The Zike-Bike Diaries: Budapest (again)

So you might remember that in a previous post I told you that driving times in Romania are always longer than expected. Oh, you forgot about this fact? Well then, you deserve the misery you feel when you realize a 7 hour road trip does not take 7 hours. Honestly, do you think I just write stuff to fill space? I warned you. I even helped with the math.
But for future reference I will give you the exact number by which you should multiply: 1.357142857144611324541963...it's kind of like $π$ , it just goes on forever and only the criminally insane memorize it beyond the 28th digit.
You need to trust this number. It will take into account the time you will spend when you get a speeding ticket. Also the time you spend while arguing with the officer regarding the legitimacy of the speeding ticket. Also the time you will spend driving to the nearest village and finding the mayor's office where you can pay for the speeding ticket because the police officer who issues it will not have any change so that you can pay for the speeding ticket on the spot. Also the time you will spend at the mayor's office waiting in line behind a man who is trying to pay to register his horse drawn wagon while you are trying to pay for your speeding ticket. Also the time it will take for you to stop and pee, even if you have an overactive bladder. It's a good number. Trust it. It works.
And you'll get there. Really. You will.

And then when you arrive you will get to walk off all of the long-drive induced malaise and see stuff like this:

ser·en·dip·i·ty noun desirable chance discovery
Serendipity: my cousin Tali happens to be in Vienna at the same time we are planning our trip to Budapest with my folks. And Vienna is only a three hour train ride from Budapest. Serendipity.
(No, you don't have to use the number because you aren't traveling on Romanian roads. People, please pay attention.)

Our third trip to Budapest and we finally do the baths (remember I said don't ever follow my travel advice because do you want to have to visit the same place three times before you see one of its most important sights? No.) They are just about the coolest places I've ever seen even if the customer service rivals what you get in Romania. But who cares when you're in a place like this:

Sadly, the lessons of the aged Barcelonians have not stayed with me. I know this because its hard to find a towel at these baths and what are you wearing while you walk around trying to find one? Your bathing suit (you thought I was going to say nothing?) and to walk around in your bathing suit with no anxiety requires a self-confidence and nonchalance which I do not possess. At least not while I am clad only in the spandex equivalent of my underwear. I know, I don't even have the decency to have an insecurity that is original. Just another Western woman complaining I look fat and flabby. Sorry. But once covered by water it was awesome, huh?

When we weren't exposing our flesh in front of uninterested strangers, we were seeing and doing other cool things. We were visiting Memento Park; a memorial to the tragedy that was communism which provides such vital lessons to remember that government officials were sure to place this park strategically outside of the city and in the middle of nowhere. You have to take the metro, tram and bus just to get there. But we are the indomitable Ionescus (and co.) and we are not so easily put off by either the requirement of multiple modes of transport nor pouring rain.
Actually it was kind of a cool place.