Budapest Diary - Day 11

“Lightning does not strike at the same place twice” I pointed out the Pragati. She just scoffed at it. I was referring to her comment that she expected me to be late for breakfast today also. But as I have always said, traditionally, I am always on time to eat. “Without our traditions our lives would be as shaky as, as... as a fiddler on the roof!”

Well, crossing the road is always a shaky affair for me – be it in Bangalore or be it in Budapest. Over here, we have to wait for the walking signal to turn green before we can cross the road, and Pragati had perfected the practice of crossing the road on a red signal. Today was no different for her, but I was left standing on the wrong side, and there she was, laughing at me from across the road, for running back and waiting for the green signal. Once inside the metro, she confessed that she was going to miss the train rides to the office. I consoled her with the fact that soon we will have our own metro in Bangalore. “Yeah, Bees Saal Baad (In another 20 years)”: she quipped.

We had a lengthy discussion about our trip back, with Pragati insisting that I help her with her baggage, and carry some of her luggage:

“You’ll never have 20 kg to carry” she argued.
I protested that I still have my Hungarian dolls to buy.
“I know you will never buy those” she retorted back (under-estimating someone is very dangerous)
“Fine” I replied “But if I find that I don’t have space in my baggage, I might leave it behind”
She looked shocked
“Don’t worry," I said "I’ll put an entry in the Labs India Bulletin Board - if anybody is traveling to Budapest and staying in Hotel Ibis Aero Room 308, please pick up some luggage I have left behind”

You can guess what her response would have been.

In the evening, we decided to go on a cruise on the Danube. On the way, we ran into an old gentleman, who seemed to be excited to meet us.

Him: “Excuse me, you’re from India?”
Us: “Yes”
Him: “Where in India?”
Us: “Bangalore”
Him: “Where is that? Madhya Pradesh” (Huh??)
Us: “No. In South India”
Him: “Ah! Maharashtra?” (!!!)
Us: “No. Karnataka”
Him: Said a lot about Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Hindus, Dravidian Languages and a lot of things, but nothing about Bangalore, and finally wished us “Namaste”. And I thought Bangalore was the new face of India.

The cruise boat was on Pier 8, in front of the Marriott Hotel. “Should be just around the corner” said Pragati, and we started walking. Needless to say, by the time we reached Pier 8, she was exhausted from walking. The cruise was only for an hour, with the lady guide explaining the history of the buildings and the bridges. I remember that she talked something about Margaret (after whom the Island and the Bridge were named), a lot about the medicinal baths in Budapest, the history of the liberty statue, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and how, sadly, most of the families in Hungary cannot afford paid education. It was informative but I just wish her English was more legible…

On the banks of the river were tied various kinds of boats and cruise ships. There was even one which was modeled on a Mississippi steamboat. Some of these ships even act as hotels with their own restaurants and casinos. We could have stayed in one of these, we wondered. Maybe next time ;)

Pic of the day: If only time stood still...