Okay, so it's been almost two months since I caught my flight from London to Budapest but here goes my best effort to recall some of the highlights from my pilgrimage. I didn't have any set plans with transportation tickets from this place to that. I just knew that in about three weeks I needed to be in Amsterdam to meet some friends.
Upon arriving to Budapest, I caught three different forms of public transportation to get to my hostel. When you see the metro cars in Budapest you are instantly reminded of the setbacks and hardships this country has endured. It's these elements that give the city so much character and uniqueness. While walking around, I couldn't help but begin to feel like I had stepped back in time. Due to the occupation of the Nazis and Soviets, the country hasn't been able to stay current with the modern world.
I ended up staying in Budapest longer than expected. I tried to be a good tourist and see as much as I could within the first few days. This way I could spend the rest of my time enjoying the famous nightlife without missing the city. For a city without any high rise buildings, it has the most amazing skyline I have ever seen. It is also world famous for its natural hot spring baths which are scattered all over the city.
Then there is the nightlife. The city's best bars and clubs are scattered within the old Jewish quarter. During the Nazi occupation of Hungary, as you could imagine, the Jewish neighborhood was destroyed. It wasn't until people began re-purposing these ruins that the nightlife began to pop off. Now, travelers and locals alike are left with a district of hip and unorthodox venues to frequent. I have to give a lot of credit to my hostel for organizing nightly outings to help backpackers explore the incredibly unique nightlife.
After too many wild nights, I was on a roll. A roll which lead me to Vienna with a few mates I met in Budapest. One of the guys was studying in Vienna and invited me to a proper party at one of the university housing buildings. With an open bar and being packed wall to wall, this party was legit. To top it off, my hosts had decided to wear togas. As a guest, I had no choice but to follow suit. Please note, this was not a costume party or dress party of any sort. The night got blurry.
The next few days were more tame as I was feeling the need to pump the brakes and see some of the sites. When I say see the sites it also includes eating local cuisine like Wiener Schnitzel (So good. Great hangover cure). Compared to Budapest, Vienna was quite the change of pace. Austria, like many other European countries, has adopted the Euro. The country is also much more financially stable than its neighbors which makes it a bit less attractive for the budget travelers. But beyond that it is a beautiful and sophisticated city that still boasts a pretty loose nightlife.
It was just three nights in Vienna before I felt the need to move on. My schedule was tightening up at this point as I was slotted to be in Berlin the following week then Amsterdam. So I set off to Prague. This being one of my must see destinations since thinking about a trip to Europe, I was stoked to arrive and was giving myself five nights to explore. Just as I expected, the old quarters were a real step back in time with the tight cobblestone roads that seemed to wind through the city without any thought that the layout made no fucking sense.
My time in Prague was enhanced so much because of the people I met and the place I stayed. Outside the old quarters and downtown was an amazing cozy hostel called Sir Toby's. Stay there. During my stay, I tried some authentic Bohemian food, which was fucking amazing. This was comfort food on a whole new level. Meat, gravy, dumplings, love, beer... Uuugh.. Of course, I sampled the nightlife as Prague is known for that.
To add to the adventure, on my last night we went out to a club and by the time we got back to the hostel the sun was rising and everyone was just trying to make it to bed before an actual beam of light hit their skin. But that wish would not be granted because the fire alarm went off less than five minutes after we got back. So, as it goes when fire alarms are set off, the entire building was evacuated. With smoke filling the stairwell and about 30 Spaniards fleeing the halls only half dressed, I knew this would be entertaining. As it turns out, the Spanish crew was also carrying the party on into the following morning but really shit the bed when they dropped a lit cigarette and caught something on fire. Good thing: the hostel was not really damaged. Funny: The group responsible seemed to not really care that they woke up and evacuated the entire hostel at 7:30am. Funnier: They were locked out of their rooms and got slapped with a big fine. HA!
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