Yep, another Home Exchange. This one for 8 days in Budapest, Hungary.
It didn't get off to a very good start. I flew RyanAir, a very popular no-frills airline here in Europe, from Palma to Barcelona...a 40 minute flight. From there, I flew 2 hours 40 minutes directly to BUD. By no-frills, I mean no meals or drinks (even sodas) unless you buy them, no seatback pockets, no magazines, no adjustable headrests, no entertainment system, and pay for each bag you take. During the flight, RyanAir tries to sell you everything under the sun...from snacks, to duty-free items, to Lotto tickets!!! Yes, you heard me!! Total RT airfare = $237.
When I arrived in BUD, I quickly got a sense Budapest is not as modernized as other large European cities. For example, we disembarked the plane from the front and back. Odd these days (especially in places where the weather is not mild year-round), but even odder yet that it’s the norm here…you walk down stairs and onto the tarmac…and cross the tarmac. Usually, if this is the case in other airports, there's a bus to safely shuttle you across the tarmac to the terminal….nope, not here. Once you get off, you walk, walk, walk, walk, walk under a rippled-tin covered path until you’re inside. No moving sidewalks. No jetways. Can we say OLD!!!!??? And, while walking under the riprap covered walkway, the next group to board the plane is waiting, standing OUTSIDE!!
The airport is in the boonies and there's no mass-transit between it and the center of Budapest. This, in a european city of 1.8 million. I took a 30 minute bus ride to the first available metro stop, then the subway to apartment. Along the way I noticed many Shell gas stations, a brand I hadn't seen in years. Also, a lot of McD's and Burger King.
It was pouring rain and thunder/lightning when I got off the bus. Everyone in the streets were running for their lives or partying in the subway tunnels while waiting for the storm to stop. I didn't bring an umbrella.
I hopped the subway line to take me within a few blocks of my Home Exchange apartment. Hungary doesn't use the Euro as its currency, even though it's one of the EU countries. It uses 'Forints'. The exchange rate is roughly 300 Forints to 1 US dollar. To be able to do quick calculations in my head, and come somewhat close, I simply divided the cost of an item by 300. For example, if a sandwich cost 3,000 Forints, that translated to about $10. Or, if a brownie was 1,000 Forints, it cost about $3. It gets weird for higher price items because you're talking in 'thousands'. A pair of shoes may display the price as 15,000 Forints which easily freaks you out, but in practicality, it's about $50.
I knew I needed to get some Forints, so I stopped at an ATM on the way to the apartment. I quickly calculated how much I wanted to get started with. I figured 150 bucks worth would be good. I punched in 50,000 Forints for withdrawal. Afterwards, I realized (incorrectly) I should've entered 150,000...so, I did another withdrawal for the 100,000 difference. Woops....I goofed. Instead of withdrawing a total of about $150, I actually withdrew about $500!!!! Ooopsie!!!
It didn't get off to a very good start. I flew RyanAir, a very popular no-frills airline here in Europe, from Palma to Barcelona...a 40 minute flight. From there, I flew 2 hours 40 minutes directly to BUD. By no-frills, I mean no meals or drinks (even sodas) unless you buy them, no seatback pockets, no magazines, no adjustable headrests, no entertainment system, and pay for each bag you take. During the flight, RyanAir tries to sell you everything under the sun...from snacks, to duty-free items, to Lotto tickets!!! Yes, you heard me!! Total RT airfare = $237.
When I arrived in BUD, I quickly got a sense Budapest is not as modernized as other large European cities. For example, we disembarked the plane from the front and back. Odd these days (especially in places where the weather is not mild year-round), but even odder yet that it’s the norm here…you walk down stairs and onto the tarmac…and cross the tarmac. Usually, if this is the case in other airports, there's a bus to safely shuttle you across the tarmac to the terminal….nope, not here. Once you get off, you walk, walk, walk, walk, walk under a rippled-tin covered path until you’re inside. No moving sidewalks. No jetways. Can we say OLD!!!!??? And, while walking under the riprap covered walkway, the next group to board the plane is waiting, standing OUTSIDE!!
The airport is in the boonies and there's no mass-transit between it and the center of Budapest. This, in a european city of 1.8 million. I took a 30 minute bus ride to the first available metro stop, then the subway to apartment. Along the way I noticed many Shell gas stations, a brand I hadn't seen in years. Also, a lot of McD's and Burger King.
