Nina and I could not contain our excitement as we stumbled through the door of Bubble Hostel in Budapest only to find a warm atmosphere and cosy lounge room filled with hostel guests awaiting us.
After feeling like outsiders in our hostel in Vienna (which was characterised by the divisiveness of a hotel) we were overjoyed that we had found staff eager to build a relationship between themselves and the guests.
As backpackers, the small things quickly become objects of appreciation... Such as a kitchen, a couch to crash on and complimentary tea and coffee, all of which we found in the first few minutes at Bubble. Olga is also the incredibly friendly owner who manages, astonishingly, to go out every night of the week to ensure her guests get the most out of Budapest's nightlife.
After a few hours of relaxing in the hostel and the preparation of a much awaited home-cooked meal, we joined the others and went to one of the local bars for a drink. After an hour or so sitting in the courtyard among many other Hungarians, we then migrated to one of the famous ruin bars, 'Instant'.
The ruin bars are known for their extraordinary interior and slightly rundown appearance, all the while maintaining a very cool ambience.
In the early hours of that morning after some dancing and chatting with the others we returned to the hostel and went to sleep.
The following morning while much of the city remained closed (the typical European way on a Sunday) we ventured over to the Buda side of the river and climbed up the Gellert hill. At the top we sat for a few hours with Allen, an American whom we had befriended in the shade of the statue.
From the bottom of the hill we walked along the river on the Buda side and enjoyed the view back across to Pest where we were staying.
We stopped for a delicious pea soup with pea confi and ricotta-filled ravioli (pity you weren't there, mum!) in a great deli/restaurant called Baldaszti's that was filled with couples and families alike enjoying their Sunday outing.
Extremely satisfied we then climbed the hill up to the Palace where we were treated to a breathtaking view of Pest and the fascinating architecture of the Parliament House which has a prime position on the bank of the river. We then had a wander through the buildings to a little square which we were later informed is in fact the setting in Katy Perry's video for Firework!
After our brush with fame we wandered back along the river, this time on the Pest side, with a great view back towards Buda.
That evening we went to another of the ruin bars, Szimpla. This bar was much more interesting as we were able to enjoy our drinks amongst many others in a big courtyard, one of the many unusual rooms in the club. It also houses rooms with dancefloors and one with a movie screening, all the while waitresses wander around offering raw carrots for anyone who is hungry but doesn't feel like greasy food.
We finished the evening by visiting another hostel in the city to participate in karaoke night. However by the time we'd arrived most of the guests had left and those remaining had exhausted their singing ability.
The following day we spent in Budapest's famous baths. Filled with an interesting mix of overweight men in skimpy swimmers and tourists eager to wade off their hangovers, it is certainly a great spot for observing the crowds.
It was a nice way to get a sense of the Hungarian culture however the temperature in the main outdoor pools was far too warm for someone like me who likes a refreshing bite to the water.
In the evening we dined at a local eatery (one that had been highly recommended by all of the other people in the hostel) known as the Hummus Bar. Like it's name suggests, the bar serves dishes filled with variations of homemade hummus. Nina and I both got a delicious falafel pocket and glass of homemade lemonade for an affordable price, and it was delicious!
Back at the hostel everyone was ready to go out to Morrison's, the best place to mingle with locals and tourists on a Monday night.
We spent many hours dancing in the club and requesting our favourite songs with Lola, Brigid and Freya, three Canberra girls whom we had befriended at the Bubble.
On Tuesday, feeling like we hadn't seen much of the city, we went for a walk around the streets of Pest and ventured to the Grand Market. Much like many of the other markets we had visited in Europe, it was filled with fresh fruit and vegetables and other produce. For lunch we returned to the hummus bar for another delicious falafel pocket before joining the other girls for a free walking tour.
We were taken to many of the sites we had previously visited but this time accompanied with some interesting facts. Hungarians are famous for a number of inventions, the only ones that remain in my mind however are the underground train, the ballpoint pen and the rubix cube.
In the afternoon we had a coffee at an old coffee house at the top of Buda and then had a peaceful walk with our iPod back along the river while the sun set.
The agenda for our final evening in Budapest was to attend the weekly dress up party at a local club. Each week the hostel staff take their guests to the club to mingle with the others and check out the other costumes.
We (Nina, Brigid, Freya, Lola and I) had a fun evening with fifteen very posh Englishmen from Cambridge as well as many others for some karaoke and 'Beer Pong'.
The next day it was time to farewell Budapest and board another dreaded overnight train to Torino. Budapest was quite an interesting city, it's most unique feature being the grungy feel that could be felt when exploring the city. Our stay in the city was so enjoyable due to the helpfulness and friendliness of Olga and Sam, the cool and very relaxed stuff at the Bubble.
