Buda & Pest

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Buda & Pest Myth and Reality The Art of Perception: A Preview

Europe in three weeks. This was what I did when I took another trip to Europe, between mid-June and early July. This time, I went to four cities in three countries Munich and Salzburg with a side trip to Oberammergau in Germany, Vienna in Austria and Budapest, the capital of Hungary for a much needed respite to end my summer.

In my summer trip, I love Budapest the most. What excited me about the Budapest trip was the fact that it would be my first trip to an Eastern European City and close to Austria, which I had really planned to see and since Hungary is now a part of the European Union, it was not a problem crossing borders with my Schengen visa.

Budapest, one of the largest central Europe cities, has both the old-world charm and the amenities found in modern Western Europe. This city of about 1.8 million people, is one of the most beautiful capitals of Europe. It has extensive World Heritage Sites, among them the banks of the fabled Danube River. Actually, Budapest is divided largely into two distinct cities Buda on west bank of the Danube and Pest on the east bank. Buda is hilly, green, more quiet and rich in history while Pest, where most of the modern establishments are, is flat and very cosmopolitan.

If you love history, you'd fall in love with Buda with its accounts of growth from a communist urban center to its being part of the Austrian-Hungarian monarchy of Habsburg to the Ottoman-Turkish Empire influence. They say Budapest is the least known metropolis in Europe but you just have to experience it to find out why it has been rated as central eastern Europe's most livable city.

There's nothing that matches its museums, churches, buildings and other structures -- lots and lots of preserved old buildings from baroque gothic and neo-gothic.

Beyond the heritage buildings, Budapest has scores to offer first-timers in the city. One of these are the old and modern mineral and thermal baths which offer great unwinding experience.

With the recession hitting Europe hard, the city continues to struggle to recover, including from its past Communist era, but the people and their place have kept their identity distinct and intact, culture, legacy and all, while they are also laying out the prospects they have.

The city is still riddled with poor people sleeping everywhere and visitors have taken notice of this but the same observation can be said about New York.

You may have to struggle in communicating while going around as natives hardly speak English to any useful extent. Lately, however, there is an increasing number of Hungarians who learn English as a second language. Chances are, you will meet young people who know a little more English than their elders.

One this is sure though. Many can understand English even if they don't speak it.

In Budapest you get a mix of modes of transportation, from the oldest underground railway in continental Europe to the modern track system served by the Railjet, the Austrian national system which took me to the city from Munich. You can take, too, the trams, funiculars, cogwheels, children's and sub-urban trains, trolleybuses and even the vintage Trabant horse-cart. In Pest's small alleyways, a newcomer can marvel at unusual shops that sell plenty of souvenirs and native-made products.

Just make sure that if you're taking the train you have bought tickets and have them validated in machines before boarding as inspectors are everywhere and fines can be hefty.

Otherwise, you can walk or jog around, especially along the Danube banks, or take extensive transport using the Budapest Card, which also gives the visitor discount tariffs to most museums and tours.

Since the Euro is still not in use in the country, one has to convert his money to the Hungarian Forint. It was a pleasure to find out that food in Budapest is basically cheaper compared to prices in other cities I have been to. And speaking of food, paprika, which comes from Hungary, is a common offering, along with chocolates pastries and Hungarian coffee, especially in traditional cafes. Or you can enjoy their heavier cuisine from wild boar to goose and duck meat matched with Hungarian wine.

Art and music? They have expansive museums, theaters, opera houses and libraries but you don't have to go into these buildings to appreciate the city. Just being on the streets, basking over exceptional views and jaw-dropping structures can be enough.

You will not feel a stranger with your faith in Hungary. About 90 percent of the people are Christians – 66 percent Catholics and 28 percent Protestants. There is also a strong Jewish community in the city and a visit to its Gand Synagogue can be educational.

You 've just to keep your mind wide open to discover for yourself what is essentially Budapest, even those “not made for tourists” for you to truly enjoy and love the Budapest that I and the tens and thousands of other people have come to know last summer.

The writer, a nephrologist, had his internship and worked at Riverside Medical Center in Bacolod City. He is now based in Cagayan de Oro City. He is a native of Antique.