In summary, we took a long walk

It is not 5am now, so yes, I slept better and I am not as snappy.

The second (or third, depending on how you see it) was rather hectic, marked by a day of walking and walking and more walking.

In the morning, we set off to look for a Catholic church so that we could attend Mass. After all, it was Sunday.

It is something that I often do while traveling.

The good thing about traveling with R (amidst other good things, of course..^ ^) is that he will also want to look for a church to attend Mass and to pray. So yes, in a sense, I don't have to worry too much about needing "time-off" to do my own things should I be traveling with another companion.

Anyhow, after a quiet 20min walk, we reached the church at 705am to learn that Mass has just started. The Masses on Sunday were all in Hungarian. The English one was already over.

So we went into the Church. I must imagine it must have seemed rather odd, two Asian faces amidst a scattered lot of Angmohs, obviously not reciting anything (because we don't know Hungarian!).

Frankly speaking, while it was not difficult to follow per se (after all, the Catholic Church is universal-all parts of the Mass are standard), it was difficult to connect. I couldn't finish reciting the Apostles' Creed because halfway, I got drowned among the mutters of the Hungarians. The only syllable that we could resonate with the rest was, obviously, Amen!

We set off for the Free Walking Tours after heading back to the hostel for breakfast. Breakfast is simple-bread, milk, coffee and tea, cereals, orange juice. The variety is not much but I guess it is sufficient.

With the Walking Tours (yes, it is free; I wouldn't have imagined such a venture taking off in Singapore because no one would bother to pay any tips but here, it is different), we explored Buda and Pest and the Castle District, all within four hours. It was a quick overview about the things to take note of, and the things to do while in Budapest.

We subsequently explored a bit of the Castle district and had a gigantic Hungarian dinner. (Please tell me if I have put on weight when I get back; I can take the truth!) I had some trouble walking back because I was still zonked out. Three-quarters of the time, I was lumbering in a slumber with my eyes half open (and my mind half-awake).

Anyhow, if you ever want to come to Budapest, do consider my current hostel. (Note the bold). No, it is not as comfortable as a hotel but it is in a good location. It is central enough for you to walk around and explore reasonably. Be prepared about taking hot showers though. Half the time, you will be frustrated and wonder if you should tell the management about the tap which seems to be faulty.