Finding Gems - Budapest, Hungary

Budapest was unanimously recommended to us as a cultural melting pot and foodie-friendly corner of the world. It's a large city, but can be easily be navigated via the quality public transportation system. Looking for a place to plant some roots, we booked a 10-day stay to determine what all of the hubbub was about. We hit the usual sites (Fisherman's Bastion, Hungarian National Parliament, St. Stephen's Cathedral, etc.), but also went off the beaten path with a caving expedition in a nearby national park, toured a WWII hospital, and a visited to the little known pinball museum/arcade.

The Caving Under Budapest tour was unlike anything we've ever done. The cave's air was thick with dust as we crawled and climbed our way through spots we wouldn't have thought possible. We pushed our boundaries during this incredible excursion, and our knees and elbows paid the price the next day when they revealed a few impressive bruises accompanied by aches and pains from muscles we don't usually exercise. We checked caving off of our bucket list and anticipate that our next underground experience will occur in a slightly more sedate venue, a wine cellar.

We also toured the surreal underground Hospital in the Rock, a WWII medical facility and bomb shelter. Built to accommodate 60 people, it ended up housing over 600 individuals during the wartime invasion of Budapest. Both of us detected a scent similar to formaldehyde in the musty air in this inherently eerie place. While educational, we found ourselves ready to reach the one-hour tour's end so we could get some fresh air and seek out a merrier venue.

Where does one turn when seeking the merriest venue of all? For us, it was the Flippergaléria Pinball Museum. During our casual exploration of the city we stumbled upon this side-street gem, home to over 130 pinball machines dating back to the 1930s. All of them are functional and unlimited play is included in the modest admission price. We had a blast in this pinball time warp and recommend it as the perfect distraction from the more recognized sights.

We were delighted to find Budapest as the incredible city everyone described with its historical architecture, restaurants and Sörözős offering fresh food and incredible local wine, and especially those little gems that haven't quite been discovered by the sightseeing masses.

Pearl Harbor

Waterfront Memorial with the USS Bowfin submarine in the background

Moving…Memorable…Peaceful - These are the words that describe our trip to Pearl Harbor’s portion of the Pacific National Monument, in particular, the USS Arizona Memorial.  The national park is configured well, providing a variety of sites and experiences that are free of charge supplemented by for-purchase packages to historic treasures such as the USS Bowfin submarine, the Battleship Missouri, and the Pacific Aviation Museum.

We arrived around 1:00 PM and located convenient on-site parking.  The park doesn’t allow any “items that offer concealment” including handbags, fanny packs, backpacks, camera bags, etc.  Once we figured this out, Jenn returned to the car where she stored her purse in the trunk.  Alternatively, personal items can be stored on-site for a $3 charge.

Upon entry into the park we inquired about our options and were handed two free tickets to the 3 PM tour of the USS Arizona.  We occupied our few hours of free time prior to the tour by exploring the grounds containing lovely monuments to fallen heroes as well as survivors of the December 7^th, 1941 attacks.  We also learned about history in the open air museums which described how “a date which will live in infamy” started WWII.  Lastly, we explored a variety of submarine and artillery items that were on display.

The time passed quickly and before we knew it the tour was ready to start.  After watching an informative 30 minute film, we boarded a US Navy operated boat that shuttled us to the USS Arizona’s resting place.  It is a beautiful memorial to the fallen; the ship below, fish swimming and nesting on it, a flag flying overhead, and the names on the wall dedicated “To the memory of the gallant men here entombed and their shipmates who gave their lives in action on December 7, 1941 on the USS Arizona.”  It was quite moving.

If you find yourself on Oahu, reserve a little time to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country by making an educational, yet moving visit to Pearl Harbor.  You’ll be glad you did.