Baths in Budapest

So...I got to admit, I didn't know much about Budapest before arrival. Just sounded like a cool place...old buildings, quaint streets, nice parks and gardens and less tourists than some other Eastern European cities. The city is broken up into two parts: Buda and Pest (pretty simple), split in two by the Danube river. It is a beautiful city, stunning in the morning and early evening with the river. A mix between old and new, reminding me of Pittsburgh in many ways.

I arrived around sunrise, which is the time when I normally arrive in cities after long 10+hr bus rides. The map I had was much better than the one I had in Venice and it was pretty easy to find the hostel. After dropping off my bags and having a quick walk around the city, I returned to the hostel and met the three other guys in my room: A Frenchman, an Aussie and an Englishman.

The Aussie, Hank, and I hit if off pretty well. He had been traveling for three months, mainly in Norway (so expensive), although he was coming from Macedonia (so cheap)....maybe that's why he was coming from Macedonia. He had a lot of good stories and great, great pictures of the Fjords in Norway. He worked in the movie industry in Australia, helping out with various films and the like.

Hank and I decided that we would hit up the "Baths" tomorrow. Baths? Yeah, baths. Budapest is known for its baths...ornate and beautiful buildings which contain a series of spas for relaxation and cleansing. When in Budapest, you have to go. It's like a water amusement park for adults, with a number of different baths at different temperatures, currents, jets, etc. There were not a lot of kids there, if any...mostly wrinkly, old, leathery men and women laying out and living it up for the day. I felt at times that I was watching the movie "Cocoon".

It was a strange and unique experience to say the least. Why were all of us at these baths? To experience new life, I guess. To have the grime of the city, the exhaustion of daily life or travel, the noise and pollution removed from us. To be made clean, to be purified and made whole again. It is crazy to think of these baths as a god, as a savior, but I think to many people they were, a place to come daily to receive new life.

It is easy to turn to "beautiful spas" after a long day. The spa is not the problem, it's the turning to the spa for help that always let you down. No matter how many times you go, you're always dirty. And yet, we often keep going, every day, scrubbing hard and faster trying to become clean. This is what it means to be addicted, and we have all been there.

I guess that going to the bath reminded me that I always need help...I know that is kinda weird to remember at a bath with a thousand wrinkly, old, leathery men and women, but that is what I was reminded. I need Someone to intervene on my behalf, need Someone to cleanse me for good, to be made whole and pure. I believe that Someone has come, and many of you believe this as well. This is exciting. And remember, next time you are in Budapest, you have to go to the Baths.

The Most Beautiful Bookstore in the World

After Rome, I took a train to Venice. I arrived around twilight; long shadows, sun glimmering off the water, houses lit up in a warm glow...beautiful. It was the weekend and although it was October, it was crowded. With a poor map in hand, I made my way across the first canal toward one of the hostels. After about 30 minutes of walking through the streets, getting lost, listening to a wine glass and water percussion performance, I made it to the hostel. Closed.

It was getting dark so I decided to keep moving to another hostel, located in a former monastery. ..cool huh. The hostel was a bit far away, but I thought I could pull it off. Did I mention I had a bad map? Man, I got lost. I mean I really got lost, would ask for directions and get lost again. After about another hour of walking in the dark, tired, hungry and thirsty, I finally made it to the hostel. Full.

I was at my wits end and not sure where to go. The receptionist at the hostel mentioned that the other hostels in Venice were also full. Bummer. Then she said, "But you might want to check out this bookstore around the corner". "Bookstore?", I said. "Yeah, sometimes the guy "rents" out some space in his bookstore/house" and she wished me well. Without many options, I made my way over to the bookstore.

The bookstore had a huge sign over it that said "The Most Beautiful Bookstore in the World". I was quickly met by the owner who gave me a tour of the bookstore with window view of the canal and a huge gondola filled with books in the middle of the store. It was a great, great shop...a bit chaotic, but beautiful and full of fun things. I asked him if he had any room for the night. He said he did (i gave a shout for joy on the inside) and I was slowly led through the bookstore and across the alley to another room that housed a ton of books and....beds. Eight of them to be exact, crammed together in the midst of all the books.

There were five girls from California crammed on four of the beds and three Polish girls on three of the beds and me. It was crazy. I couldn't believe this place. But, it worked and was cheap. The other travellers who were staying there were in a good mood as well, probably because of the absurdity of the whole thing. I grabbed some wine from the local shop, sold in 1.5L water bottles straight from the vat, went out with the Polish girls and grabbed some dinner. All in all, a great day. Not the day that I expected, but a great day.

Sometimes my expectations are very different than the reality I experience. Maybe this is true for you as well. This can be tough, adjusting to a new reality that maybe you didn't hope for or want. But I am learning to lean, and maybe not on my own understanding. And, in all my ways I'm trying to acknowledge Him. I've found that He does make paths straight, even paths through the crazy canals of Venice to the Most Beautiful Bookstore in the World.