Beautiful Budapest

Budpaest was breathtakingly beautiful. As soon as I checked in the hotel, I started walking all over the city and I did not stop until it was time to go home two weeks later. Almost everywhere I went, I kept on exclaiming how beautiful and picture perfect it was.

Seeing Budapest was a life changing moment for me. It was my first time in Europe and it was even better than what I imagined it to be. There was music, art, culture and history everywhere I looked. There was refinement and thoughtfulness everywhere, from the grand architecture to the pedestrian friendly streets to the well organized public transport system.

It was a veritable paradise for someone like me who has been reading about but have never really seen the treasures of Western art. There were grand buildings everywhere. The Parliament must count as one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. Spanning the Danube were several bridges of striking beauty including the famous Chain Bridge. Then across the Danube, sitting on top of Buda Hill was the majestic Buda Castle, testament to the imperial power of the Habsburgs.

I felt so alive as all my senses were stimulated. I began to realize this was the joy of traveling. It was the joy living anew, of seeing new things, hearing new things and tasting new things. Or of seeing what one has only read or dreamed about.

I welcomed new experiences throughout my stay. I did not want to waste my time on sleep so I hardly slept. After walking for six hours the Sunday I arrived, I walked every afternoon thereafter and even ran in the morning to see more of the city. I became very familiar with the streets and the squares that my colleagues began calling me a local.

I could not believe there were concerts happening almost everyday: from the pop music festival at Sziget to the classical music concerts in churches everywhere. I indulged myself in a symphony orchestra performance at the Danube Palace and then an organ music concert at the Szent Istvan Basilica. The orchestra performance was playful and showcased a unique Hungarian sound. The organ concert was sublime. Hearing the Toccata e Fugue played live through a church organ was a spine tingling experience.

My taste buds did not want stimulation either. I kept ordering Hungarian food until I got fed up with paprika and sausage. In the process, I discovered how good Hungarian wine was especially their famous Egri Bikaver or bull's blood. I ate a sinful amount of goose liver because it was relatively cheap compared to Manila. I tasted wild boar, duck breast, goose leg, lecso, langos, and, of course, goulash.

I bought a couple of books in Budapest, Nobelist Imre Kertesz' Fatelesness and a History of Hungary by Laszlo Kontler. I read Kertesz' work as I was riding the train for some sightseeing in Vienna. I could vividly imagine the Jews in Budapest as they were herded for slaughter during the Holocaust. Life was normal yet it was horribly wrong.

Back in Manila, I read the five hundred pages of Hungarian history. It was a little dry but Hungary's history was so colorful it was still a satisfying read. Somehow, I felt I once lived in Budapest. I felt I was there during the events of 1848. Perhaps I was.

I cannot wait to go back.