Trouble in Budapest

I only got to Budapest, birthplace of my grandmother, Dad's mom, because of the kindness of a school teacher who was traveling from Vienna on the same train as I. When I told her I was going to Budapest, she rescued me by telling me I was on the wrong train, and going in the wrong direction.

She took me off the train and accompanied me to a bus, which took us to the correct train, most of the time reading a book.

I believe I was so traumatized by the situation that I do not remember our conversation that September day in the year 2000.

Upon arriving in Budapest she took me to a cab station at the central Budapest train terminal, where I could get a ride to my downtown hotel.

She then held my hands,

looked me in the eyes

and said

“IN THE CURRENT SITUTATION, BUDAPEST CAN BE A VERY DANGEROUS PLACE. DON'T SHOW YOUR MONEY AND BE CAREFUL.”

She then left to continue her trip.

When I got to the old hotel in downtown Pest, near the Danube, the clerk informed me that due to International Cart Races going on that week, my room was given to someone else. However, they had made arrangements for me to stay the first day, across the river in Buda.

It was a modern structure with a tree-filled park across the street, where I enjoyed a fine evening of European big band pop music in a outdoor amphitheater. It was wonderful evening.

On the fourth day of visiting Pest, I went to a Sunday evening church service to look at the cathedral, then slowly walked down one of the large avenues near the Danube. There were not many people around Sunday at twilight.

Suddenly, ten feet in front of me two very tall young women probably in their twenties appeared. One had lost her shoe, and they were laughing about it. In very good English they greeted me and we talked a bit. Looking at these Budapest girls I wondered how any man would leave there. They then suggested to me it was time for dinner and asked if I would like to join them. I DID.

The restaurant I remember was on a side street 90 degrees from the Danube, with a glass elevator going up to its entrance.

Not many customers – the cart races were over. We had dinner and some special drinks the girls introduced me to. After dinner and some dancing, one of the girls left to get her car, and the other asked me to meet her the following morning at a subway entrance at nine a.m. for some sightseeing.

When the waiter brought me the check, I couldn’t tell for sure the amount due to money exchange rates, but it looked like six hundred and twenty dollars American. I said no way and told him I only had one hundred and fifty dollars with me.

I soon had a man on each arm taking me down the glass elevator to the street, and dragged me to a ATM machine were they told me to take out six hundred and twenty dollars. It was a lot of bills I remember.

They left.

I walked back to my hotel quickly, to plead my case . The desk attendants were very calm and polite as they explained to me, there is nothing that can be done, DUE TO THE CURRENT SITUTATION.

I thought about that

THE AUSTRIAN HAPSBERGS

THE PRUSSIAN KAISERS

THE GERMAN NAZIS

THE COMMUNIST RUSSIANS

AND NOW THE CURRENT SITUTATION

It makes sense.

Footnote: I don’t know who was in power there, but it made me glad to live in a place where at least you can ask for help from the police. It also makes me think about the young women who went so far out of her way to help me and I lost her mail address which she gave me, and I NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO THANK HER.