An Adventure, a Reunion, and a Mishap

Yesterday I went to Budapest! I saw on Facebook that one of my professors from Bluffton (he currently is a professor in Bath, UK) was in Budapest with his oldest son Aaron, so I decided to meet them for the day. At 6:45am I left Sarkad and took a bus to Békéscsaba, and from Békéscsaba I took a train to Budapest.  It all went very smoothly! When I arrived in the train station, Dr. Boehm and Aaron were waiting for me. It was so nice to see them!

While in Budapest, we toured Parliament, went up to look at Buda Castle and its courtyard, ate lunch at a pub which had delicious goulash and this paprika spread that was phenomenal, looked at St. Stephen's Cathedral, laughed at a group of dancers in front of Heroes Memorial (while wishing they would leave), admired the synagogue, drank some coffee in a nice cafe, and overall had a wonderful time.  Budapest is full of incredible views and beautiful buildings! I can't explain how breathtaking it is.  I would definitely list it as one of my favorite cities!

In the courtyard at Buda Castle

I made it back to the train station with no difficulties, bought my ticket, and settled in for my 2.5 hour train ride.  I was really thankful to have my iPhone so I could listen to music and reread Jane Eyre on my Kindle app.  However, the real excitement began when I arrived in Békéscsaba.  I unthinkingly didn't check what times the bus would go from Békéscsaba to Sarkad at 9pm on a Sunday.  To my dismay, there were no available buses, and when I asked in the train station, they informed me there were no more trains going to Sarkad either! I was immediately distraught.  I tried to use my Hungarian phone, but it wasn't working (I soon realized I was out of minutes). I did have wifi on my iPhone, so I sent Szilvia a message on Facebook on the off-chance she would check it before she went to bed.  I decided I would try to find a phone, so I walked up to an older couple and asked if they spoke English. They didn't, but their son did, and he let me borrow his phone. I tried to call Szilvia, but for some reason her number didn't work on his phone.  I then called Hajni (the CETP director), and informed her of my situation. She quickly found a hotel in the area and was preparing to send a taxi when Szilvia called me on my Hungarian phone (I could still receive calls) and offered to drive me to Sarkad even though it was 10pm on a Sunday night. I was so happy she was willing to help. I know I have mentioned how thankful I am to know Szilvia, but she has been such a blessing. She has been so kind and helpful, and I really enjoy her company!

I'll try to share pictures of Budapest soon! I'm hoping to go somewhere this upcoming weekend for my 22nd birthday, so I should have more stories to share in the near future.  Ta-ta for now!