OneAndOneIs2

I've learned a few things whilst travelling:

1. Hostels make or break a location.

Maybe it's different when you're not on your own, but so far, the link between how much I've liked the place I'm at and how sociable the hostel has been have been pretty much identical.

So.. Budapest, I've not been too impressed by. Sadly.

Got off the train after that LOOOONG journey. Went to the first hostel on my list. It was a fair walk, and the hostel was full. So on to the second. Also a bit of a trek, also full. Back to the train station where I started, where the Tourist Information map said there was a large hostel.

Only there wasn't, because the number "15" on the map didn't mean the number 15 HOTEL, it was a DIFFERENT "15" altogether.

Grrr.

But the TI people run a free minibus to the various hostels, and after dissuading me from the actual "15" hotel, they sent me to another place.

I checked in. I went up in an elevator with broken glass in it to a room where half the lights didn't work, the shower had no door (as well as no lights) and only half a floor...

I checked back out. And walked, again, to the "15" hostel. Which is a large, clean, well-run sort of place, and as usual, therefore, the type where it's not easy to socialize.

So I spent the day wandering Budapest, and I leave tomorrow. Was okay for a day, I got a lot of good phots and had a long thermal bath, but I can't say I'll be sad to go.

2. Subways are a godsend.

They have all the pluses of fast food chains like MacDonalds, without the minuses of everything deep-fried.

3. Clearing your plate is important.

I never used to bother with side salads, as I find salads boring. Unless they have a dressing, in which case they're badű-tasting and boring. I also didn't rate chips/fries, as they were boring. Unless with salt, in which case they were salty and boring.

That was before I was on a tight budget, very hungry, and still enough of a geek to worry about getting the various nutrients I need with an erratic diet.

That's a long enough post for now, it's getting late anbd the place closes soon.

TTFN!