Oh, the Places You'll Go!

As I’m sitting here in my nice comfy bed at the Best Western in Budapest, I can’t help but wonder why it is so much nicer than all the Best Westerns I’ve seen in the United States. After all, I do believe it was at a Best Western somewhere in the states where my family found mouse droppings and hair in our “clean” bed. Though the differences between U.S. and Budapest Best Westerns baffle me, I’m so glad that this is where we’re staying for the last leg of the 9-day field trip. The rooms are big, the beds are comfy, and the breakfast buffet is off the charts. Thus far, my experience in Budapest has more than made up for the gloomy trip to Krakow, Poland.

Don’t get me wrong; Krakow was a beautiful city and I had a really great time. However, the weather was cold and the sun was hidden for a lot of the time. Plus, I caught a really bad cold (as did most of the other students on the field trip.) At one point, one of the girls in charge was doling out Vitamin C and cold medicine on the bus, row by row. On our first full day in Krakow, we visited Auschwitz. While I appreciated the trip and will definitely never forget what I saw and learned, it put me in a bit of a depressing mood. The next day we were able to visit Schindler’s Factory, and the history there – while sad – was a bit more uplifting. I really want to see the movie “Schindler’s List,” but I think I’m going to have to wait until I get home. The rest of the day was spent shopping and spending the Polish money I had. It was hard, since everything is very inexpensive there.

On Thursday we were on our way to Budapest. Another 8-9 hour bus ride, another currency, another hotel, another boring meal full of meat and potatoes…or so I thought. For dinner, we were taken to this large restaurant with an all you can eat/drink buffet. It was marvelous. I drank mugs of mulled wine and ate lots of salad and fruit, which I hadn’t really had access to in the other countries. After a great night’s sleep at the Best Western, we woke up to rain and went on a tour of Hero’s Square and the art museum. Following that was free time, which my friends and I chose to spend at one of the many bath houses scattered throughout Budapest. Even though it was lightly raining, we were more than comfortable in the heated outdoor baths. For about 10-11 Euros, we got to go in as many different baths (pools) as we wanted, and there were so many, all different temperatures. We also got to use the saunas. My favorite was the one with the mint aromatherapy. I feel so relaxed; I know I’m going to have a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow we have some more tours of the city, and then a farewell dinner. On Sunday we’re heading back to Vienna, which I’ll readily admit that I’ve missed. All in all, it’s been an incredible trip and I’m so glad I got the chance to experience three amazing cities.