Budapest Hungary Travel Diary
July 1997

Teaching Mission to Budapest, Hungary
NOBTS Partnership with International Baptist Lay Academy
Don H. and Mona D. Stewart
July 3-22, 1997

An early morning flight...

An early morning flight from New Orleans to Atlanta seemed best for staging the trip to Budapest, Hungary on Thursday, July 3, 1997. The regular 3:55 p.m. Delta direct flight to Budapest was comfortably boarded after a five hour lay over reading, purchasing a small amount of Hungarian Forints in case needed upon arrival in Budapest, watching people, a favorite airport pastime, and eating Chinese in the attractive Food Mall in the center of Concourse E, the location of international departures from Hartsfield.

For the three week trip, Mona and I had packed as lightly as possible, having purchased new matching green canvas heavy duty 2311 carry-ons with wheels and retractable handles, which had matching tote bags designed for laptops, files, books, office supplies, and space for some added personal items. These four pieces were easily managed on and off the 757 from New Orleans and the L-1011 from Atlanta to Stuttgart, Germany, and on to Budapest. Though the ground time in Stuttgart is over one hour, continuing passengers are not allow to exit the plane during servicing. Separate boarding passes had been issued for the final leg of the journey, so agents came on the plane and took those boarding passes in Stuttgart.

In addition to the four carry-ons, we packed one large three-suiter hard-sided suitcase which was checked through to Budapest with a box of library supplies secured and packed by the John T. Christian Library Staff under the direction of Dr. Harry Eskew, Music Librarian, who had helped set up the library at the International Baptist Lay Academy three years before. At that time, the campus was moved from Budapest to Szicretszentmiklos, a 20,000 population bedroom community south of Budapest on a large island in the Danube River.

The two items which were checked through from New Orleans to Budapest arrived with us, none the worse for wear. In addition to clothes for both of us, we carried a number of important resource books for the course in The Interioretation and Communication of Scrilpture. All but two of those books were donated to the IBLA Library at the end of our teaching tenure. The space they had occupied left more than enough room
for packing the few souveniers we purchased in small shops in Budapest and Szentendry in Hungary, and Vienna in Austria.

Visas were not required for Hungary, or for any of the Central and Eastern European countries which provide primary side excursions from Hungary. Though none of the countries around Hungary require visas, they all require that each visitor carryhis or her USA Passport at all times. The Passport is needed for identification at border check points when moving from one country to another, for exchanging US Dollars for national currencies at banks and official exchange offices, for making travel arrangements, buying rail passes, or making reservations in some hotels. Except when needed for such occasions, the Passport should be kept securely inside a carrying bag with a strap around waist, arm, or shoulder and under conscious control at all times.

We arrived at the Budapest Airport #2 on Friday, July 4, not a holiday for celebration in Hungary. Of interest is the fact that Budapest is building a third airport because of the economic growth in progress. Most major foreign businesses operating regularly in Europe are establishing Budapest as an operational center because the economics are so favorable and the business infrastructure (communications/transportation/banking/housing/health/education/labor/
dependable energy systems/tax structures) is stronger than nearly every other locale. For instance, one (1) US Dollar purchased approximately 185 Forints when we were in Hungary.

Culture shock

The Assistant Director of IBLA, met us and transported us to Szigetszentmiklos (Village of St. Michael) where he saw us comfortably settled in our quarters in a large suite in the Kollegiu3n, a dormitory for the Gynmasium, a well known boarding high school in central Hungary. IBLA rents rooms and purchases cafeteria tickets for students and faculty alike, as needed, from the high school during its abbreviated summer session, a time when that institution can accomodate IBLA personnel.

Though no one at the Gynmasium or the Kollegium spoke English, as was true of nearly all the people in Szigetszentmiklos, we had no real difficulty in managing to get around and attend to the limited kinds of business required in our three week stay. For instance, on Saturday morning, July 5, 1997, I walked to a small watch shop to get a new battery for my Seiko. No problem. The battery that would have cost me between $5.00 and $10.00 in the US cost me $2.80, including what appeared to me to be a careful inspection and gentle cleaning by an expert watch repairman who understood me and my need even though he spoke not one word of English to me.

Pickpockets are rampant in Budapest. Some are in other touristy
locations in Central and Eastern Europe. Caution should be exercised in caring for official documents, airplane tickets, money, etc. One would be wise to carry several extra passport type photos and copies of expired Passports or Birth Certificates in the event that required documents are stolen. Such documents are as valuable as the money or the plane tickets. The US Embassy can replace the Passport more easily with the pictures and backup documents) in hand. Extended Transit Passes and Rail Passes often require a passport type photograph. One of the extra pictures will be required in Budapest, for instance, for the economical two or four week extended transit passes. These passes cover the HEV (commuter trains), the trams (street cars) and the busses.

