Our arrival in Budapest was disorienting to say the least. Nearly 17 hours had passed since the time we left Seattle till the time we arrived at our hostel – Tiger Tim’s Place. It was dinnertime in Hungary, and we were hungry for our first foreign eats. After getting settled into our room, we attempted to get our bearings among the grey, rainy streets before sitting down to eat at a traditional Hungarian cafeteria. Despite our delicious meal and efforts to overcome jet-lag, Jessica and I both woke up around 4am, hungry once again because we were missing dinnertime back home.

The next day, we staggered awake and forced ourselves to hit the major tourist sites. After walking about 7 miles total, we had caught sight of the intimidating Parliament building, the opulent St. Stephan’s Basilica, Great Market Hall, and Town Center. We spent the night getting acquainted with our fellow hostelers, whom we now call our friends – four girls from Dublin, two guys from Madrid, and two more from London.

The Danube River runs through the city, separating the bustling Pest from the more quiet and wealthy Buda. So far, all of our time had been spent exploring the former, but we had yet to visit the city’s most distinct and renowned destination- the thermal baths. First thing in the morning, we caught the yellow metro line to the Szechenyi Spa. Because Budapest sits in a hotbed of thermal energy, natural forces from deep within the earth heat these baths to about 170 degrees Fahrenheit, and colder water is then added to achieve desired temperatures. So far, this has been the best experience of the trip, and one of the most memorable in my life. The beautiful complex houses both indoor and outdoor baths of all different temperatures, many of which containing minerals for relaxation and healing. We waded in and out of the swirling pools for a few hours before heading to the locker rooms to shower and get ready for our evening of sightseeing.

After catching a glimpse of the City Park and historic Hero’s Square, we crossed one of the city’s three major bridges to hike up Buda’s rocky Castle Hill. From the top of the hill, we we gazed out at an immaculate view of the entire city and its surrounding countryside, from the final foothills of the Alps to the Great Hungarian Plain. We walked for about two hours, visiting the Royal Palace, Matthias Church, and Fisherman’s Bastion, though many of the sites we saw are mere replicas of their pre-WWII counterparts. We loved seeing the city from across the Danube, especially at night when the Parliament building and main Boulevard were spectacularly lit up. We headed back to our cozy room exhausted from a long day, and discussed logistics for the following day, when we would say our Hungarian goodbyes and catch a quick flight to Berlin.