Transiting In Budapest

The call from the travel agent was quite late yesterday. The message was that Air France was going on strike from midnight onwards. As I would be flying on that carrier the next day and transiting at CDG Paris, I was advised to change my flight. So the option was given - the best one was using Malev Airline (first time I heard this airline!) via East Europe. I asked if the airline has been approved by the company safety-wise and the answer was YES. I also asked around my colleagues if they have used that carrier before - YEEH... the airline that normally you travel with pigs and chickens onboard! The least assuring answer.

Anyway I took the option. The detail was a bit blurry. I thought I was flying on this M Airline to Sofia in Bulgaria before catching another flight to Amsterdam. Only realised that I was actually flying to Budapest in Hungary when I lined up to board the plane. Well I only had 3 hours sleep prior before being sent to the airport at 2 am to catch the flight at 4 am. And at the airport somebody did the leg work for me, getting my passport sorted out, my luggage checked-in and my exit visa done. I felt embarassed though as the airport was crowded and obviously this guy cut the queue and straight to the front desk (he got the necessary badge which comes with authority obviously).

I know a bit of Bulgaria - it was part of the Ottoman Empire for some 500 years before it got its independence and so has some Muslim population, although suppressed during the communist rule. Hungary - almost zero knowledge - apart from that there is a Formula One race held there every year called the Hungaroring. Looking at Wiki just now, found out that Hungary was one of the 15 most popular tourist destinations in the world in the past decade, with the capital Budapest regarded as one of the most beautiful in the world. The country is home to the second largest thermal lake in the world. And in fact there are over 100 natural thermal wells in the city to feed the many spas there which it is famous for. The most famous contribution of Hungary to the world is the famous square Rubik. It is the amongst the newest member of the European union when it joined in 2004. It is now going through a fast catch up programme to allign with the economy of the rest of the EU, heavily subsidised and helped by the other members which is obviously the attraction to seek EU membership for all the ex-communist countries in Eastern Europe. The membership also helps to reform a lot of things such as politics, administrations, legislation, economy etc.

I am back home now. The plane was good and the Budapest airport was quite modern.