I’ve been hearing that Budapest is the new Berlin. If you don’t know what that means, then
imagine NYC’s feel… the people, the culture, the progressive, the liberal, the
tolerance, and atmosphere that absorbs and loves just about every type of
person without judgment. Granted, I
spend many months in Berlin, so to compare my time there with Budapest is not
fair, but it didn’t take long for me to see the uniqueness and charm of Berlin
from day one.
Budapest also attracts a diverse crowd, but it’s
overwhelmingly those seeking a hedonistic weekend partying in a small area of
the city. This was my second time
here. The first one doesn’t count,
because I was going through a breakup the day I arrived. It was like having the flu and bedbugs all at
once. I vowed I’d be back when I was
healthy and finally that time came this summer when I returned to Europe from
my Senegal adventure.
I managed to find a cheap one-way ticket from Dakar to
Budapest for around $250 USD. Arrived
early in the morning and wasn’t able to check into my hotel until 3pm.
Exhausted, I didn’t have the energy to do much except semi-sleep in the lobby
until later.
When I did have enough energy to start exploring the city, I
have to say I was a bit underwhelmed.
The area known as District VII is party central. Home to a slew of ruin bars as they are known
here. They bring chickens to the yard and just about every other kind of
tourist. Stag parties, young college students, backpackers, young
professionals, older businessmen, and even soccer moms. It’s unpretentious, which is nice, but it’s
just crowds of people yearning to be intoxicated. Bouncers relegating who enters as the endless lines backup all the way down the sidewalks. The bar lines are
overflowing while patrons push forward like a tsunami wave trying to get a drink like it’s the fall of Saigon.
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| gate way to the ruin bars of Budapest District VII |
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| one of the most popular ruin bars |
For a solo traveler, you are just overwhelmed by the sheer
packs of groups stumbling around.
Provided, if I came with a crew of my boys, then the experience could be
bedlam in a good way, but as a solo sober traveler, Budapest doesn’t offer a
chance to engage or experience anything outside getting destroyed. They say, the proof is in the pudding, and
for Budapest, the proof is in the landmines of puke that line the streets
outside the clubs. I mean seriously, it
was like walking through a minefield of upchucked pizzas and burgers back to my
hotel.
That was the first night.
The second night, things got a little better, I managed to meet up with
a local couchsurfer who decided to take me out.
Luckily she’s a big fan of hip hop, so we decided to check out a hip hop
club. I didn’t care it was commercial
hip hop, if the beats are on point. I just wanted to dance. We
ended up at a club called BOB, and it totally reminded me of a club you'd find in South Beach
(Miami), which is fine by me. I mean what’s
hip hop without the pretentiousness of looking glamorous with six inch stilettos
and skin-tight apparel while keeping maintaining that cold steel model look?
The good thing was, it wasn’t hard to get in, but once in, it was packed to the point when you ordered and received your drink, there was no way to make it to the dance floor, so everyone just stood staring toward the deejay. Nobody danced. Just stiff bodies holding drinks. And if they did
dance, the party wasn’t happening down stairs.
No hips, no feet, just the occasional hand in the air and that wink or group
selfie like they were having the time of their life. Duck faces for the flash and then that look like how much longer will we be here? So, I took advantage of the lack of competition and danced like I was the reincarnation of Kid n Play at a house party until it was clear that bed was a better option.
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| morning after |
I had no set plans for the next day. Just roamed the city thinking of my next move. By the end of the day I decided enough was enough, and
bought my bus ticket for Serbia. I had
five weeks left in my summer trip and knew it was time to go forward to a place
that wasn’t about the party.
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| train track to Serbia |
So, what is my final take on Budapest? Great place to crash if you’re looking to
live it up in a cheap and accessible and beautiful city in Europe. No doubt, you’ll have a great time with a crew. But if you’re a solo backpacker looking to
experience more than a place to party, then Budapest doesn’t compare to cities
like Berlin. Berlin has more to
offer. One it’s international in the
sense that there are people from all over the world who have made this place
home. Refugees, international students, immigrants, foreign nationals with a work visa from all over who are living, working, and prospering. Budapest didn’t seem to have this diveres demographic. It’s a European city for
tourists who want to spend a few days and then return home. It’s a giant cruise ship with beautiful
buildings, parks, spas, bars, and clubs where people don’t dance no more.
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