Budapest 2023 Chapter 6 - Bad Omens

Hungary for more blog? You're in the right place, Reader.

Today is the last full day we have here. There's only one main thing on the agenda today - Zugliget Chairlift. I've figured out that there's the 291 bus that takes about 25 mins to get there. We need to tram it to bus stop first. I'm not great with heights so this activity is not something I'm relishing tbh but the others really want this.

Also need to drink Palinka at some point. Maybe not before the chairlift, that could be dangerous. I'll save that as a celebratory treat 🍻.

It feels like it takes an age to get going today. It's all hair straighteners and tampax talk. We finally get out at 11:15 and head to VAJ. We order toasties which take sooo long, I have to go and investigate. There is some sort of an issue and they have to remake, it's another 7 minute wait FFS. Sheepish teen server looks downbeat and gives a non-heartfelt sorry. The girls have had their untoasted food already. VAJ have blown it, we won't be back. Food arrives. "I'm really sorry" is met with an emotionless "ok" from me 😐. Lisa is all daggers.

VAJ has not performed well

Now need to sort the transport pass for the day. We're by the tram stop and eagle-eyed-Lizzie spots the purple ticket machine. I punch buttons and try inserting cash - nope need to punch more buttons. Bingo. This time I only get one but of paper; no little one to validate in the machine. Today is throwing up complications for sure. They feel like bad omens. I make the family march to the nearest metro station, down the escalator to ask a lady that is checking tickets. "Is this validated? We just bought this". She zaps it. "yes". We march back to the tram stop.

Smiley Trams

The tram is busy and there is a bad smell like old sweaty feet that have gone bad which have then been left to marinade with things that smell even worse. I'm thinking it's the large lady with the pram that just got on. She leaves and the smell lingers but diminishes. Dirty bitch. We get off and get to bus 291. This wasn't like the pleasant tram journeys from yesterday. Another bad omen.

Els has got the face on. She's tired. She asks how long till we get there.

Lisa: "5 minutes". Rob: "2 hours".

Somewhere between those two estimates we say. This makes us laugh hysterically for some reason.

So we arrive at the chairlift place and I sneak Els in as 14. Save 2000Ft. I take a look at the little chairlift and it looks very basic. I'm getting the fear. There's a chair in the lobby area for you to try, so me and Els do, and I'm panicking - "where's the safety harness thing?" I'm exclaiming and Lisa shows my the metal bar you pull down. I'm surprised that is it. This flimsy piece of shit? Lizzie is a little nervous.

Not happy

A man points at two dots on the ground and we take position, the girls will be after we set off. Stupidly, I get on, and manage to pull the bar down. At first it's not too bad, but there's bits where it's really high and over paving etc. It's fair to say I'm hating it; my chest is tight and I'm getting a bit breathless. There's no emergency switch, no comms, just good old panicky panic. I concentrate on the treeline to our left and just about keep a lid on panic. In the less high bits I look around, girls are fine but it looks 10 times higher that way around, and we've got to come down yet facing that way all the way.

It's fair to say we had a very different experience

When we reach the top they make you get off which I knew so there's a bit of respite. There's a shop. I'm in PTSD mode. Els says to me now you know how I felt going to school - that feeling of being trapped. I know kiddo.

A stag beetle crawls across the floor. We go outside - there's a sign with a picture of a Tic (tick? the beastie type of tick) and Lizzie is freaked so wants to go in and take our chances with Staggy Stag.

Stag party

Arrival

I decide I will die if I take the chairlift down. I will literally DIE. So I will take my chances with the mountain forest on terra firma. It was a 10min ride from hell on the chairlift so I reckon 20-30mins downhill through the forest on foot. I wave off the others, feel bad that Lisa's riding this one solo but no way José, I just can't.

I find the start of the Fail Trail. At first the path is nice. Lots of steps. My map disappears - no signal. Then something darts in front of me. SNAKE! I literally shout a knee-jerk "F*** ME!" but there's no-one else to hear but Snakey Snake. He's a tiddler but has me jumping at my own shadow. I'm seeing snakes everywhere (in my mind), every movement in the bush, anything dropping from the tree. There's not many places to stop, and it's hot. I had the good sense of buying a bottle of water at the top. The path is all loose gravel on steep slope, plus some jagged rocks. And loads of steps. Map comes back on phone but some of the pathways don't exist. Chairlift line has been out of sight 90% of way. Map position is good though. At a point where the map makes no sense I see the only people I see, up high. I ask is that a path and they say no, and point to a track that goes away from where I want. I take that, manage to slip over. It ends up at a road, which thankfully ends up at stupid chairlift place. Lisa and girls are there. My legs are shaking from exertion/PTSD so I sit and see ants so get up again and we go to bus stop. Let's get the hell out. Still, they had a lovely time. Lisa promises me that she will never put me through anything like that again. That's official then.

This root nearly made me shit myself

Panaramic View from the Fail Trail

We get the bus back to town. Els wants to chill back at hotel, so we're going to get her back and go out for Palinka. Instead of getting on the direct tram Lisa makes us walk along the river to see the shoe monument in honour of the murdered Jews. A nice cheery diversion. One busy tram and one busy bus later we're back at The Savoy. A little rest time and then we'll head out for dinner.

Shoe gaze

I find an Italian place a few team stops away and we go. It's nicely decorated but empty apart from a couple. Lizzie and me order Palinka, which is an aperitif. Instead of stimulating an appetite at 40% vol it didn't do a lot to our taste buds other than repulse them. Mine (cherry) tasted like neat vodka; Lizzie's has a hint of raspberry at least. You can keep your Palinka. Lisa's lasagne seems to be missing pasta, Lizzie enjoys her pasta and Els enjoys a pizza. I have a salad with steak which is decent enough.

Palinka is a stinker

After this me and Liz go Geocaching while the other two go back. We struggle to locate any of a decent size, but there is one over the river which we get to by train and tram. There's lots of stairs, and we can't find it. Saw a nice waterfall tho. Look for another - too busy. Go back across river and locate one behind a sign. Finally a result!

Walking back towards hotel

Tram Fam

Waterfall, obvs.

Bridge, obvs

We get back to hotel about 8:30 and I print boarding passes out in lobby. We have to check out by 11am tomorrow, but they will keep cases in a room after that. I guess we'll find a breakfast place and maybe some gift shopping then head off to airport about 13:30.

See you on the other side. Think we're due to land about 19:30, but we have baggage so @Stu will keep you posted.