And now for the final stop of my three-part European adventure…
Budapest, Hungary! (The picture above is of Fisherman’s Bastian, which is basically as magical as it looks)
Budapest. above everything else, was just really, really cool. There were trendy bars and clubs (including ruin bars – which are old Communist factories transformed into night clubs??), there were random drunk guys on Segways that would pass you on the street, there were donut libraries (yep, it’s a thing) and hummus bars, amongst a plethora of other strange, interesting things that I can guarantee you will only find in a place like Budapest. The architecture is lovely, as one would expect in Europe, but there is something purely joyful in simply walking down the streets. I’d walk with a smile on my face, humming George Ezra’s “Budapest” as I went (because I’m basic and honestly, how could you not?? It’s so catchy.), as the song’s upbeat tune fits this place perfectly.
My mother, sister, and I had to make the most of the four days we had to cover the large amount of territory that is Budapest – in fact, Budapest is really split into two cities: the Buda side of the Danube river, and the Pest side of the Danube. Here’s a map to make all that a bit clearer:
With so much to do in such little time, we basically hit the ground running. We started walking around and exploring basically the moment we arrived – there was just one catch. We had absolutely no idea where we were going. Let’s take a look at this map again:
One way takes you to all the nice, pretty attractions. One way takes you to a sketchy part of town where there’s a sex shop on every corner. Guess which way we went?
(Answer: Not the right way)
We eventually made it back to the hotel (after several hours of being completely lost, but I digress). After that endeavor, we made sure to always check directions before going anywhere. But by the end of the trip, I was navigating Budapest like a pro. I saw some incredible sights, such as:
The Hungarian Parliament
The Charles Bridge
And, the underground labyrinth whee Vlad the Impaler (a.k.a Vlad Dracula) was imprisoned.
I KNOW RIGHT.
A much more well-lit version of Buda Labyrinth
I won’t lie – the labyrinth was definitely creepy, but I’ve always liked haunted houses and the sort, so I enjoyed it. My sister Casey, on the other hand, did not. There was a part of the labyrinth that was completely dark – you couldn’t even see your hand if you held it in front of your face! My mom took a look at it and instantly bailed. Casey took about two steps before freaking out and turning back to take another path. I sighed, and thought, “All right. Guess I’m doing this alone.”
I had intended to not use my phone for light, but I’ll be honest – I was a little creeped out myself. I was entirely alone. Not another soul had decided to brave the darkness, and even with the light, I could still hardly see and kept running into walls. There was dark, scary music playing off in the distance (I couldn’t see where) and droplets of water splashing onto the cold ground. I was stepping into puddles, searching for paths out, while hardly being able to see. At one point, I saw a door and headed towards it, only to find it locked, meaning I was seemingly trapped. I eventually found the hidden exit, but there was definitely some panic for a brief moment. Being alone in utter darkness, not knowing if anything – or anyone – is around you can unnerve the bravest of us all. I eventually made my way out, and later in the labyrinths, in the midst of a fog that made it nearly impossible to see, we found the exact chamber where Dracula was imprisoned. Casey was panicking, but I thought it was pretty cool. I guess do believe in ghosts and spirits, but I don’t fear them. They are in another word, and there is enough to fear in our own.
On our way back out, I took the darkened path back – feeling braver than before –and waited outside the exit for my mom and Casey. They didn’t come. I felt a little unnerved at the beginning, which gradually turned to panic. I began pacing back and forth, went up the steep stairs into the outdoors to see if they’d gone there, and when I saw that they hadn’t, I sent a text message when I wasn’t permitted to use data (though it didn’t make much difference: No cell service in labyrinths). Ten minutes turned to twenty. They still hadn’t come out. Heart racing now, I decided to go back into the labyrinth, and for the first time, I was actually afraid. What can ghosts do to terrify me when faced with the idea that I’d never find my family?
Fortunately, after about half an hour, I found them. They’d been searching everywhere for me – they even went through the dark tunnels to look for me, fearing that maybe someone had kidnapped me or murdered me in the tunnels in order to live in some sadistic infamy. Again, there are enough real life terrors to make ghosts and demons seem trivial.
The rest of my trip, fortunately, was much less scary. Much of my time was just spent exploring random places I came across, and eating more gelato than I care to admit. On my last night in Budapest, I had dinner at a restaurant on the Danube, listened to the sounds of music floating in from the streets, had delicious chicken paprikash and strawberry lemonade, and reflected on all I’d seen and experienced throughout my trip. I’d been to three different cities, seen countless attractions and wonders, had laughed and and smiled nearly endlessly, had walked more miles than I could count, and had fallen deeper in love with the world and with life, and all the joys and marvels and experiences it brings.
