictures. The limo ride was fantastic. Most of us were just in awe of actually being in one. Talk about rolling up in style.

Madelyn Brice Gilman

At the Indianapolis International Airport, we messed up all the check-in machines while trying to register; everyone behind us was thrilled  I’m sure. Turns out our tickets required us to check-in in person rather than the machine. Go figure. 🙂

Security was awesome, not. I, the most nervous person about security checking at the airports, was chosen to do the full body scan. Even better, my image blurred, and I got to have a full body pat down. Believe me when I say they are VERY precise.

We boarded for the O’Hare Airport in the tiniest plane known to traveling. I remember thinking how entertaining it was that the flight attendant had to duck unless sitting. Aside from creeping over Kelsi to look out the window, the trip was a blur. I slept nearly the entire 45 minutes.

At O’Hare, Jenny and I ventured around to find necessities: restroom, water, McFlurries. Settling down for our two-hour layover, we watched “Leap Year.” It’s an absolutely amazing movie if you haven’t seen it. We boarded for Brussels, and I called my parents for the last time. Bittersweet. For those that really know me, they know I am very close to my family. I don’t know who this trip is harder for me or my parents. I think it will do us both some good. The feeling is liberating, knowing I am doing something on my own, and being so far away from family, meaning I can’t call all the time for help or decision making. I suppose it is about time to grow up.

Waiting at the Brussels Airport for our flight to Budapest to board.

The flight to Brussels begins, eight hours, and I again slept through most of it. I peeked out the window until we were surrounded by just clouds, which didn’t take long at all. The ground soon disappeared, and then I was passed out.

I woke up in time for pretzels and drinks, soon followed by dinner. For dinner, the plane offered cheese pasta or chicken and mashed potatoes. Naturally I went with chicken! The meal also included crackers and cheese, a roll and a brownie for dessert. Yum! Actually, it resembled hospital food, but it was edible.

After dinner is when I struggled falling back asleep. I had already missed the beginning of the movie, so I chose to play “Angry Birds” for a while. I soon gave up on that because I can’t beat the level. Then I created playlists for my Ipod. This wore me out apparently, but once again, I woke up just in time for food.

Breakfast was a warm croissant and strawberry yogurt. Not too shabby. It was sunrise, and it was magical. The sun rising from a view above the clouds is breathtaking. It’s an experience I won’t forget. It was also the time when I realized I needed to document all of this, which is why there are so many pictures of the clouds.

At the Brussels Airport, we had to go through security again. It wasn’t as bad of an experience, except I forgot I had bought water and wasted $9. I had to throw it away because you can’t take it through security.

This has been my first true experience as a minority. English isn’t the first language, and it has put everything into perspective; however, most do know English, which is nice.

My entertaining experience at Brussels was in the bathroom. I had no idea how to open the stall door. Another opportunity for a learning experience, rather than figuring it out, I waited for the person to come out of her stall. 🙂

We settle ourselves at dock A56, which is where our ticket said we would be leaving from. We had about an hour and a half wait until boarding for Budapest. Turns out, we were leaving from A49, so we hauled our stuff to the dock and settled in for a good while. Thankfully, I had the cutest kids next to me, entertaining me. I have no idea what they were saying, but they were adorable! Jenny napped and the rest of us relaxed, or wrote out our blogs.

Hungarians take boarding seriously. We never heard a call for our flight, but we knew it was soon because it seemed like everyone rushed to line up at the gate.

Flight tracker!

Sunrise from Brussels to Budapest.

Once again, I fell asleep after  boarding the plane. As soon as the light turned off and I was able to turn on my Ipod, I was out. This flight, even though I slept, felt like it took forever. When I woke up, the last 20 minutes went by so slow.

Once we arrived in Budapest, we converted money and waited on luggage.

Once we were all done, we were out pretty quickly. Our driver, who will be around throughout the week, was REALLY awesome – the epitome of manners. I was blown away by him dealing with all of our luggage, since there were seven of us. As he took our luggage, he was told us history, taught us a few words, and even gave us a hand as we piled out of the car. If you are wondering, no, I don’t have the words down yet, but Jenny is rocking it!

Budapest Airport.

We arrived at the hotel and decided we needed some down time – naps and showers before hitting the city. Unfortunately, I slept all day it seemed. Luckily free Internet occupied my time while everyone caught up to my level. The hotel rooms are small and gorgeous, with the most comfortable bed ever. We hit the city a little after 5 p.m. and headed straight to the folk concert. A sketch, but neat, underground bar. However, we arrived three to five hours early; the bands weren’t going on until 9 p.m. 🙂

We grabbed dinner at the Vig Cafe, a really delicious restaurant. We started off with a pancake, which is best described as a burrito. It was amazing, and my first Hungarian meal, unless you count the cheese sandwich that was passed out on the trip to Budapest. It was cheese, romaine lettuce, a sauce, and half a piece of bread (still very good). For my meal,  I ordered the Csirkepaprkás galuskával, or the Hungarian paprika chicken with flour dumplings. VERY tasty!!! Sheryl (professor), Jenny, Kelsi, and myself decided to skip the concerts tonight, and decided to call it an early night.

Csirkepaprkás galuskával

Vig Cafe

Once we got back to the hotel, we meandered down the street to the ABC market for some chocolate and tea. Retiring early, Jenny and I decided to blog and watch “Super Star” (an extra dramatic version of American Idol). We haven’t a clue what the drama was, but the inflection of their voices and the tears indicated something was going on.

Beautiful hotel we stayed in.

Ibus Centrum Hotel lobby.

After a long day of flights, Jenny found home.

The view outside our window.

Well, we’re getting up at 8 a.m. for another busy day, including the Museum of Fine Arts, the Hungarian National Museum, and dinner with some important people! Stay posted to hear what it is like!

Goodnight world!