The first quarter: A look back
I’ve been in Hungary for three full months now and a little surprised about that how fast time has passed - it feels like it was yesterday that I stepped out of that bus, even if I have already seen and experienced a lot.
So I want to look back at a three things here which might stop someone from going to Hungary for an extended amount of time and three things that might encourage someone to come here.
Three things that might stop you
Pit toilets
Not every area in Hungary has a fully functioning canalisation. Usually people use these places as summer homes and move to the city in the winter, but sometimes pit toilets are the easiest solution. We have them in our camp, too.
Outdoor-Showers
Like pit toilets, outdorr-showers are no rarity. They are not usually used in winter, but whoever is travelling a lot during the summer and sleeps in small villages won’t get out of using them at some point. We use them in the camp, too.
The Hungarian sense of time
This is something that hit me as a German especially hard, if I can put it like this. When you name a time for meeting up, half an hour waiting is not unusual before you even start to think about asking where the missing person is. “I’ll be there in five” can be anything between 5 and 45 minutes.
Three things that might delight you
The Hungarian sense of time
For me the change to this open sense of time was pretty difficult. I still tend to take time designations literal. But for some people this missing schedule-panic might be refreshing.
Public Transport
Maybe you’re surprised that I name this here. But the public transport network here really did surprise me positively. There are busses everywhere and even small villages still have a train station. And except for one time every train so far has been on time. Which is more than I can say about the Deusche Bahn.
Also travelling is super cheap here - I can travel from Vereb to Budapest with less than 2€, and it takes me not even 10€ to go to the other end of Hungary.
Do-it-yourself society
If the Hungarian people have a problem - no matter if it’s a broken door, a broken car or a roof that needs to be build - you first try it yourself before calling in a professional. If you don’t manage on your own or don’t know how to continue, you ask your friends or ackquaintances if they can help you out. It’s a mentality that grows on you and makes you grow together. And it’s surprising how much you learn about creative solution finding along the way.
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