B is for Budapest and Bratislava

So, my trip is going pretty well so far, although, getting out of Ukraine is my least favorite part of any voyage. This time, I took a train from Kyiv to Chop - the border crossing point from Ukraine to Hungary. Thrillingly, I was treated to two Kupe-mates who likely had the plague or at the very least something in the cholera family. Trapped in a tiny cabin with a kid and his grandmother hacking their lungs out, I was forced to spend the majority of the 17 hour train ride on the top bunk, facing the wall, watching movies/listening to my i-pod. Reading wasn't an option, since the lights never work on these old Soviet trains. (By the way, this confirmed my endorsement of 5th generation video i-pods, as a 17 hour ride easily converts to half a season of TV and a long nap.)

Anyway, I finally got to Chop around 7am, only to find a totally desolate train station and that the "elektrychka" over the border to Zahony doesn't leave for another two hours, even though it is about 7 miles away. My only option is to take an overpriced cab, unless I want to arrive in Budapest at dusk. I am pissed that the cab is so expensive ($35), but then realize that I have been in the FSU too long since, as recently as December, I paid a NYC cabbie $40 to take me home from JFK. So, the cabbie takes me across the border. The Ukrainian customs, as usual, are a massive pain in the ass and decide they need to examine my passport in great detail, since they probably only see one on a monthly basis. They even ask for a secondary ID - I give them my ISIC card, which I basically glued together myself, but after a few minutes of required grumbling, they let me go. We wait in traffic for a bit before we get to the Hungarian side. The cabbie explains that they search all the cars for cigarettes and booze, since it is so cheap in Ukraine, that everyone attemps to smuggle in their share. The cabbie is a decent guy, and even helps me get a ticket at the train station in Hungary, since he used to work for the customs and speaks some Magyar (which is totally insane language and totally unintelligable to me).

The train to Budapest is four hours, but essentially hassle free. I make it to the hostel, shower and change, but I can tell I've been infected by whatever those peasants on the train were carrying. There were a couple things I had to see that day, since most museums in Europe are closed on Monday. I head to the National Museum for an obligatory review of Magyar history, then head to Terror Haza, a spy museum created in the old building that used to house both Nazi and Soviet intelligence agencies. Both dramatic and creepy, but definitely worth visitng. I only wish I had had more time. I have goulash for dinner at a cute place in the area and then head to the main drag, Vaci Utca, although it is almost 9pm on a Sunday and everthing is closed except for a giant strip club. At this point, I am feeling pretty rotten and since everything is closed, spend $10 on a box of oj and two small bottles of water. Luckily, I have tylenol, so I eat a bunch, drink as many fluids as I can stand and pass out.

Next day, I'm not feeling great, but no worse for wear. More tylenol, water, oj, plus a delicious cherry studel thing for breakfast (those Hungarians learned something from the Austrians, what with all the constant invasions). I head to the Gellert Baths for a good soak and massage. The last time I was there was 15 years ago when I was eight and things have changed a bit, although it struck me again that the water in the baths was kind of dirty and that they probably don't use chlorine. Oh well. I head to the steam room for a few minutes, which worked wonders on my lungs. After a short 15 minute massage, I was ready for more shlepping.

I headed to the grand market for lunch, although since I didn't have a knife on me, getting a large side of ham seemed unlikely. Very photogenic experience nonetheless. Ended my day with a trek to Vereghy (Castle Hill) and wandering around the Labrynth under the Royal Palace. Got some great shots of the city.

Left for Bratislava this morning at 5:30, which is probably why I'm losing steam now. (Hungarian and Slovak customs, btw, could not care less about this passport control business. They stamp passports out of ritual, more than anything else, since neither of them said or asked me anything, besides flipping through my passport). Got in at 8:30 and have been wandering ever since. Having trekked through the center of the city, to the National Museum, along the Danube, up to the Castle and back down, I am pretty beat. Bratislava is a beautiful city, although, you can tell from the Castle that the half of the city on the other side looks very Soviet. Cookie-cutter style apartment buildings are visible as far as th eye can see and Novy Most (the bridge that links the two) looks like some strange, futuristic UFO device. As soon as I figure out how to upload photos onto this thing, I will share them. I suppose it's kinda has a Space-Needle feel to it and I guess there is a club on top called, don'tcha know, UFO.

Anyway, I am about to have lunch somewhere and hit another couple museums. I hear there is a movie theatre in town that shows major/popular films with Slovak subtitles, instead of dubbing them, so I'm hoping to catch something later tonight. I hate to admit it, but I would kill for a cheesy action movie and greasy popcorn.

More later.