After feeling like outsiders in our hostel in Vienna (which was characterised by the divisiveness of a hotel) we were overjoyed that we had found staff eager to build a relationship between themselves and the guests.
As backpackers, the small things quickly become objects of appreciation... Such as a kitchen, a couch to crash on and complimentary tea and coffee, all of which we found in the first few minutes at Bubble. Olga is also the incredibly friendly owner who manages, astonishingly, to go out every night of the week to ensure her guests get the most out of Budapest's nightlife.
After a few hours of relaxing in the hostel and the preparation of a much awaited home-cooked meal, we joined the others and went to one of the local bars for a drink. After an hour or so sitting in the courtyard among many other Hungarians, we then migrated to one of the famous ruin bars, 'Instant'.
The ruin bars are known for their extraordinary interior and slightly rundown appearance, all the while maintaining a very cool ambience.
In the early hours of that morning after some dancing and chatting with the others we returned to the hostel and went to sleep.
The following morning while much of the city remained closed (the typical European way on a Sunday) we ventured over to the Buda side of the river and climbed up the Gellert hill. At the top we sat for a few hours with Allen, an American whom we had befriended in the shade of the statue.
From the bottom of the hill we walked along the river on the Buda side and enjoyed the view back across to Pest where we were staying.
We stopped for a delicious pea soup with pea confi and ricotta-filled ravioli (pity you weren't there, mum!) in a great deli/restaurant called Baldaszti's that was filled with couples and families alike enjoying their Sunday outing.
Extremely satisfied we then climbed the hill up to the Palace where we were treated to a breathtaking view of Pest and the fascinating architecture of the Parliament House which has a prime position on the bank of the river. We then had a wander through the buildings to a little square which we were later informed is in fact the setting in Katy Perry's video for Firework!
After our brush with fame we wandered back along the river, this time on the Pest side, with a great view back towards Buda.
That evening we went to another of the ruin bars, Szimpla. This bar was much more interesting as we were able to enjoy our drinks amongst many others in a big courtyard, one of the many unusual rooms in the club. It also houses rooms with dancefloors and one with a movie screening, all the while waitresses wander around offering raw carrots for anyone who is hungry but doesn't feel like greasy food.
We finished the evening by visiting another hostel in the city to participate in karaoke night. However by the time we'd arrived most of the guests had left and those remaining had exhausted their singing ability.
The following day we spent in Budapest's famous baths. Filled with an interesting mix of overweight men in skimpy swimmers and tourists eager to wade off their hangovers, it is certainly a great spot for observing the crowds.
It was a nice way to get a sense of the Hungarian culture however the temperature in the main outdoor pools was far too warm for someone like me who likes a refreshing bite to the water.
In the evening we dined at a local eatery (one that had been highly recommended by all of the other people in the hostel) known as the Hummus Bar. Like it's name suggests, the bar serves dishes filled with variations of homemade hummus. Nina and I both got a delicious falafel pocket and glass of homemade lemonade for an affordable price, and it was delicious!
Back at the hostel everyone was ready to go out to Morrison's, the best place to mingle with locals and tourists on a Monday night.
We spent many hours dancing in the club and requesting our favourite songs with Lola, Brigid and Freya, three Canberra girls whom we had befriended at the Bubble.
On Tuesday, feeling like we hadn't seen much of the city, we went for a walk around the streets of Pest and ventured to the Grand Market. Much like many of the other markets we had visited in Europe, it was filled with fresh fruit and vegetables and other produce. For lunch we returned to the hummus bar for another delicious falafel pocket before joining the other girls for a free walking tour.
We were taken to many of the sites we had previously visited but this time accompanied with some interesting facts. Hungarians are famous for a number of inventions, the only ones that remain in my mind however are the underground train, the ballpoint pen and the rubix cube.
In the afternoon we had a coffee at an old coffee house at the top of Buda and then had a peaceful walk with our iPod back along the river while the sun set.
The agenda for our final evening in Budapest was to attend the weekly dress up party at a local club. Each week the hostel staff take their guests to the club to mingle with the others and check out the other costumes.
We (Nina, Brigid, Freya, Lola and I) had a fun evening with fifteen very posh Englishmen from Cambridge as well as many others for some karaoke and 'Beer Pong'.
The next day it was time to farewell Budapest and board another dreaded overnight train to Torino. Budapest was quite an interesting city, it's most unique feature being the grungy feel that could be felt when exploring the city. Our stay in the city was so enjoyable due to the helpfulness and friendliness of Olga and Sam, the cool and very relaxed stuff at the Bubble.
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