Budapest Through A Drum Machine Lens: 20°C, Thirst Traps, And That One Ferry Ride To Hell

i arrived at 3” in the afternoon, suitcase whacked against the train like a tamborine. checked the weather on my shitty phone - 20.7°c, feels like they’re charging for the sun. dimitri, my airbnb neighbor, popped in with a “hey man, you gonna join us” vibe and muttered something about “rowdin” half-hungover. i told him i was dodging a date with that “authentic” budapest thermal bath everyone’s breathing down my neck.

things to know:
- humid. like, 53% humidity. your sweat’s trying to hitch a ride.
- pressure’s 1015. sounds like a baddie nickname. might explain why everyone’s acting like it’s “1999 again” at the ruin bars.
- drank a beer by the danube. poured it out. cold front, but the water’s hotter than my amp head.

turned out the “hearing sensitive spot” near vasár utca is actually a ghost town at 5”. walked past some ˝ancsás laundry line blaring eno, found a squat cafe-not the touristy kind, the “an’t complain” kind. someone there said the “free wifi” was a trap. weirdly accurate.

map because you’re probably lost:


photos i didn’t take (but wish i had):
- the schu-dependent lavatory in a ruin bar that’s actually just a dog’s lunchbox
- someone attempting “wine tasting” at a market with a hangover and a bucket

reviews? “the pizza was a existential crisis”, said a guy who didn’t like pepperoni. “yoga here’s a cult operation”, said a girl who did downward dog on a subway step.

pro tip: don’t trust anything labeled “ruin” unless it’s also labeled “costs more than your rent”. - franco, the guy who tried to haggle at a “street art gallery” and got banned from instagram.

walked past a “free hugs” guy. offered him a drumstick. he played along. we called it an “collaboration” and partied in the park.

i’m leaving tom. airbnb says “you’ve paused” here. feels like a grind track. see ya.

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• https://topiclo.com/post/udaipur-is-just-a-bunch-of-canals-and-people-who-hate-it