Budapest

In the famous Budapest thermal baths:
The baths are huge, and located in/surrounded by a lovely yellow baroque building.
A soviet tank in the House of Terror.
The enormous and evocative wall of victims of the two terror regimes of Hungary's 20th century.

The symbols of the Fascist Arrow Cross party and the Soviet controlled Communist party:
An artist's interpretation of the Iron Curtain that used to separate cold war Europe.
The House of Terror, where two different regimes terrorized the citizens of Hungary.
In the Great Market Hall, the butcher makes funny with some little piggies.
My favourite restaurant of the trip:
Perfect geometry in Budapest:
This Soviet era car at Memento park is an example of the failed mass industrialization of the Eastern Bloc countries:
Brian runs from the proud Soviet soldier who has just "liberated" the Hungarian people.
Fun at the park.



Nurse Fairley presents her snow angel:
On the bus - I don't think they wanted me to take this picture.
Brenna sends a loving birthday message to her favourite brother:
Inside Matthias Church:


Fisherman's bastion:
Jonah is ready to defend Castle Hill:
Fisherman's Bastion offers more superb views of the Pest side of Budapest:
With the parliament buildings in the background:

It's 6:00 PM local time and I'm sitting on the bus outside of Széchenyi Baths in Budapest, guarding 53 money belts. We visited the Matthias Church this morning for a bit of medieval Budapest history, then to Memento Park for a look at the "glorious" leaders, workers, and soldiers of the Soviet occupation and domination of Hungary during much of the 20th century. Hungary’s so-called “goulash” communism was less rigid than in the rest of the Eastern Bloc, but that didn’t stop the regime from waging terror against its own citizens, as we witnessed in the House of Terror. This modern, hi-tech museum is located in the same building that was used by the Nazi-sympathetic Arrow Cross government for interrogations and executions of political dissidents, Jews, and others during WWII. As the Soviet troops got closer, the Nazis retreated over the Danube and blew up all of the bridges that connected Buda to Pest. The Soviets came into town and “liberated” the local population, starting a new reign of terror that lasted decades. They set up their secret police headquarters in the same building the Arrow Cross’s version of the Gestapo had used. The museum creatively presents images, documents, video and objects to give visitors a feel for life under tyranny.

On a lighter note, we spent some time in the Great Market Hall – a huge Industrial Revolution era building that houses countless little stands, shops, and restaurants. After the kids and parents come out of the thermal pools (very nice on this cold day), we will be dining on some traditional Hungarian cuisine at the Blue Rose restaurant near the hostel. Our venture into the East has almost come to an end. Tomorrow we are in Vienna.

Craig