Goldmark Hall and The Hungarian Jewish Museum

Moving in towards the Goldmark Hall , I stand here facing the back of the rose windowed synagogue and try to soak in everything that I have so far seen. 

1944 Never Again

When I first stepped up to this structure called The Holocaust Memorial , I had no idea. No idea on what lay between the synagogue and the Tree of Life .

1st time inside a synagogue

No, this is not the Sultan Abdul Samad building although it does look like it at a glance , but The Great Synagogue in Budapest. 

Let's LángoS

Lángos is like a giant Ham Chim Peng without 5 spice powder or a 

thick Indian Puri . 

While the original recipe, does not come with fancy toppings, just cheese and sourcream , what is sold here looks so appetizing, you might just go overboard and slap on everything !

House of Terror

The House of Terror was a former Nazi headquarter. The basement used to be interrogation and torture cells. 

But if you think that the focus will be on Nazis and Jews only, no, it is on Hungarians and the devastating effects two world wars and different ideologies have rained upon the indomitable Magyar spirit. 

A visit here is a must do as it will prove to be such an eye opener because of the way the exhibits simplify the very complicated annals of Hungarian history .

Tram no 4 - Jews, Nazis , Communists, Facists and Heroes in a day

Budapest offers the visitor so many amazing tram rides  , one after the next, if you get a metro travel pass like I did , you will feel like the whole city is your playground since the pass entitles you to unlimited rides on all buses , trams and trains within the city limits .

While Tram no. 2 was most scenic, No.4  was mostly packed ! 

Hopping onboard this route however, makes it easy to explore the important chapters that shaped the city  without needing guide services. 

 Just pay for entrance fees and take your own sweet time exploring without bursting a blister .

Rákóczi téri Vásárcsarnok - Market Hall Number II

Vásárcsarnok means Market Hall. 

In 1897 , 5 such buildings opened their doors in Budapest and this is Number II. 

Spot the numerals just below the clock , next to the word Vásárcsarnok.

Tesco - Plaza Arena

Tesco was the first supermarket to open in Hungary .

And just like how we Malaysians refer to instant noodles as Maggi , some Hungarians use the word Tesco when they mean supermarket.

It's a hot summers day and a good number of all the sexy Hungarian mamas and girls are dressing the part. One of the reasons why I love the city. They dress as skimpy as I do at home....only they also take it out onto the streets with no one batting an eyelid. Plus they don't care how many lovely lady lumps they have , they will show it. 

Think Gypsy or chav fashion.

From the fashion they sport , some men will go godamnit   , yes they dress like Minah Rempit  although most European women may not see eye to eye with their fashion sense. Style of the people in the street during summer is closer to the Russians only more carefree. In fact I think if they were to let a bunch of Hungarian women loose in say... Prangin Mall or some Ah Lian clothes haunt in Malaysia , they would go ballistic !

View 6 bridges via scenic Tram No.2

Budapest's Tram No.2 runs along the banks of the Danube river in what is acknowledged as one of the most scenic views in the world. 

Some call them streetcars , others.... trams .

Whatever name you refer to these vehicles as , it doesn't matter ..... just hop on and enjoy the amazing ride .

Cafe Csiga - Vásár Utca 2

Found the next door place via Foursquare , my original intended breakfast destination.

Standing by this corner , I accessed the Budapest Tripadvisor city guide which I had predownloaded prior to this trip and found that the reviews for Cafe Csiga were much better.

I walked straight in.

Smiling Hungarian pickles

Oh my goodness, the Hungarians and the amount of pickles they consume, you just gotta come here and see it to believe it !

You better shop before Sunday in Hungary

Only recently did this law come into effect.

Mandatory shop closures on a Sunday that is.

And while I did do a bit of research before coming here , coming from Malaysia , the effect did not hit me full on until later when I realised that even bakery stands and restaurants would not be open !

The guy with the rose tatoo

It was unavoidable. By the end of every day, I just had to pop into the convenience store for a bite or a drink to take back to my room with me. 

And every evening there he was . The bouncy jet black haired semi goth,whose lower right arm was lined with tatoos . 

His startlingly penetrative eyes coupled with a decidedly bored air about him made me notice him from day one as he did me .

Yeah 2 unusual looking people in Budapest noticing each other. Nothing to it.

Inferno - snapshots from the perimeters of the movie set

Are you a movie buff ? Then you must already know that Tom Hanks has been in Budapest to shoot the Dan Brown thriller Inferno. 

No , I did not even get a glimpse of him . Pic is just a screenshot snuck from someone else's instagram account.

That's his son Chet Hanx a rapper . Do not confuse him with Che Det the Malaysian blogger.

 St.Stephen's Basillica is in the background. 

Budapest - bicycle friendly city

As per the title , it's true.

Budapest is a bicycle friendly city.

You may rent one via the public sharing system, where a week's use will cost you only 2000 forints.....

Steeple chasing escalators on the Budapest metro

For the first time visitor , hopping onto the escalators that take you to the bowels of earth is like taking an adrenaline thumping ride on some scream machine. 

Holy sheeet....I haven't been to the one in D.C. but this brutal one at Szell Karman Ter is enough to make me feel faint .

See how small the people are at the end of the line !

Don't know whether this is higher than the one at Rakoczi Ter because that one was so jaw dropping , my stomach churned till I didn't even dare hold my cam up !

The Budapest 7 day travelcard

Currently, the 7 day travel card costs 4950 forints.

And that entitles you to unlimited travel on buses , streetcars, trams, the underground, trolleys , cogwheel even local trains within Budapest ! If I am not mistaken you may also hop onto certain public boats by the Danube too but since I didn't try that out, can't confirm it. 

Should you take the monthly pass, that would require a passport sized photo ID which you can easily snap at a mobile photo booth for around 1000 forints. 

Here's a complete list of prices. The Hungarians thought of everything. There are even dog and bicycle passes. 

Types of Tickets and Passes

The city is huge . I could have rushed it from the get go but I chose not to because no way, I hate that.... that's not the way I wanna travel. As a result, I did not get to ride the cogwheel . No matter, I was having too much fun exploring the city itself and this way, the memories do stick !

However, the week long pass did accord me rides on one of the world's oldest electrified subway line in the world ....

see the leather holders.

Getting acquainted with Keleti Pályaudvar

I am on Baross Square and that's a statue of Baross Gábor, the Hungarian statesman who managed the feat of connecting the massive Austro-Hungarian railway into one efficient system that worked like a charm from the 1800s till today. 

2 and a half hours to Budapest

So the charming gentleman at the counter stamped my ticket. 

Summer in Budapest - some highlights

Well I'm back from my trip to Budapest and to tell you frankly , one week is insufficient to fully explore and enjoy the city to the max. 

Here are some of the highlights in my opinion

1. The Hungarian Parliament - a crown jewel in my eyes. Magnificent whichever part of the city you view it from