Budapest. Hungary

We have beaten Budapest, however not without the city winning a few battles. Nothing less could have been expected from a city which has the most number of bars per capita the world, one every 10 meters #alarmbells.

This city in Hungary will hold a special place in my memory and my heart, along side the hospital and the doctor that treated me for my collapsed lung. Being admitted to the hospital after I felt a tight chest, coughing, sore throat and blood in my phlegm. Not to worry, A few hours and a few doses of drugs I was off again hitting the bars – the resistance to the city continued.

This could of been the karmic revenge to the previous night in which my Co-Captain and I made an American on the pub crawl only make it to the second bar before passing out and vomiting (dropping vodka shots in his beers #neknomination), making the pubcrawl host pass out in his hallway, cutting the bartenders hand enough for it to be bandage and hanging out with a guy that looked like David Guetta -See if you can spot him.

In any case post hospital visit i was dosed up and ready to take on day 2 in Budapest. I was able to join my Co-Captain manage to break into Buda – Castle and explore the places that I am pretty sure were restricted. The amazing buildings did not cease to amaze with the Church in the rocks, Heros Square, Chain Bridge, Liberty statue and Fisherman’s bastion. We even made a pit stop to the local markets as both of us were fighting Scurvy and craving fruits.

Sights had been seen and apples had been eaten, now began the second rendezvous, as we followed up a hospital visit with a counter attack on the bars. We headed out again. This time local style, drinking Pelenca, a local Hungarian Fruit Brandy ranging from 40% to 70% alcohol content. We visited Ruin bars, these are huge bars set up in ruined buildings.

One of which was “Instant” a 26 room maze and 6 Dance floors. Soon we made random friends and together took on a local at fooseball and beat him which really seemed to enrage the local. Laughing and having shots I soon lost my Co-Captain, who was on his own mission to survive. We reunited in the room hours later, when he arrived and scared the living daylights out of me and reduced my life span by 5 years. We exchanged stories, including him meeting locals that took him to a shut bar and drank every Hungarian shot on the menu to celebrate the 30th Birthday of a friend. He explained this as he went and passed out in the wardrobe (we both are unclear on why he slept there – one of life’s mysteries).

Our last night in the mighty Budapest we went caught up with the new friends we had made and went to Budapest Trap. Basically a place where you get locked in a room with clues and we have 1 hour to escape, solving puzzles and piecing together clues! We escaped and had a blast.

Exausted we made our way to one of Budapests many fascinating Mineral baths. On the way in which we almost died by a guy testing out Tokyo drift style of driving and almost drifting over us, once the stress levels had been restored the baths were such a relaxing experience with 35 different mineral baths including, the outdoor baths temperatures at 37 degrees whilst the outside air temperature a mere 1 degrees. Also being the place where Hitler had bathed years ago. On the way to the baths we were able to make new Canadian and American friends including a guy named Mr Joe Murphy. Feeling rejuvenated we braced ourselves for our last battle before the flight. Thinking it will be an early night we headed out… Only to return 2 hours prior to checkout. A Nana nap n off to the Airport we went! Feeling the wounds of battle sting we boarded the flight, saying bye to a tough opponent.

BUDAPEST: City of Bars, Baths and Battle scars.