Jason was a wreck as we arrived into Budapest - the first place we visited without the aid of a Lonely Planet guidebook. We decided that this may have been a blessing in disguise. Without knowing what Budapest had to offer, we would not feel guilty for missing a few sights. We did manage to find out about a walking tour through 2 guys staying at our hostel. Both raved that the BUDAPEST WALK was not to be missed. On our way to scouting out the meeting spot for the tour, we bumped into Pierre-Andre and Tonia - the Canadians we met on our way to Krakow.

When met by our tour guide, along with another couple, David and Reyna, we were told that due to governmental technicalities BUDAPEST WALK was out of service for a bit. Michael, the entrepreneur behind BUDAPEST WALK, invited us to a free tour the following day in addition to meeting him for dinner/drinks that evening. We made the best of a disappointing situation and invited ourselves to a drink with David and Reyna - our new found friends. We hit it off immediately. After 5 ½ hours at a cafe, we found out that David and Reyna were also newlyweds who decided to put life on hold for a bit and tour the world for 5 months. Excited to have the rare occasion of "Saturday night plans", we hurried back to our hostel for a shower and shave. We all joined Michael for drinks, laughter, and heated political debate.

The following morning, Jason and I went to the Great Synagogue (largest in Europe), the neighboring Jewish Museum, and St. Stephens Basilica. After a quick bite to eat, we met at Heros' Square for our free afternoon tour. Our 3 ½ hour walk through the towns of Pest and Buda was capped off with an evening at the Hungarian Winery. For a nominal fee, we were given access to 70 different wines to taste. We made the most of our time, getting SMASHED by the time we finished tasting the white wines. The red wines merely added to our euphoric state, and thanks to a cleverly timed conversation between David and the Hungarian Winery personnel, we squeezed out an additional 20 minutes or so of wine tasting. WE HAD A BLAST!! From the winery, Jason and I joined David and Reyna for another round at a bar in the neighborhood where they were staying. Just after making plans to meet up the next morning for crepes, Jason ran out of the bar feeling a little ill. David assisted in flagging us a cab, and thankfully we managed to get back to our hostel without being ripped off (even though we had no map).

After a breakfast to cure the boys' hangovers, we proceeded to the Hotel Gellert in hopes of a massage and the famous thermal baths. Once again we were disappointed when we learned that due to a religious holiday (don't ask us which one), the only services offered were the public pools. Eager to cool off, we decided to take the plunge and chill poolside for the afternoon. Our time with David and Reyna came to an end with a round of goodbyes and promises to meet up in Florida. After stocking up on some goodies for a 36 hour train ride, Jason and I made our way to the train station to board the Transbalkan Express to Istanbul.