moment by moment (and...a soak in, rather than a drink of, healing waters!)

Budapest is a grand place - stately architecture, towering old buildings and castles tell of a time when this was a very powerful city indeed.  The Danube river divides the city into "Buda" and "Pest", and the Buda castle "complex" sits on top of a hill in Buda, overlooking the river.  At night, this is lit up, and during the day, the view from this hill offers a picturesque view of much of the city and the (somewhat) blue Danube. The drivers here are aggressive - much more so than in other European cities I have traveled in - and life as a pedestrian involves quite a cacophony of horns and the necessity to watch where one is going with extreme caution.  Hungarian, similar to Czech, is a language that is foreign to anything that has rolled off of this tongue over the years.  Sarah and I noted, as we traveled through Austria for a few hours by train 3 days ago, how much like "home" German sounded, in comparison to these other languages! Surprising to me has been the cost of basic necessities.  Unlike many Eastern European cities, this is not a "cheap" place for a Westerner to travel, and yet, the average salary of a Hungarian worker is a small fraction of the norm in North America.  As a result, poverty is all too prevalent, and the city also looks tired and worn in places.

Yesterday, most of the day was spent away from the grandeur of Budapest, with our dear friends Monica, Gabor, Sylvia, and Tobi. Monica and Gabor certainly inspire me in many ways, and I love the fact that at age 1 and 5, their children are already seasoned European travelers!  We spent the morning with them at a "pioneer village" in the nearby town of Szentendre, and then visited a hilltop castle in Visegrád, which featured an absolutely glorious view of the Danube.  Mostly, it was wonderful to look at the scenery through the eyes of a 5 year old, and to spend quality time with these folks at a slower pace.

Sarah and I ventured to "Castle Hill" this morning, wandering the grounds of the Royal Palace and the Fisherman´s Bastion.  My favourite tidbit of history from the day was one that I learned inside of St. Matthias Church, also atop Castle Hill.  On top of one altar was a Virgin Mary figurehead, wearing a crown.  Turns out that during the 11th century King István lost his only son, the prince, and so was left without an heir to the throne.  So, logically, he decided to leave his country to the Virgin Mary...

We had walked to Castle Hill, but, as we had plans to meet Monica for lunch at 2pm, we decided to grab a bus to return to the Pest side of the city. Assuming that the 16A bus took essentially the same route as the 16, Sarah and I boarded with little time to spare. Good news - I was successful in getting my ticket stamped correctly this time around, AND, Monica was patient in waiting for us as we realized we were definitely on the wrong bus...

I had my first real cry today since leaving home. After lunch, Sarah left to return to the hostel in a puddle of allergies, I said a teary "See you in November" to Monica and Sylvia, and suddenly I was on my own in the streets of downtown Budapest.  The tears weren´t about that moment itself (in fact, I felt excited for the chance to wander on my own for a bit), but rather, I think, the reality that I will be saying "See you in November" to Sarah on Tuesday, and the solo part of this trip will begin.  A big part of my learning these days (travelling, and in general) is around staying present in each moment. Trying to live all 3 months of this trip at once is at times empowering and exciting, and at others daunting and overwhelming; at all times, however, my incessant need to think about all 3 months all at once takes me out of my present moment and into my head.  I am learning to stay present, with each breath, each beautiful scene, each moment...

...Today, this meant 5 hours before sunset, all to myself, in Budapest.  I knew that I wanted to see the opera house, Hero´s Square, and actually soak in a mineral bath this time around, rather than just drinking one.  So, I set off.   It was a beautiful 1 1/2 hour walk through the streets, with many stops for photos, and some time spent with my journal on the steps of the opera house...and my soak in the mineral waters of Budapest was glorious!!!  Budapest is famous for its thermal baths, as the city lies on top of many mineral springs.  This evening, the location I went to had indoor pools which were already closed, but 3 outdoor pools which were open until 9. After the long walk, the soak in the hot water as the sunset, in a courtyard of a beautiful old building, was absolutely perfect.

I was proud of myself for figuring out the wacky lockers controlled by plastic wristbands (very space age - I asked for a locker, and was handed a cheap looking blue wrist band), and even more proud of myself for taking the subway back to the hostel at dusk. I hadn´t yet been on the subway here, and the trip involved changing lines.  I noticed my tendency to stay comfortable ("I could just walk back...sure, it will take over an hour and I just soaked in a glorious hot thermal bath, but then I can follow the map and be absolutely clear as to where I am at all times), and decided, "Screw it.  You have everything you need to figure out the Hungarian subway system!"  Totally did it.

If I live each day as it is, one moment at a time, I can totally do this travelling thing.  I´ve noticed that when I am around other solo travelers, I feel empowered and inspired.  When I´m around people who are less inclined (as one fellow hosteler said to me last night, "3 months??? I could never be away from home for that long!!"), my seeds of doubt become closer to the surface. For tonight, I am focusing on staying present in each moment, and in who I know I am.