Hi Everybody!
After a 12-hour layover in London, we are finally heading to Budapest, Hungary. Budapest is located in central Europe and about two and a half hours from London by plane.
Our British Airways flight lands in Budapest after midnight after a nearly three-hour delay. We are exhausted. We rush to the baggage claim area to retrieve our luggage. As we stand near the carousel, an airport employee announces the plane has flown in empty. He suggests everybody file a claim online or in person. Everybody looks shocked. At first, there is complete silence, then we all rush after the man. We file a claim for our missing luggage in person and take a taxi to my aunt’s house. The taxi costs around 10,000 HUF (Hungarian Forints), about thirty U.S. dollars.
Once we get to her house, we eat some cereal with milk. It is my first time having the Müzli cereal, which has a lot of grains and fruits. I can taste blueberries primarily. The Mizo milk’s taste is more similar to grass-fed dairy.
The following day, we wake up around two o’clock in the afternoon, which is nine in the morning EST (Eastern Standard Time). We are still exhausted after traveling for more than 24 hours. When we get up, my Aunt C makes us lunch. She makes a plate of roasted chicken with teriyaki sauce, baked potatoes, and veggies. It is delicious, but I am also excited to taste Hungarian food.
Sightseeing in Budapest, Hungary
After eating, we go out. It is my first time going on a trolley. It is pretty cool. We take the trolley one station over, walk a block to the metro, and take a bus to Buda Castle. To my surprise, the metro is very clean and well-maintained. Once we get to the castle, we go to the top and take pictures. I am surprised we do not have to pay, but my Aunt C tells me you must pay for the inside. I do not want to stay because I am cold, but I deal with it. The castle is impressive. We spend several hours there. It is my second time in a castle. My first was at the Royal Palace of Madrid when I was six.
After visiting the castle, we go to eat. The café we go to is right next to the castle. There is a variety of cakes with different colored frostings. There are also croissants, cream pastries, flavor pies, sandwiches, and drinks. We sit down and ask for a menu, but the waitress informs us that the kitchen is closed. However, we can still order desserts, which we do. So, my mom and my brothers pick out the desserts. I do not choose anything because my mom and brothers will pick something I like. They come back with the most delicious cakes I have ever tasted. My baby brother gets a strawberry cake, my other brother and I get a cream pastry each, my mom gets a croissant, my dad gets an apple pie, and my aunt C gets a coconut cake. They are so delicious.
After eating, we get on a local bus that stops in front of the café. I am so tired that I fall asleep on the bus. We get off and immediately start looking for the metro station. We get on the metro and wait for five stops before getting off. I also fall asleep on the metro. There is a little fruit market when we get off, so my mom buys some strawberries and bananas. Then we go back to my Aunt C’s house and relax.
Hop-op, Hop-off Tour Bus
It is morning, and we are still dealing with our missing suitcases. My mom and my aunt go to the airport to find them. We are so frustrated and stressed. We have only a pair of outfits, which are both dirty now. So, we do laundry at her house and wear her clothes.
When they return from the airport empty-handed, we decide to go sightseeing. We negotiate the hop-on hop-off bus fees, so my brothers get to ride free. When I get on, I suddenly feel hot air hit my face. I have not felt that since landing in Europe. So I ask my mom if we could sit on the top deck (it has a plastic cover). She says yes. I am so excited! It is my first time sitting on the top deck of a bus. We take some pictures, and we go through different places. We see restaurants (some Chinese restaurants), statues of soldiers on horses, bridges, shops, medieval architecture buildings, and castles. After two hours on the tour bus, we visit a souvenir shop. We buy a few castle snow globes, a Hungarian clock, and a shot glass for my dad’s sister. They are pretty cool.
Food in Budapest, Hungary
By now, we are starving (especially me), so we are looking for a place to eat. We go to a small Hungarian restaurant with outdoor seating. It is so tasty. I have a burger that has a burger patty with shrimp (so good). My siblings have pasta with Alfredo sauce and cheese pizza; my mom eats fried duck breast with mashed potatoes and beets. My dad is having langos, which is fried pizza dough served with different toppings, including sour cream. My aunt is having cigany pecsenye, also called a gypsy roast. It is similar to fried pork chops, with many seasonings and paprika. The food is terrific. We all taste each other’s dishes. The waiter is very respectful and friendly. The staff is also very attentive.
It is time for us to return to Aunt C’s house. We leave the restaurant and head back to the metro. At first, I think we are lost because we take forever, but that does not last long. Finally, we get to the metro, take the trolley, and return to the apartment. I am so happy when we get there because I am so tired. I just want to pass out on my bed. But that is not the end; my mom and aunt return to the airport to find the suitcases. We are all fed up because we have to do laundry again. My mom returns with three bags, my dad’s, my youngest brother’s, and mine, the night before we leave for Paris. The airline put our suitcases on two different flights to Budapest. My mom’s and my brother’s suitcases are scheduled to fly to Budapest the following day on two separate flights, which is utterly irresponsible, in my opinion. But we will not be here because we leave early the next day.
After sleeping for a few minutes, we head to the airport before dawn. My brother and mom borrow my aunt’s clothes since their suitcases are still missing. As I board the plane, I am excited about visiting Paris. It feels like a dream come true. I am also thrilled to eat French food, like the taste of a freshly baked croissant or a crepe with Nutella and bananas. I picture myself at the top of the Eiffel Tower, mesmerized by the sights of Paris. I can not wait.
Wondering if Paris is everything I imagined? Travel with me to Paris in my next blog post.
Facts about Budapest:
- Budapest is two cities made into one: Buda and Pest.
- It is pronounced as Budapesht because, in Hungarian, the letter s must be followed by the letter z for it to be pronounced as an s.
- Budapest is the capital of Hungary.
- Their currency is HUF (Hungarian Forints).
Thank you for reading about my vacation in Budapest, Hungary. I hope you enjoyed it!
See you on my next adventure!
