Budapest, Hungary

Most of Budapest was closed today for the Mayday holiday. There is a music festival at the park this evening and I am about to head that way to check it out. Pretty much everyone from the hostel is already there or leaving now. I expect it will be a good time. Tomorrow I want to go out and explore the city a bit and perhaps do the thermal bath. They also arrange caving trips for only about 10 euro which might be worth checking out. I wasn't aware but Hungary has some of the greatest caves around... created via the steaming uproar of the thermal baths.
Hungary is a nice city and very, very inexpensive. I have only, thus far, been in Pest. But I plan on checking out Buda tomorrow. The city is separated by the river into the two distinctly different sections. Most of the nightlife exists here, in the newest section of the city while Pest is a trip back to the old city and retains many of the statues and monuments of its previous existence behind the iron curtain.
I will probably stay another 2 nights and then head out for Poland or Prague. I'm not sure I can work them both in. The concentration camp is another 8 hours from Prague and as much as I want to see it, it may be too much to pack into the tail end of my trip. I'll probably see if there is some way I can work in at least getting there for the day to see the camp and then heading right off for Prague afterwards. It all depends on the train schedules really. The trains aren't as frequent or well-connected in Eastern Europe as they are in Western Europe so travel takes a bit more planning than just hopping on a train and figuring out where you're going afterwards. In addition to that my East Europe pass is limited to 5 travel days as opposed to the consecutive pass I had for the previous month of my journey.

Budapest, Hungary

Arrived in Budapest early this afternoon. Ended up at the Station Guest House hostel which is phenomenal. The vibe running through the place is unmatched thus far throughout my trip. And at only 10 euro per night, including a hot breakfast, it simply can not be beat. Already have met some great people and have gotten great recommendations about what to do in the city and how to spend my time here. I want to make sure I at least check out the famous thermal baths of Hungary and have some authentic Hungarian goulash. But dinner tonight was really great and only about 9 euro for stuffed mushrooms (which were almost a meal within themselves), pasta in a cream sauce with smoked oysters and shrimp, beer and a cappuccino. In just a few short hours I find I am already more impressed with Hungary than I expected I would be, a pleasant surprise to be sure.

Vienna, Austria

Stayed an extra day in Vienna. Such a great city! Tonight I had probably the most authentic meal I have had my entire trip. I was just wandering around the area near the hostel taking a little walk when I happened upon a place in one of the back alleys. The prices on the outside board were really great so I went in. Mozart Struberl is an absolutely wonderful restaurant about a 5 minute walk from Wombat City Hostel. It is decorated with period pub furnishings and art and the menu sports a wide range of authentic Viennese dishes. I had a sausage dumpling with parsley potatoes and sauerkraut along with a beef-vegetable soup and a few pints of ale. The meal was fantastic and cheap as well. I can not recommend it enough.
Tomorrow I am going to head out to Budapest if all goes according to plan. I am going to head up to my room and pack then down to the hostel bar for a beer. I stopped at a deli and grabbed some ham and cheese and crackers for my train ride tomorrow. The ride to Budapest should be fairly short but I may decide to head right for Prague or even Poland instead. I will decide when I'm at the train station in the morning.
Vienna is most definitely a city to which I would return without any coaxing whatsoever.

Vienna, Austria

I am exploring the city today in my favorite fashion... I picked what looked like an interesting place from the metro station near the hostel and hopped aboard. I ended up at the cathedral in the city square and have just been wandering around the city from there. At present I am at the BigNet.Cafe cybercafe (€5.80 per hour, but a very nice setup). From here I will probably head out to the memorial where Mozart died before finishing his Requiem though I understand the house has long since been torn down and a department store now occupies the space with only a small plaque of remembrance. But it is near to where I am at the moment so I might as well make a short stop. An interesting thing as I was walking through the shops of the city... there is a memorial to President J.F. Kennedy, a large plaque with a profile in bronze though I was not able to discern the significance.
The hostel is a great place with a good nightlife and active bar and beer garden on the roof. The rooms are a decent size and spotlessly clean. Breakfast is €3 with a sparse but filling buffet.
I may head out to Salzburg in a bit and spend the afternoon there but will return to Vienna this evening. I am going to head to Budapest late tomorrow morning or early afternoon and spend a day or two there before heading off to Prague. I had considered going to Berlin tomorrow but there just is not time left on my Eurail pass. I am very content with what I have seen and the places I have been. Certainly there are a few places and cities I would have liked to visit that I was not able to get to but there is so much in Europe it is simply impossible to explore everywhere in only 6 weeks without short-changing most of the places I have been. I do not think I stayed too long in any one place nor do I feel as if my visits in others were too short.

Vienna, Austria

I just checked into my room at the Wombat City Hostel which seems to be a fine place. 15 Euro a night buys a bed in a 4-person mixed dorm including linen and a WC and shower in the room. There is a hostel bar and places to eat nearby. I will get a good night's sleep here and expect to have an enjoyable stay.

Vienna, Austria

When I woke up this morning I found myself unnaturally excited to hear people in the next train car speaking German. Though the dialect is very different I found I was still able to get my point across and have somewhat of a conversation with them. Upon arriving at the Vienna train station I stowed my pack and found a place to have a cup of coffee (how I miss the espresso of Italy already). I suspect I will try to acquaint myself with the city a bit and then try to find a place to stay.