Out & About in Budapest

My roommate from the workshop, Jill, is also my roommate in Budapest. We went out to do some sightseeing today. 

The steep escalator for the metro. (Side note: I have an aversion to heights, small spaces and steps that won't hold the heck still when I try to get on...this escalator hits all of those in one fell swoop.)

Metro tunnel

We went to the thermal baths after we spent some time shopping and had lunch in the market. I didn't take photos in there. It was very crowded. Picture vendor booths lining both sides of endless rows inside a two level building and tons of people all squished together trying to walk down them. 

We crossed this bridge to get to the baths. 

The bridge is very ornate. And green. 

The building that houses the thermal baths. 

More bridge-so green.

Castle carved into the rocks. 

Entrance to the baths. 

I have one photo of the outside pool at the baths. It is a wave pool and is a little bit lower than body temp. I don't have any other pics of the baths because I didn't want to get my camera wet or lose it, sorry. But, there are several different pools. There is this one with the waves and a thermal pool outside. Inside, there is a swimming pool, a hot pool, a warm pool and a cold pool.  There might be more, but that is all we went in. It was very relaxing. 

Waterfall fountain over the pool area.

When you enter the baths, you pay and are issued what looks like a plastic watch.  You have to place it on a scanner to get in and drop it in a box to get out. The watch also tells you your locker or cabin (changing room) number when you scan it. 

Windows in the thermal bath building. 

And the ceiling.

And the tiles. 

Not sure what this is. It is outside the thermal bath building. 

Back in the metro. 

Cafe with wifi called California Coffee. I tried to use Romanian change to buy a Coke here. The young girl behind the counter giggled and picked out the proper coins from my hand. 

Basilica 

Sign in the square near the Basilica. 

The elevator in our hostel. It's old and slow, but it sure beats hefting luggage up 6 flights of stairs. 

Our room. (messy and lived in.)

Sign above the door in our room. This building houses film students the rest of the year and I think they left this. 

Wash area. 

Common area for our floor. 

Kitchen for our floor. 

The loo. 

There are two windows in between the toilet room and the shower room, but you would have to be a major contortionist and 8 feet tall to be able to see through them. 

Shower room. Not glorious, but it is clean. There was a lady cleaning and mopping this morning when I left our room. 

The stairs. 

  

View into our room. We have a small balcony that lets in a nice breeze. It's not the Hilton and it's a little dated, but the hostel is clean and functional. We are really only sleeping here anyway.