Budapest

I finally got the photos back from my disposable camera so the pictures on this blog (unless otherwise noted) ARE my photos:

After the interesting train ride I arrived in Budapest determined to have a good time. I started with a walk around town and then a guided tour of the biggest Jewish synagogue outside of New York. The tour guide had some amazing stories and I was excited to see the "Tree of Life". (Photo from internet) Each leaf has the name of someone from Budapest who died in the Holocaust. The next day the weather was beautiful so I took the "Benches of Budapest" tour. I literally wandered the city with no real itinerary or intent all day, moving from bench to bench to enjoy the views and the sun. For once my overly-organized brain took a rest. And it was great! I walked along the Danube River and over the impressive Chain Bridge. Then I was on the Buda side of the river (it used to be two distinct cities, Buda and Pest). I climbed the Buda hill for a view of the Pest side. (Photo from internet)
At the top of the hill is the Turul. This fictional bird is kind of the Magyar (Hungarian) mascot. It's said that the bird led the Magyars from the homelands in Asia to the Carpathian basin in Eastern Europe. The statue is a lot bigger and cooler than my crappy disposable camera lets on.Further down the hill is the Fishermen's Bastion. It was once a fort, but now it's just a cool looking tourist trap.
I happened upon a really neat square with some embassies around it and sat for a long time. That's the Parliament dome in the background.
St. Istvan's Cathedral. Reminded me of some cathedrals in Italy. Not all that old and REALLY gold.
That night I treated myself to an evening at the Budapest State Opera House. I bought myself tickets for the ballet Swan Lake. It was amazing!!!! This is a photo of the theater from the stage. Want to know where I was sitting? See the big white thing above the blue screen in the dead center? Go one box to the right on the second balcony level. Talk about amazing. And I ADORE ballet so it was one of the most perfect evenings ever!! :)My last day in Budapest I went out to Statue Park in the morning. When Communism fell in Budapest some entrepreneur took the majority of the communist-era statues and put them in one location outside the city. Now they charge a rather ridiculous price to come into a dead-end "park" to see them all. And still tourists flock to see the remnants of a regime the world so feared.
Lenin is still on hand to point to the future.
And some people probably come as communism fans. This statue once had a giant red star and now all that's left is a red carnation (barely visible in my tiny disposable camera photo).
Another reminder of "harsher times" is the House of Terror. It's a museum and somewhat interactive experience about the secret service that took over for the Communists after the Nazis left. This was on Andrassy ut on my long walk to the city park and the baths... I didn't go in.At the end of Andrassy ut (one of the main roads in Budapest) is Heroes' Square. There are statues of famous Magyars through the ages in the beautiful open place just before the entrance to the city park, my final destination.I was headed for the Szechenyi Baths. The Carpathian Basin (the geographical location of Hungary) is a very thin layer of the Earth's crust and underneath is a plethora of hot springs. Since Roman times the people living in this area have taken advantage of nature's relaxing baths. Today it's quite the social activity for citizens of Budapest and tourists alike.
There are a series of indoor baths that range in size, temperature and water type. Some are cooler pools used for physical therapy and aerobics sessions, others are intimate and hot, and still others are large and filled with hot greenish water that is supposed to have medicinal minerals.
Outside there are three HUGE pools. This one was my favorite. It's kept at about 85 degrees year round. The center small circle is like a jacuzzi. It has seats and every 15 minutes or so there are jets that put out bubbles. When those bubbles are going there are also giant bubble pools on the edges in that open area close to the pool. The larger circle is super fun! There are high powered jets that point in one direction and create a sort of whirlpool. As soon as you get near it you can feel yourself getting dragged in and if you just let go it will throw you into it and you can bob around and feel like a fish going faster and faster and faster. I felt like I was 5 years old, but I spent the vast majority of my time there. A large group of Asian women came in and were fascinated by it. They watched for a bit and when they were finally brave enough to hop in they laughed hysterically. I think everyone just had a great time!
There's a large lap-swimming pool in the middle and then this pool (below: Photo from Internet). It's the warmest of the outdoor pools, around 90 or so and it has special mineral water. It's mostly adults here and the old men crowd around the permanent chess boards set up around the outside. Very relaxing, but not quite as fun. :)
Look for another entry devoted solely to the lessons I learned at the Szechenyi Baths soon.
And that was my time in Budapest! I decided it's a good thing I don't live in Budapest because all I would ever want to do is walk around, go to the baths, and spend every evening at the Opera House. I would be totally unproductive... and it would be fabulous. In Prague I feel like I was able to see everything I wanted to. In Budapest I feel like I've just scratched the surface, so I look forward to going back sometime soon.