TRAVEL: Eastern Europe 10 Days 9 Nights - Spent only $2700 (SGD all in) - Part 1

For a first timer to Europe, unintentionally and unaware, I grew tons of wild expectation of how their people will be, surpassing normal imagination of how open they are to the world and how friendly they can be. But all these are total bullshit. What we've seen on screen won't be near to what you are about to experience. So... piece of advice, just enjoy the sceneries, do your fucking homework well and expect MINIMAL assistance from the random locals. This travel blog post wouldn't be the best travel experience for you and what you are about to read won't be pleasing either. Nonetheless, in a way or two, hope this will benefit your upcoming trip if you want to know a different view of traveling to the EUs. 

The trip was planned back in 2019 with a group of friends somewhere around August. As the flight deals are great, we end up paying $800+ for returns ticket, for a full service flight with an hour of waiting for transit at Zurich. I think the deal is good. 

Budapest - Hungary (2 days 2 nights)

Currency = Forint / HUF (Hungarian Forint)

You can still pay using Euro but the return will be in Forint, please ask if they accept or not before proceed on your purchases.

Touching down to Budapest after a long 16 hours of transit and flights we are greeted with drizzles. The brand new chilled weather can be awakening to me. To compare to Genting Highland, Malaysia, this is too much to handle for a virgin! As shown below, my nose turns red =_='''

Budapest is one unique city where they are separated into 2 pieces by a river and one side is called Buda and another side called Pest, together, they are Budapest...it became a single city with the unification of Buda on the west bank of the river, and Pest on the east bank.

To put in words about how the air "smells" like, it was dry with hints of pinning sense. To compare to what we always have in Genting, the air feel soothing to our nose and usually moist. So, dear readers, DON"T FUCKING BLOW YOUR NOSE HARD or else you'll end up like me, my membrane lining nasal passages to become dry and cracked and it causes bleeding in my nose. If you have to blow your nose, do it gently and damp it with water first to soften your booger and don't pick your nose! Well, I didn't know till I'm there...so...yeah...you know what I mean.

Reaching to our hotel, left our luggage and out to search for food. As well as you knew me, I don't fancy tourist style photo and I always end up having random background and usually unidentified places...So yeah, a random church behind me and posing by the side door :)

In view of this wet weather, drizzling but not to soaking wet extend, this trench coat provide just decent amount of warm, with its material of velvet, polyester, I don't get wet at all. Bear in mind, I'm wearing 3 pieces which are UltraHeattech from Uniqlo, HLA knitted wear and this trench coat from HLA, Levis 501 Black jeans...I'm good as I feels. 

A plate of barley that substitute rice, grilled chicken breast served with mushrooms gravy and a sugar free jasmine tea, this is 2700 HUF or $11. A random hawker stall in shopping mall, didn't complain much and I'm full...

After our quick tour and bites, we head back to hotel for a quick nap and prepare to burn the town till late. As the trench coat earlier don't block wind, I changed into this Taobao Collection Dra Pa winter jacket, it does its job perfectly. 

Our first "must go" place would be this classic exterior which housed McDonalds. Located at Ngugati. Same taste, same French fries but different exterior and interior... Amazing. 

I don't take beef into my diet for nearly 4 years now, yet, I was served with cheese + beef burger, the language is hella struggle here as they speaks minimal English. I asked for chicken and she asked me if I want spicy which I mentioned yes, yet, I'm served with beef burger... amitofo to that piece of beef that entered my stomach. I paid HUF 600 for that and it was a good use. After our sinful meal, we made our way to our second must visit location which stands the House of Parliament.

We just stroll around this place and head back to rest. The first day is so tiring with the flights and all these new experiences.

Day 2

At Budapest, their morning Central Market Hall is one of the place that you should be visiting. Here's why;

1. Fresh meat of all kinds (be creative on your own)

2. Cheese

3, Foie Gras

4. Local delicacies

5. Souvenirs

6. Paprika flakes, powder, sauce, condiments, etc...

7. Dried goods

The price displays can be bargain and is a little hard to understand their English but you'll get through it. If you like emerald eyes or blue eyes, you won't have hard time looking at them in the eyes because they are too pretty not to look at it.

Apple Strudel at HUF 500 and Roasted Chicken with grilled vegetables at HUF 1300, this is my breakfast.

This cuppa of coffee isn't really cheap though, this cost HUF 350... but for the sake of cof-fix...take my money and give me my coffee! Check out my glows after coffee!

We spent at least 2 hours here and harvested a little but not much from this market. At the same spot, you will be able to board the train to another side of must visit spot in the city where you can have a bird view of the city!

You'll arrive at Gellérthegy Jubileumi Park, where you will get to see nothing but some dried woods and bird view of the city...

On the same side of this area, not far from here, you can also visit Fisherman's Bastion where the Buda Castle located. 

As we had enough this place, we head back to the town and continue our hunt of another must go / check-in worthy place, the New York Cafe. 

Frankly, there isn't anything fantastic about this cafe EXCEPT for their great interior! I have no idea what era the paintings are from, but it looks like from the era of michelangelo, renaissance bla bla bla... Since they are rated as the most beautiful cafe IN THE WOLRD. Suck it peeps! You don't see much cafe with humongous chandeliers, michelangelo alike paintings, the classic structures and what awe me the most, they actually have some guys dress up in red like photo below playing classical music. I don't have the knowledge nor born with music genes, as long as it is not piercing my ears sharply will do.

After our New York experience in Budapest, we head back to pack our stuff and ready for Vienna, the city of music. Where Mozart is born (actually he was born in Salzburg), live, become famous and died.

Vienna - Austria (3 days 3 nights)
Reaching to Vienna, it wasn't a pleasant experience. We were just making our way to our AirBnb location and there's a guy around the age of 40s literally just act coughing and smirk at us while mumbling the word corona...co niama pussy la...sohem! Anyway, that's not the first encounter, I don't think that will be the last one also.

End of part 1 and part 2 to follow.

Till then!!!
Jeremiah Teoh