Made in Japan, Outsourced Globally

Unlike my other trips, Budapest was a trip out on a total whim. I felt the urge to travel East, and blindly did an 'eenie-meenie-miney-moe' on the world map. Matt happened to be on a whirl-wind Central/Eastern Europe backpacking tour (he was roughin' it in the camping grounds of Croatia, almost catching pneumonia - but hey, that's his story to tell). We had never met, but randezvouing with this intriguing international man of mystery seemed like another good reason to venture to Budapest.


Can you smell the paprika? Can you hear the buzz of the locals buying fresh produce? The Market Hall is a happening place on almost any mid-afternoon. My only regret is not getting a necklace of those beautiful, ruby-red paprikas on a string.


Inez, a friend of Gitti, is one of the sweetest people I know. She lives on the Buda side and showed me around Budapest when I first arrived. Matt (to the right) - although this is a photo of him leaving Budapest, it is one I will always remember him by. An adventure-traveler rushing himself onto a train to Warsaw. He was my accomplice in the misadventures in Budapest.


Public transit in Budapest is easy to understand... only if there weren't so many constructions in the city. A combination of metro, tram, and bus can get you almost anywhere. I really liked it. (And on occasion, you get to see the local old men cursing and jousting with one another with umbrellas).

But another transportation device that Inez mentioned was the "Children's Train." It still runs today, and the unique thing about it is that it is completely run by children (sans the driver, of course). During the socialist times, a certain group of children had the privilage of running the train. Conductors, ticket collectors, etc. are all children. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see it running.


Heroes' Square. Matt said it reminded him of Tiannanmen Square. It's a magnificent open space at the end of Andrasse Street. Here, Drake's friend, Gabor, was nice enough to take us through a history of Hungary through its founders (the 7 Magyar tribes) and kings. Then he proceeded to confuse me with the territory blobbing and battles between Hungarians and Turks/Tartars/ Habsburgs/Romanians/Soviets. I dare not speak too deeply about Hungarian history, because it is convoluted and way beyond my comprehension.


A handsome and vigorous statue at the Heroes' Square.


Me & Gabor - an amazing guide of Budapest. Haha - he's so tall that I had to stand up on the railing to see eye to eye with him.


The Parliament is one of the most beautiful architecture in Budapest. I think it reminds me of a really elaborate wedding cake. Sigh. I could stare at it for hours.


Gabor is very knowledgeable. He will tell you about the nooks & crannies of Budapest, like this statue of a horse that people (often students before an exam) rub at a certain anatomical part for good luck. All I can say that they were really shiny. And thanks to Gabor, Matt and I will never forget that the liberty statue looks like a beer bottle opener from a distance (especially after a night out with your buddies).


Watching the Buda Castle light up in the evening was wonderful. I walked along the chain bridge (the bridge was blocked off that evening with jazz, food stands, and people enjoying the summer evening!) and climbed up the hill in the early summer twilight. At nine o'clock, the grey and pallid walls of the castle slowly come to life with the warm, orange illumination.


Matthius Church in the evening glow.


The New National Theater is probably my favorite modern building in Budapest. Although it is a contrast to the ostentatious architecture of the old, it is by no means a losing contest with its unique statues in the garden and imaginative themes. In the front, there is an open bench area that is designed like a boat (and overlooks a small pond). In the back, there is a Tower of Babel, and if you climb it, you will be able to see the maze made of hedges below. I have not seen such a fun & uniquely themed theater.

COWS, COWS, COWS!!!


And let us not forget the strange things that happen when you have painted cows, a bunch of crazy internationals, and lots of Hungarian wine. Budapest is one of those cities that adopted the "painted cow" concepts - they are everywhere. Above are some of my favorites.

Hanging out with Aiesec trainees was a real treat. Ousted by the police (to be fair, we were playing really loud accordion music), we spilled out to the streets at night, only to end up in a shady, Soviet-looking bar.

'I'm on TV!' I don't know where this guy came from, but him and his friends were 'chirping' like penguins all night. (to the right) Ines and Inez - Croatia meets Hungary.

In the taxi to the airport, I thought, "I made it through the weekend." A trip that is so haphazard is not always easy, but it was a great opportunity to meet new people and see something new. Can't thank Inez, Gabor, Ines, and Agata enough for being such great hosts. I'm in total agreement with Matt about the way some people can make your experience in a country so amazing.