Our purpose in Budapest...

On the first trip we made into Budapest, Saturday, July 5, Mary
Simmons, our Missionary Hostess, warned of the runaway thievery. After being observed as tourists while we were purchasing transit passes at one of the offices in the underground, a nice looking, well dressed group of young men tried to pick my pocket, without success, thank the Lord. I had a large portion of our Hungarian Forints and some credit cards in that pocket. That event underscored the legitimacy of the warning which had been given. Another member of our teaching team, Dr. Kaylene Barbe, from Oklahoma Baptist University, did have her pocket picked when she was surrounded by a crowd of pickpockets on the underground. They work in teams to distract their targets. Fortunately, they only stole some incidental receipts, no money or documents.

Our primary purpose was to work with 25 bright young adult students, lay people from churches in ten (10) Central and Eastern European countries, formerly Communist Block Countries, like Serbia, Croatia, Macedonia, Hungary, Romania, Georgia, and Ukraine. They spoke seven different languages as their primary means of communication. All spoke English, the language that is the accepted international means of communicating today, so it was possible for us to participate in this outstanding educational ministry even though we did not speak any of the slavic languages these capable lay leaders spoke.

Some of these young adults are the nearest thing their small (for the most part) churches have as pastoral leaders, though none of them are ordained ministers. Mona and I believe that some will be, giving the Lord a little time to work with their hearts and minds as they continue serving. One was a Cardiologist in the Ukraine, a young lady 28 years of age. Two were Engineers. Several others were university trained. Others had had opportunity for no more than a high school education.
All were highly motivated and open to learning.

I made nine (9) trips into Budapest. Mona made only seven (7). Two of those I made were to handle business related to a side trip to Vienna, Austria, and our return trip to the US on Tuesday, July 22, 1997. One evening we went to see the lights of the Chain Bridge and Budapest at Night. None of my night pictures came out. Take my word for it, however, Capitol Hill and St. Michaels Church were beautiful at night, a sight worth traveling to Budapest to see. One night we went to the Buda Concert Hall for the Hungarian Folk Ensemble and were enthralled with the wonderful expression of Hungarian tradition and culture shared by that group of world renowned artists. By the way, as an aside, the flood waters from the torrential rains in Europe raised the Danube to its highest level in recent history. The water was so high that the larger tour boats could not get under the bridges that connect the old city of Buda with the newer old city of Pesht. Neither could the boats conducting daily tours load passengers from the docks along the river. Their gangways were covered by the high water.

A Tourist's Paradise

The architecture in Budapest is fascinating. Every old building,
including offices, apartments, retail stores, churches, museums, concert halls, historic sites, and government buildings, was a singular work of art. I took pictures of the Parliament Building, one of the world famous landmark structures along the Danube on the Pesht side of the river. Across the street from that ornate structure was the Ethnic Museum in which are preserved the multi-ethnic historical records of the people of Hungary. The Freedom Lady, overlooking the city from the mountain on which sits the Citadel, the fortress from which many battles were fought in an effort at protecting the city of Buda and its people. Today, the Citadel contains a museum of its cities history as observed in the record of its many battles, a restaurant, and a hotel.

Views of the river, the two-sided city, the Citadel itself, and the Freedom Lady are a part of the pictorial account of our 1997 trip to Hungary. On the Pesht side of the River are pictures of one of the world largest indoor markets, the Museum of Natural History, the Jewish Synagogue and Museum, the Tony Curtis Monument to the Victims of the Holocaust I what remains of a Fortress Guarding the Ghetto, a small street in the Ghetto, and a few shots of St. Stephen's Basilica.

One day was spent in an excursion to Szentendry, an historic Serbian Village up the Danube from Budapest. Mona and I went wandering through the small brick streets of this hillside Serbian town, looking in churches and souvenir shops, visiting the Museum of St. Michaels Church, shopping at the Crafts Bazaar in the churchyard on the top of the mountain, eating Langos, a Hungarian pastry something like a large round biegnet with sour cream and cheese or jellies and jams with powdered sugar on them. They are delicious, so you know that they are not calorie-free. They are an Hungarian experience you do not want to miss, should your travels take you to Hungary.

