Belgrade to Budapest. Also known as Beograd and Budapest pronounced Budapesshhhhttt! Be sure not to get that "ssshhhttt" wrong.
Originally none of these destinations were part of my trip, but after discussions with fellow travellers I discovered it would have been silly of me to not visit them.
So Belgrade started off much the same as every new destination for me. LOST... But this time, with a broken bag. You would think after almost three weeks on the road and also this being a second time solo venture I would have reading maps absolutely nailed. Nope. Lucky for me an Aussie chased me out the airport, Ryan Werts, shout out to you. Thanks for getting me to my hostel in one piece. Since I didn't have much time to research the area I was staying, I decided to do a free walking tour. Definitely worth it. Not only are they good for general information of the city, but also a great way to get your bearings. Safe to say....didn't use a map for the rest of my stay there. A must in Belgrade, have some Rakija (local spirit) in one of the oldest and originally kept streets, Skadarlija in the Bohemian District. You should also check out the Floating clubs on the river, called Splavs. I went on a Sunday night, and probably too early around 11.30 pm (which is already way past my bedtime) so they weren't as packed as people said they would be, but none the less I had a a couple of beers and dropped it like its hot to some sweet 90's RnB. So I had fun.
Originally none of these destinations were part of my trip, but after discussions with fellow travellers I discovered it would have been silly of me to not visit them.
So Belgrade started off much the same as every new destination for me. LOST... But this time, with a broken bag. You would think after almost three weeks on the road and also this being a second time solo venture I would have reading maps absolutely nailed. Nope. Lucky for me an Aussie chased me out the airport, Ryan Werts, shout out to you. Thanks for getting me to my hostel in one piece. Since I didn't have much time to research the area I was staying, I decided to do a free walking tour. Definitely worth it. Not only are they good for general information of the city, but also a great way to get your bearings. Safe to say....didn't use a map for the rest of my stay there. A must in Belgrade, have some Rakija (local spirit) in one of the oldest and originally kept streets, Skadarlija in the Bohemian District. You should also check out the Floating clubs on the river, called Splavs. I went on a Sunday night, and probably too early around 11.30 pm (which is already way past my bedtime) so they weren't as packed as people said they would be, but none the less I had a a couple of beers and dropped it like its hot to some sweet 90's RnB. So I had fun.
Now, Budapest on the other hand, I did do some research, and the more I did, the more excited I was to get there. I extended my stay by 3 nights. And I still didn't have enough time. Again, I did another walking tour, I can't recommend these things enough. And from there...went on a pub crawl. This is where my stay in Budapest took a turn, now I'm not saying for the better, but I also wouldn't say for the worst. I just ended up spending more time sleeping then exploring. Whoops. So on my list of things that I was "going" to do was. Go to the baths, which is an obvious it's what Budapest is known for. I also wanted to climb Gellert hill, it gives you a panoramic view of the city from the "Buda" side. So yes, I'm a little disappointed I didn't do those two things. But hey, guess I'll just have to go back. What I did do though was check out the Jewish quarter on more then one occasion. What an amazing place to eat! If you love food and drinking and chatting and laughing and eating, yes I said eating twice! EAT. That's what I loved about Budapest, it really caters to a social lifestyle. I was also lucky enough to happen to be in Hungary for St. Vincent's day. Which for us Australians is "Australia day" or you Americans "4th of July"... You get the picture. That was a special experience to say the least. Another must is to check out the Ruin Bars, regardless if your a drinker or not, these places will blow your mind. I also treated my self to a delightful sundee' at the New York Cafe, I could have sat in this place for hours. What an incredible building. Enjoy the photo's, I know they don't do it justice....