Budapest was, all in all, a very satisfactory beginning to our journey. I would have to voice preference for Buda over Pest - Pest is more city-like, its appeal drawing from the statues and squares and the view along the river. Buda, on the other hand, had not only the larger statues/monuments (which we didn't see up close), but also Castle Hill, with its lovely architecture, old wall/towers, cathedral (that charged entrance fees - boo), and gates, not to mention the views from up so high above the rest of the city.
One of the most pleasant parts of our time there was a break we took on a bench facing the sun (now beginning to set) in order to read and relax. On our way back to Pest we noticed a carved face in the rocks by the river - we are unsure as to whether this was intentional or not.
Unfortunately, we did not know exactly how to get back to Keleti Station, and ended up walking an extra five or so miles that evening in order to find it (about five miles too many for my body, as we'd already covered over fifteen miles on foot). My knees, feet, upper back and hip flexor in pain, we waited four to five hours in the (freezing) station for our train. Fortunately, we were able to try a cheese-like pastry and Jay got a Hungarian gyro,his goal being to try a gyro or doenner in every country.
Additionally, we scored as far as seats go on the way out, getting a cabin to ourselves and therefore both being able to lie down and sleep comfortably most of the night. This is not counting the irritatingly poorly-timed passport/ticket checks at 2 and 3 in the morning. Also, around 4 or 5 our cabin filled up suddenly and a nearby cabin filled with a large group of rowdy (and possibly drunk) travelers, all of whom decided to sing/chant loudly for the duration of the ride. Overall though, we're doing well. Athens will be a luxury in that we'll have a hotel room (without policemen waking us up in the middle of the night).
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