With love from Budapest

Location Budapest, Hungary

I am knackered. Today has been a bit of a low, dont feel like walking around, looking for interesting places anymore. And to think only a third of this holiday is over. Eek. I think I'm just a little sore because I really wanted to try a thermal spa but its men-only today. And its hot. And everything has pork in it. Oof. Sorry I sound like a brat lol.

We've been in Hungary for the last 2 days now. On Tuesday night we went from Salzburg via Vienna to Gyor, Hungary. You wouldn't believe how much our plans have changed. We're lucky we can be so flexible. Tuesday night we realised we'd be reaching Budapest very late so we got off early in Gyor, a small university town near the border, and spent the night there. Also, we are no longer going to Greece and Bulgaria, we are going to try Croatia-Slovenia-Bosnia instead!

The train ride was hilarious. The Austrian immigration officer came by to check passports, and before leaving, the guy (who was quite good looking, ahem) says, "The Hungarians are coming...don't be afraid..." and we were like, "Huh?", and then the Hungarian DID come, and I was a bit hyper because all this train immigration stuff is so new and exciting for me (ok i am easily pleased), and he told me to "Sit down" quite gruffly! :S

I like Hungary for several reasons:

• They put a stamp in my passport.
• The hotel had window shutters. This in my books, makes the whole country holy, just like Espana dearest.
• The people seem incredibly helpful, unlike Austrians. On so many occasions people physically got up to help us find our way.
• No dog poop to be seen here. In fact, I saw a woman walk all the way to a drain just to throw some water away.
• So cheap! Dinner for 4 quid last night!

When you enter Hungary from Austria, the differences are stark. The train stations change from swanky, shiny electronic board-filled terminals to....well, old-school. All this leaving and arriving in different cities and countries so quickly is making our heads spin. Trying to figure out a fresh map every day, learning what the local word for "road" is, having to adjust to the new languages, scripts and orientation, is exhausting. One thing that has remained constant, all the way from Salzburg....the Danube River. It has been following us all the way here.....