Home Alone 2: Lost in Budapest

So I’m getting on the train in Brno, where I spent my last days in the Czech Republic, and I’m heading to Budapest, the city that is going to be my home for some indefinite time. You know (or maybe you don’t), you always have strange feelings when you go for such adventure, but I’m psyched at the same time. I don’t really know what to expect, I’ve never been there before, I know the language only from jokes, nobody‘s going to pick me up there. But that’s the adventure I like!

Frankly speaking, the journey by train through Slovakia is pretty boring, there is not much to see, it’s just fields, fields and sometimes fields. Then Bratislava and until Hungary still a couple of fields. Surprisingly, it changes once you’ve crossed the border. The train is rapidly slowing down and with the speed of a faster tractor it no longer feels like a Eurocity train, but the view is finally quite stunning. From the Slovakian border, the train goes along the Danube, so you can enjoy nice views of the river and its bends, the Visegrád castle (on your right) and other hills basically until you finally reach Budapest.

After a couple of hours I’ve finally arrived at the Budapest Keleti station. What a lovely super old station with an even more lovely smell 😛 Looks like the Bratislava train station finally has a competitor 😀 Soo now what? It’s hot as hell, I have big luggage with me and can’t even find an exit since in Hungarian it’s probably something like szjekelenedeindsjdnsczsykemelterlletmegdskgnskfg…..(it’s Kijárat, folks). 

Well, let’s find a hostel for a few days to settle down a bit, relax, look around and get to know the city a little. Actually, let’s first find a cafe with a wi-fi connection because I don’t even have a hostel booked, yet. Yeah, my friends wondered many times, where are you going to stay, have you found a flat? Eh, no worries, will sort that out on the spot 😛

So after 10 minutes of looking for a way to get out of the station, I’m taking my 30 kg heavy suitcase and going to face the city and the first impressions (let’s better ignore the impression of the station). And the first impressions are…..weird. Very weird. The station is under reconstruction, everything around is destroyed, messy, there are no sidewalks so I’m carrying my suitcase through gravel and concrete cubes and the wheels of my suitcase are starting to melt as the concrete ground has like 50°C. Holly crap, I’m thinking, is this place what I’ve chosen to be my home for next months? Well, but I can always come back, can’t I ? And come on, the first impressions are always strange, let’s give it a chance.

After 20 minutes of walking the direction to the center (hopefully) I’ve found a bar with a Wi-Fi. I’m glad they have those here. Let’s just get a place which is cheap and not too far from work so I can calm down. Tomorrow I’ll sign the job contract, then find a place to live, get to know the city better and everything will be just fine. Yeah, I’ve a got a job, that’s why I’m here, right? Ehm, I believe I have, as there is no signed contract yet, though.

I mean, no contract, no friends, no place to sleep, just my luggage. Just with my luggage. Cool, isn’t it? 😀 That’s the way you do it! Or I do……Remember, the real life begins outside of your comfort zone! But let’s see…..