Hungarian Surprise

Budapest, Hungary is nothing like I expected it to be. Having some of the old imagery and stereotypes in my mind about Eastern Europe, and the old Soviet bloc countries; I was expecting a run down, desolate, inefficient airport. I expected the countryside to be much of the same. It turns out that I was pleasantly surprised. The airport was very modern and clean, and the people helpful and friendly. It was quite late when we arrived, but finding a taxi was no problem, as they have a system set up where you can go to a little booth and order one. You receive a ticket with the taxi number on it, so you know which one is yours when they arrive. Even at that hour of the night, it only took less than 10 minutes for the driver to get there. We arrived at the hotel, which was only a short drive from the airport, and the desk clerk was waiting for us. The inn was very clean and comfortable, with a very reasonable mini bar as well which included mineral water, soft drinks, beer, nuts and chocolate bars. The next morning we explored the grounds of the inn. The surroundings were very green, with fruit trees and evergreens all around. There was a little play area for the children, along with picnic tables for outdoor dining. All in all, we had a very comfortable stay and look forward to visiting Budapest again, for a longer visit next time.