The Good and bad of Budapest.

Well I'm back from my trip to Budapest so I've a bit to write (well the bits I can remember anyway).

On the day of my flight I drove down to Luton Airport and was pleased I didn't encounter too many problems especially considering it was through the morning rush hour. Anyway I actually arrived before check in opened so got a breakfast.
Eventually its on to the flight, I was travelling with budget airline "Easy Jet" and its a bit of a cattle stampede to get the best seat, I ended up in the middle of 3 and trust me they don't do them in adult sizes.

On arrival I wasn't sure the best way to get to my hotel, sort of wanted to use local transport but in a strange country that speaks a different language I thought best to get a taxi. When I arrived at my hotel it was just a entrance with a canopy over the door in dark quiet street, I tried the door it was locked so I rang the bell and it was automatically unlocked from someone watching me on camera. I was actually shocked when I opened door to enter a passage, it was scruffy, dirty and gave me the impression of some homeless hostel.
The sign sent me to the left to a lift and staircase where the sign told me the reception was on the 1st floor so up I went. Was pleased on arrival to find the 1st floor just the opposite of the entrance, nice, clean, tidy, just what I expected from some reviews I'd read. In fact the hotel only operated from this level up, much to my relief and was a nice place. The staff I must say were very good made you feel welcome and all spoke perfect English.
The breakfast was also nice well presented and tasty.
My only real complaint about the hotel is that the so called double glazing didn't keep street noise out and it was difficult getting my beauty sleep, especially as road works were been done outside very close to the hotel.

So my opinion of Budapest, well it could be a beautiful city it as great architecture but is somewhat spoilt by the graffite everywhere giving it a rough/dirty feel. In fact my hotel experience was mirrored everywhere the outside of many buildings gave a totally different impression of what was inside, that included many bars, restaurants and cafes. Of course the real touristy spots where kept tidy outside but to find the better places you needed to explore some of the dark and dingy streets and alleys. Found some fantastic places with just a entrance or down in some cellar, real friendly people as well.
The streets I'm describing looked so rough if it had been in a English City I wouldn't have ventured down but Budapest is a very friendly place, it is safe in my opinion.

Ok as always I had one iffy incident, one night I'd been out for a meal and a few beers and decided to stop in a Pool room to see iff the locals wanted a few lessons (lol). I'd been there awhile when a couple befriended me, they were from Brazil and Sweden and we just got chatting.
Anyway I went to the toilet came back and finished my beer and said goodbye. Well luckily I left, my hotel was only a couple of minutes away and I must have feel asleep straight away, just flaked out. I awoke about 3 hours laters with a splitting headache and am convinced they had spiked my drink, ok maybe I'd just had one too many but I seriously don't think I had, it wasn't a normal feeling you get with too much booze. I flushed myself out with water and was ok by morning.

Don't know where to start on Hungarian Food, actually enjoyed it although most of the time I hadn't a clue what I was ordering, in fact on 3 occasions I'm sure I ended up with something different to my order reckon some of the chefs just wanted to give everyone their daily specials. Food and drink was cheap so I ended up with a load of forints left which I exchanged to Euros for my upcoming Spanish holiday next month.

I loved public transport, subway, trams, buses all interlinked and I got a 7 day pass for around £15 which was superb value. They were really regular never waited more than 5 minutes. Strangely you could get on and not get your tickets checking which initially made me wonder if many people didn't pay. However soon found the answer, every so often ticket checkers (I called them the Gestapo) invaded a tram, anyone without a ticket paid a on the spot fine and if they couldn't where marched off to nearest cash point. Think most people paid.

As I said earlier there are some fantastic buildings, the Parliment and the castle are as good as you see anywhere. Of course the City straddles one of the worlds great rivers "The Danube" with a number of bridge crossings.

On my first morning I climbed the Gellert Hill that gives the best views, its the highest point and believe me going up tests your lungs, as for coming down it sorted my knees out.

Other things I visited was Heroes Square, which is there equivellant of Trafalgar square, also Margarit Island which is a big park in the middle of the river.

Also went to the "House of Terror" which is in the building that both the Nazi and Communist secret police used while occupying the city, told the stories of the torture and murder that went on during those regimes.

Must also mention I took the pilgimage to the "Peoples Stadium" (Ferec Puskas Stadium as its now known), why you may ask. Well thats simple in 1968 Leeds United won their first European Trophy (Inter Cities Fairs Cup) on this ground against local side Ferenchvaros. Its not had much modernisation since and is a bit scruffy by todays standards but to a Leeds fan a place where history took place.
Ok I've gone and bought myself a Ferenchvaros footie shirt as a souvener, just had to do it, got bloody XL though and its still tight, obviously don't make Hungarians in the same sizes as us Brits. So reckon thats my new motivation to lose weight.

I'll post some photos soon.