The capital of Hungary, Budapest, is a metropolis that spans the Danube and (as you may or may not know) is actually comprised of two separate cities, Buda and Pest. The "twin capital" that was first molded in 1873 has played an integral part throughout history, especially with regards to the First and Second World Wars.
We arrived early this afternoon to our hotel, the Astoria, and spent some time in our rooms getting things sorted out (many of us taking naps) before washing up for a night on the town. At first glimpse, the outskirts of the city of Budapest form an urban void- a lack of activity which is towered over by modern billboards and shopping ads. One look deeper as your drive takes you closer to the city-center, however, and you see the well-dressed elderly man walking his dog along the park, the couple emerging from the metro station holding hands, and the group of friends laughing out front of the historical downtown art museum. It's got all the sites that city-lovers go crazy for, yet a language none of us have ever heard before.
Amid the now-bustling urban atmosphere where everything can give the appearance of being chaotic, in Budapest, it all starts to make sense. The tall buildings and slightly-curving streets give way to a sense of the orderly and the people caught in between famous sites all take on an air of fun. In a weird sort of way, it begins to make total sense that this is the country that produced Rubik and his famous brightly-colored cube.
-Alex
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