A weekend excursion to Vienna on the "Fast Train," a comfortable 200 kmph electric air-conditioned train Saturday morning, July 19, 1997, got us to Vienna through beautiful farm land in both Hungary and Austria, through two ticket checks on the train and two Passport checks, as well, very efficiently conducted. The Keleti Train Station in Budapest is under repair and should be much more attractive and well kept in the future. The West Wein Station in Vienna is well appointed, well policed, and well staffed. At no time in Budapest or in Vienna did we feel endangered, at all. We did realize that we had to be sensitive to the pick pocket problem in Budapest. We were not alerted to that
problem in Vienna, and never felt that there was any reason to be more cautious than you would in any major population center around the world. The difference in the economy in Austria as compared to Hungary was obvious from the moment I exchanged US Dollars for Austrian Shillings. I got only ten (10) for one (1), not 185 for 1 as with the Hungarian Forint. Everything is expensive in Vienna. We were fortunate to get a reservation at the Privatezinmer, a kind of bed and breakfast, without the breakfast, next door to a beautiful Evangelical Lutheran Church where we attended worship Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m.

Sunday Mornin' Church

We went at 8:30 a.m., having seen their meeting times on the church sign, only to be informed by the kindly pastor of 13 years that the early service was discontinued during the summer. He also gave us a tour of the facilities, which were being renovated during the summer. Worship was held in the Chapel, attended by about 30-40 people, counting us. We do have a small Baptist Congregation in Vienna ' but Mona and I did not know how to get there, nor did we have time on such a short visit. Our return train to Budapest was at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday. We ate a delightful dinner in a Norwegian Seafood Restaurant on Saturday and walked the streets of Vienna for a while, in spite of strong wind, heavy rain, and unseasonably cold temperatures. Sunday morning we caught the underground and the tram that circles the Stephenplaz in the center of Vienna. We got off the tram and had breakfast at McDonald's and were impressed by the Jelly Bar, flavored coffee, croissants, bagels, donuts, and a beautiful view of a part of one of the world's most historic cities.

We then reboarded the tram and continued our cloudy tour, photographing a few of the major sites in the city, inclusive of churches, museums, theatres, and opera houses. Neither time nor weather cooperated with our limited schedule to allow more. Our encouragement is that you not try to do Vienna on a weekend. When its all you have, you go for it. otherwise, plan for more, however, and reap far greater rewards. By the way, the travel on the train for two people, inclusive of a private compartment on the return trip was just $107.00 US Dollars. The night at the Privatzimmer was only $55.00. Those minimal costs plus a few shillings for some souvenirs for children and grandchildren made our weekend in Vienna extremely economical.
Dr. Kaylene Barbe had gone to Vienna a day early on the same weekend as we and scheduled her return trip to Budapest on the same train. She joined us in our compartment for that trip even though her Eurorail Pass allowed her to ride in the First Class Car.
By the way, the agent at Carson-Wagonlit Tour Agency in Budapest was correct in suggesting the Second Class Compartment Car. It was as fine as First Class at half the price. At Keleti Station in Budapest we caught the Tram 24 just outside the station, rode it to the end of the line, and caught the Racheve HEV for the remainder of the trip to Szigetszentmiklos, arriving there about 5:30 p.m. in time to put out things in our room at Kollegium and go for Pizza for supper just a 15 minutes walk from the dorm. After a good night's sleep, we finished the breads, fruits, sweet rolls, and jellies we had purchased at neighborhood shops, and left for the day in Budapest, seeing places we had not visited before. Upon returning, Errol and Mary Simmons invited us out for dinner and a last time for fellowship, which we enjoyed immensely.

The Trip Home

At 8:00 a.m. the next morning our friend returned us to Airport #2 in Budapest, and we caught our 10:45 a.m. flight directly to Atlanta, with an intermediate stop in Stuttgart, Germany. Our flight into Atlanta and our flight from Atlanta to New Orleans were delayed. We should have been 1.5 hours early in Atlanta from Stuttgart, but the traffic backup made us a half hour late. Departures from Atlanta to the West were delayed two hours, so our daughter, Donna, and her husband and two sons from Slidell waited from 7:00 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. for our arrival. As a final aside, the Passport check and Customs in Budapest went smoothly, with only one question asked by the Agent. He wanted to know what was in the cardboard box in which we had library supplies for IBLA. When informed that we would be teaching a workshop there he flagged me on through and checked nothing in our luggage. Returning to Atlanta, the Passport check and Customs was handled in the same comfortable manner. Needless to say, our trip was profitable in the sense that a meaningful ministry was its primary focus, and from the perspective that Mona and I got to visit some historic sites in two attractive Central European countries. We are ready to go back when the opportunity presents itself again, hopefully, in the not too distant future.

Don and Mona Stewart
New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
New Orleans, Louisiana

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