Missing in Budapest
Trip Start
Aug 25, 2006
1
2
14
Trip End
Sep 10, 2006
Budapest,
Hungary
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Our first order of business was to find an internet cafe and find out what happend to our friends. Turns out they were on a different airline leaving at the same time as us and had only compared the times when they told us we were on the same flight. We would have run into them at the airport except their luggage was delayed and it took a long time for them to get things sorted out with the lost luggage people. Once we knew they were in Budapest, we relaxed a bit and decided to do some sightseeing. We spent most of our time in Heroe's Square and the park next to it, as well as the Zoo which has an amazing art deco elephant house.
Eventually we went to the hotel we were renting an apartment in and discovered they had checked in but then absconded with the key (as is common in Eastern Europe you're supposed to leave the key with reception when you leave the building). We checked back a bit later and they still weren't back. So John went to retrieve our bags from the train station and I waited for them (and napped--not so comfy to nap on a tile floor with a backpack pillow by the way). He came back with the bags and just as we were beginning to despair, Pat, Russ, and Russ's mom (Anne) turned up. We gratefully got into our apartment and freshened up before striking out for dinner.
As we walked out to the main street to catch the subway we ran into some sort of crazy, travelling street party. There were trucks blaring music, people dancing on the trucks, and crowds of people following along with them. Behind it all came an incredibly efficient cleaning crew seeping up all the confetti and cigarette butts and other trash. The streets were spotless in moments. We went on our way to Liszt Square and I had an excellent veal stew with dumplings at a place called Fresco.
