Arriving in Budapest on Sunday was a small adventure in itself. We had spent the morning in Vienna, and caught the train to Budapest, getting us into Budapest mid-afternoon. The journey in itself provided plenty of sights – the massive wind farms are a sight, and the border crossing gave us some more passport stamps. We arrived in Budapest at the Kelenföldi station, situated on the outskirts of the city. From there we had to switch to another train to take us to Deli station, one of the main three stations in the inner city. From Deli, it was on to Moszkva Ter, where we came back above-ground to catch a bus to the far western side of Buda where the conference was held.

All in all, a fun exercise with lots of exercise from lugging our packs around. We knew we very obviously appeared as tourists, and if nothing else, our lack of Hungarian would have topped it off. It’s a funny feeling, walking through a public place when you have no way of blending in and simply observing. Instead, you become the observed. We tried for the ‘know-where-we’re-going’ look, in so much as we walked quickly, even if it was in the wrong direction (as it often was).

A note for potential travellers to Budapest. The metro system is fast, frequent and relatively efficient. It is also fairly old (the trains are fantastic – they still have bakelite interiors). It’s important though, to make sure you get the right tickets and make sure they’re valid. As we were in Budapest for a week, we bought a 7 day pass. The ticket seller spoke no english, and only bare german. It was only with the german that we could make ourselves understood, and it was the first impression we had of Budapestians – and it wasn’t great. We found as the week progressed though that in general they’re friendly people. If you’re travelling on the metro system, ensure that your pass is dated (ie validated), particularly if you purchase a single day pass. There are often men standing at the exits to the metro stations, checking tickets. They are not in any sort of recognisable uniform, but will check your tickets nonetheless, and have the power to fine you on the spot.