Budapest Week Two

Our second week was spent at one of my favorite apartments we have stayed in thus far. The apartment had a fantastic rooftop and the layout was very homey as our hosts parents live there during the winter months. Every afternoon it seemed to give a bit of rainfall and we were lucky enough to have the hardest rainfall during the 15 minute walk in between moving apartments.

One of our favorite days was going to Margaret Island, which is a 2km island in the middle of the Danube River in between the Buda and the Pest sides of the city. We ended up going to the water park and spending the afternoon in the sun.  We had such a blast considering my water park day in Australia was rained out. There were a few water slides at the park which were a blast although Jesse did get a bit concussed from the  "big kids" orange slide. He always says though, "being memorable trumps being good" so in this case his hurt head and neck for five days was plenty memorable.

One of my most vivid days was when we went to the local Synagogue, which was surprisingly not destroyed in either of the World Wars or the Soviet occupation. The Synagogue left us awe struck for its size and significance. It also had a memorial site for all of the Jews that were killed by the Nazis. For most cathedrals or churches we have visited in the past they allow you to wander around on your own and give little explanation. At this synagogue they included a tour and gave us a wonderful introduction into their religion, Jewish history in Budapest and the construction of their temple. Outside of the Synagogue they had a beautiful sculpted tree in center of the courtyard which had Jewish victims name engraved on the leaves. It was a powerful reminder for the number of people who lost their lives during those awful years.

Later that day we went to a museum called, House of Terror. The building was a former Nazi then Soviet prison and police station now converted into a historical museum focused on the Soviet occupation of Budapest after WWII. As an American we generally think of the time after the second World War when troops came home and businesses started to flourish, as a time of growth and prosperity. The Hungarian's on the other hand had a complete opposite experience once the Soviet Union occupied all of Hungary and forced all citizens to fall in line with the communist regime. Life was very restricted and harsh from 1945 to 1985. This period during the cold war era was a time where Hungarian culture was terribly oppressed and almost no development could occur. Finally in 1991 once the Soviet Union was nearly collapsed, the last Soviet troops and officials left the region  and the country was able to hold democratic elections. The last 30 years for Hungarians have been positive and today the city is a top tourist destination.

If you visit Budapest an evening boat tour on the Danube River is a must. All the castles, bridges and the House of Parliament are lit up in spectacular fashion. It is a beautiful way to enjoy the best of Budapest and even more scenic than during the day. We were able to sit outside and enjoy a glass of wine during the 2 hour tour. During the cruise Jesse was approached by a guy about our age acting a bit nervous, pacing back and forth on the lower level of the boat. Once he quickly learned that Jesse spoke fluent English he explained that he was about to propose to his girlfriend who was waiting for him upstairs in the dining room. He wanted Jesse to follow him upstairs and pretend to not know him, then he would ask Jesse to take a picture of them out on the outside deck. As we went upstairs to enact the plan and watch the magic happen, Jesse himself was nervous to not screw up or drop the phone into the water. The proposal went off without a hitch and now Danny and his girlfriend from Manchester were engaged with excellent photos and videos to document the occasion. We spoke to them again later on the cruise to chat for a minute and congratulate them on their engagement.