Be ‘Happy In Hungary’, please!

Budapest is one of my favourite cities in the world. It has the perfect balance in every aspect:

• excellent train/bus/plane connections to and from most major cities in Europe (but far enough away that not everyone goes there
• beautiful architecture
• amazing food; whether you’re looking for some cheaper street food, or a high end restaurant. It has it all.
• TONS of activities. Whether you want history, sightseeing, wine/beer tours, palaces, museums, live music, nightlife. You would find it nearly impossible to be bored in Budapest.
• The people are genuinely friendly. They aren’t yet jaded by tourism, and they still want visitors to feel welcome in their city.
• Good or bad, English is getting more common, especially in the city. When I first visited in 2013, I had a hard time finding people that spoke English. When I went back in 2015, the people in the tourist districts definitely spoke it, as did most restaurant servers, shop keepers, etc. The young people are much more likely to have some knowledge.

The first time I went to Budapest, it was during the flood in the summer. I had arrived from an overnight bus, and was exhausted. It was hot, even at 7am. My bag was heavy. I was definitely not in the ideal ‘greet a new city’ mood. I took the subway to get to my hostel, however, the station I needed was closed, due to flooding, and when I got off at the next stop, I was at least a mile away from my destination. Never-the-less, I decided to try and walk, even with my hulking backpack (this was before my carry-on transformation).

I approached a friendly-looking restaurant for directions, as my map app hadn’t yet figured out that I was in Budapest, and I had little idea where I was, or even what direction to head. Unfortunately the server working that early didn’t speak much (read: any) English. I gave him the address I was looking for and he seemed to be familiar with it. He quickly drew a little map on the napkin, gave me a thumbs up/question, and I went on my way.

I walked for about an hour, definitely pretty lost. Around this time, I recognized my surroundings, and realized I had walked in a giant, miserable, circle. I passed the same restaurant. The waiter was outside on break and when he recognized me, he started to laugh and shake his head (not in a mean way…but definitely depressing!)

He then came over to me, and took my hand and led me away from the restaurant.

Deciding that it was the middle of the morning, and that I could probably trust him not to lead me down a dark alley, I allowed myself to be led. I figured he would take me to a main street and then point me in my correct direction.

Ten minutes of walking later, he pointed to a sign I hadn’t even noticed. He had walked me to the door of my hostel. I was so excited and happy and thrilled that I almost started to cry. I couldn’t believe the generosity. He had probably used up his entire break, or more, and taken pity on a poor stranger visiting this foreign land. He gave me an awkward hug, managed an ‘all ok now?’ and ‘happy in Hungary please’, and then went on his way.

I will always strive to be ‘happy in Hungary’. But really it isn’t that hard, especially with locals like this!

What random acts of kindness have locals done for you in your travels?