It was pouring rain and thunder/lightning when I got off the bus. Everyone in the streets were running for their lives or partying in the subway tunnels while waiting for the storm to stop. I didn't bring an umbrella.
I hopped the subway line to take me within a few blocks of my Home Exchange apartment. Hungary doesn't use the Euro as its currency, even though it's one of the EU countries. It uses 'Forints'. The exchange rate is roughly 300 Forints to 1 US dollar. To be able to do quick calculations in my head, and come somewhat close, I simply divided the cost of an item by 300. For example, if a sandwich cost 3,000 Forints, that translated to about $10. Or, if a brownie was 1,000 Forints, it cost about $3. It gets weird for higher price items because you're talking in 'thousands'. A pair of shoes may display the price as 15,000 Forints which easily freaks you out, but in practicality, it's about $50.
I knew I needed to get some Forints, so I stopped at an ATM on the way to the apartment. I quickly calculated how much I wanted to get started with. I figured 150 bucks worth would be good. I punched in 50,000 Forints for withdrawal. Afterwards, I realized (incorrectly) I should've entered 150,000...so, I did another withdrawal for the 100,000 difference. Woops....I goofed. Instead of withdrawing a total of about $150, I actually withdrew about $500!!!! Ooopsie!!!
I found the apartment but had trouble getting in (of course!). It was nightime and there was no light in front of the door. They had a lockbox and I needed to enter a code by rolling numbered wheels...in the dark. Ahhh...but wait....technology!! I found the flashllight mode on my cell phone and illuminated the keybox. But, the numbered wheels were chrome and the flashlight obliterated being able to discern one number over another due to the reflection. Well, I finally hit the magic code and got in. Whew!
Inside, I flipped on the lights. That is, I tried to. Nothing worked. I futzed and fumbled and found the master electrical box, which didn't look like anything I've seen before, and was able to flip on the master. Voila! Lights! THAT'S why there weren't any porch lights!
I took an assessment of the apartment. Almost nothing in the apartment, food-wise, salt and pepper was about it. None of their clothes were in the closets either. No personalization (ie; photos) on display. In the updated kitchen there was a tiny fridge about 3ft tall. Made me wonder if this is the owners 2nd place?
There was a washing machine in the unit, but no dryer. I found a drying rack and spread my drenched clothes on it to dry overnight.
The next morning it was raining a bit, but soon the sun came out. Unfortunately, due to the torrents of the day before, and now the sun, everything felt like a steam room.
Budapest has a VERY confusing transportation
network consisting of (and I’m prolly overlooking a few):
- Regular motorized busses
- Trolley busses (with pole booms connected to an overhead electrical line)
- A 4-line subway system…3 of which use ancient cars…crashety crashety boom bang as you roll along...and 1 modern line.
- A surface tram (much like light rail)
- A different type of surface tram that’s much older…with antiquated cars.
Add to those, a funicular, a chairlift, a cogwheel train, and busses/trains classified as
outside of the city, into the countryside types.
Let's go to the photos, shall we?
Let's go to the photos, shall we?
Inside RyanAir
The historical apartment complex where I stayed.
Laundry drying rack
The Forint currency (I couldn't get the photos to rotate properly!)
The modes of transport - modern surface light rail.
Typical busses
Antiquated surface tram
The clackety-clackety boxy subway cars each about 20 feet long and are not passable from one car to the next.
Modern subway station entrance
Next up...Day 2...!!
Note to Cousin Vickie....I promise to publish Day 2 in less than a month from now. hehehehe
Dano
Hey Dano, I see you came to Mallorca. Time to learn German haha.
ReplyDeleteI also see that you like it. If you have a nice Finca for us to rent please let us know. You did such a great job for us when we were stuck in Cuenca. Loved that apartment on Plaza San Francisco and yes, loved the Otovalo ladies too, and loved the daily snack of hot quail eggs with cumin. Don't you miss Cuenca?
Hi Sissi!!! No, I really don't miss Cuenca. Loved it for what it is and was to me for 7 years. Now, it's a new adventure of a totally different type. Being here in Europe has really opened up the doors for me to travel MUCH more and at little cost, especially doing Home Exchange. I"m no longer in the 'Airbnb' type of biz...too much competition here!!!
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