So here is a quick update... After the last update, I wandered the heck out of Budapest, going all over central Pest and even up around Buda, getting some incredible views. I decided that my family must be distantly magyar, as their first christian king (St. Stephen) looks an awful lot like dad - even similar crowns ;) At any rate, got decidedly hungry and ate chinese before taking a quick stop by the operetta and hungarian puppet theatre. Went back to the hostel and chatted with the Holland girl that was in my dorm.

This morning, I slept in a bit before heading to the meeting point for an 'absolute walking tour' that was about 4-5 hrs all in all. Ended up just being 3 americans, 2 canadians, and 1 irish girl. I now know why January is the low season in Budapest. At any rate, we started off in hero's square with a fast and hard lesson on Hungarian and Magyar history from 896 till the present day. I'm going to know tons of random info by the time i get back... Walked around the city park, checked out the nearby baths... wish i had had time to go back to them but everything shutsdown early on weekends. Headed around the main sights (st stephens basilica, the orthodox synagogue, crazy amounts of architecture) in central pest before walking across the chain bridge and up to buda. It was great to finally know what i looked at last night. Ended up at Matthias church where I quasi led one american, one canadian, and the irish girls all to the labyrinth under the hill. It was originally formed from all the hot spring action, used during the war, and recently renovated. We got a kick out of it. Too bad so many side passages were roped off. Mom - you would've absolutely loved it - all about finding oneself in the labyrinth of prehistory and history. They even have a 'personal labyrinth' you can do at night, in the dark, by yourself, focusing on following a string. The canadian, Marina, and I rode black on the bus back into town. Other then that i've just been drying off, spending the last $5 in forints, and tasting unicum as recommended to all of us by our tour guide. It's some sort of herbal liquor you take as a shot. Tastes like medicine, so hopefully it'll keep me healthy! Well, I'm just wasting forints now... I should go back and get to Kelenti station.