Budapest is known as the city of senses. I walk through the minimal immigration check point and immediately smell cigarette smoke. The city of senses indeed! I exchange some USD and take a bus to the train station. A high overcast hangs above while the streets below are completely foreign.

The rustic blue train into the city center is full of character and clanks loudly along the tracks. I find a spot to sit in the corner, crowding my stuff underneath my feet to let a local woman sit next to me. I flash her a smile and encouraged by my openness, she immediately responds in Dutch, then tries Hungarian, then tries Russian. Or at least I think this is what she does, since I only can catch a few random English words in the mix. She is small and stout with black bangs and a flower headband. Her smile is warm and we laugh at our inability to understand each other. Even without the common denominator of speech, we connect to one another. She touches my arm with sincerity and kindness, a perfect introduction to my time in Budapest.

I count the stops on the train, slightly paranoid that I’ll miss the correct one as the names are so foreign: Nyugati pályaudvar, Váci út, Balassi Balint. I watch the names closely and manage to make my way to Home Plus Hostel with only minimal errors. A small feat, but I relish in the accomplishment nonetheless.

After checking in I walk along the Danube River, or what the Hungarians call the Dame. The river divides the two cities of Buda and Pest. Buda is known as the richer part of the city, while Pest is cheap and more colorful. I walk along the Pest side, admiring the haze filtering through the monuments of Buda. As the sun sets the monuments light up brightly in florescent glory. The yellow glow reflects off the water as I reflect on the moment of being in Hungary. A place I never intended to visit, but a city that is a plethora of delight and intrigue.

Excitement bubbles in my chest as I continue to walk, continue to explore, continue to wonder. After an informative walking tour the next day, my tour guide takes some of us to a local hole-in-the-wall restaurant. This is my first introduction to Hungarian food, and for the rest of my time in Budapest, I will devour the delicious dishes relentlessly. I get veal stew with potato dumpling pasta and inhale the contents in less than ten minutes. Hungarian food is extremely rich with plenty of paprika and other spices.

My hostel, Home Plus Hostel, is my favorite on my adventure to date. The beds are comfortable and the staff is incredibly warm and welcoming. I meet fellow solo-female travelers from the US and spend much of my time in the city with them. The more I travel, the smaller the world becomes, and Budapest is no exception. Some of the girls are from the Pacific Northwest, which brings a little piece of home to the other side of the world. How exciting to meet like-minded individuals who become friends so quickly.

The hostel staff cook a Hungarian dinner three times a week and each meal is simple yet mouth-watering. From potato soup to cheese pasta to everything in between, Hungarian food is my new favorite pleasant surprise. I hope to attempt to cook my own version of Hungarian food, whenever I settle down long enough to attempt the feat. Hopefully that time won’t come too soon.

And yet, the sensory overload continues.

The city of Buda

Parliament

The city of Pest

Delicious Hungarian food.