We got up early to go over to the baths before they got completely packed, which later proved prudent since it got very busy indeed by the time we left around midday. I guess most of these were built in the Ottoman era, though there's nothing about the one we went to that looks especially Ottoman. I think it may have been remodeled following independence. It's actually a huge complex with a few huge outdoor pools and a ton of smaller indoor ones, all of differing temperatures. We explored the facilities for a few hours, going between the different pools and hopping in and out of different temperatures and saunas. We went in one sauna that was 94 centigrade (in other words, almost boiling) and found that we couldn't stay in there for very long. There was another sauna that they called a "salt inhalation chamber" and they weren't lying - there was a constant mist of saltwater that was impossible not to breathe. I don't really know why you'd want to do that but they seem pretty big on the "holistic healing" aspect of things at these baths. I talked a lot more with Azjel. While she's Belgian, she was born in Kazakhstan and is ethnically Kazakh. I fought very hard but managed to avoid making a single Borat reference (Great success!). I've met people from an incredible number of countries on this trip, and while penetrating local culture is fairly difficult from hostels, I still feel like I'm learning a lot about different parts of the world beyond seeing them as a tourist because I meet other travelers. Anyway, the baths are pretty cool, though I definitely am now going to have warts or some other foot affliction. We got lunch at a nearby shop selling Hungarian fried dough, called Lángos. It was pretty good though not that exciting. Unlike in the US, it's usually a savory thing rather than a dessert and tends to be topped with cheese or meat.

I took the afternoon pretty slow since I was somewhat exhausted from the late night into early morning combo. I made the last of my Slovenian ramen in the kitchen and found the other guests I met to largely be rather annoying. This German guy (also looking to go to school in Hungary because he couldn't get in closer to home) came over and bombarded me with a painful sequence of deeply unfunny jokes which ended up pivoting into a whole screed on why right wing policies are the smart choice for Germany's future. I know Germans aren't know for their sense of humor or charisma, but this was something else. A few minutes later an American guy probably in his mid 30s came over and started complaining about the hostel's events because they weren't "crazy enough" for him. I pointed out that the pancake event, while itself not especially crazy, had led to me meeting some people I really liked and going out that night. He kept stressing that he was trying to go "totally nuts" since it was Halloween and then started complaining about how Europe isn't "exotic enough" for him. He clarified that he'd rather be in Thailand or the Philippines getting "massages" as he had done on a trip last year. He was never mean to me but I immediately disliked him immensely and would bet a very large amount of money he's never got over his frat days. Then a really annoying Dutch guy I met in Vienna (but had largely managed to avoid) showed up and I fled the common spaces.

I met up with a cool Aussie girl I'd spoken to briefly the previous night and we made plans to go out with this Canadian she knew. Unfortunately, Dutch guy found us in the lobby and we couldn't escape him or his constant "Um, technically..." for the rest of the night. I don't know why but the last few cities I've been to seem to have more people that I find really insufferable. There are still people I really like too, but I don't remember the lows being this low previously. We walked around for a while taking in the sights - Budapest on Halloween is a blast. The whole city seemed to be out and about, though I suspect that in truth it was mostly tourists. Taxis would drive the streets really slowly trying to find customers and block the whole roadway that was already clogged with pedestrians - the city really needs to shut down some of these roads next year because it was a total mess. People were constantly trying to sell me cocaine or direct me toward a strip club. We ended up heading back to the same ruin bar from the previous night since it had a cool vibe and is very near the hostel - it was busy but not actually as packed to the gills as I had expected. Azjel and a bunch more of the others we'd met yesterday came out and we ended up having a great time. At an age where nightlife has become very familiar and lost the exciting luster it had at 22, Budapest's scene is super exciting and unique. We weren't out especially late since a bunch of people had to leave early the following morning, and while I don't have that excuse, I was still happy to get a little more sleep after a very long day.

I leave for Zagreb tomorrow afternoon on a train that will get me there about 6 hours later. I've really loved my time here and I think Budapest is one of my favorite cities thus far, but I do feel the need to keep moving. I'm really curious to see the Balkans too, after all. Croatia should be a relatively tame Balkan country since it's relatively wealthy, has a fair amount of tourism infrastructure, and is both Eurozone and Schengen. Train routes are pretty good, too. Everything I know about it is on the Adriatic coast, so I'll be exploring Zagreb somewhat blind, though a few people have sent me recommendations.