Why Hungary is One of the Worst Countries to Visit

Hungary has always been one of those countries that fascinated me. I regretted not having devoted any time to explore it during stint exploring Europe by Car. This time around I dedicated two months live in Budapest and travel within to explore parts of the country. Two months is probably not enough to truly grasp what’s going on within the country, but I’ve witnessed and experienced enough to consider it one of the worst countries to visit.

Keep in mind that these are my own opinions based on my own experiences.

First, there’s a far-right nationalistic movement going on. I can feel it and sense it, especially when you’re not of European descent. The migrant crisis has affected the political climate in this otherwise beautiful country. The capital city of Budapest doesn’t show this as much, but as soon as you get out into the suburbs or the countryside, things become more apparent.

Budapest: An Expat’s Paradise

Budapest is home to many expats and digital nomads. Its ideal and centralized location within Europe makes it perfect as a base for western and eastern European excursions. The cost of living is relatively cheaper than its western counterparts. I was able to rent out a huge room in a flat for 310 Euros a month which I found through a friend’s referral. I decided to stay long-term to chill and also join a gym to recover some atrophied muscles from over a year of constant travel.

Budapest is very international. Ninety percent of the conversations I overhear out on the streets are in English. There are international shops everywhere, and the city is indeed a thriving metropolis. One of the biggest music festivals in Europe also happens here, the Sziget music festival.

The city is fantastic and ideal for beautiful nighttime photos. I’ve spent many sunsets and nights just across the Danube on the Buda side photographing Gelert hill, Fisherman’s Bastion, and the Buda Castle. The Buda side provides the most photogenic postcard views of Budapest. But the Pest side is where all the parties are at. Pest is famed for its ruin bars that are unique only to Budapest. These ruin bars become very lively at night, and during the weekends, lines of people would snake around the bars waiting to get in.

The internet infrastructure is the country is fast and ideal for people with remote jobs. My flat was near the central international train station, Keleti Palyaudvar, and I was able to make quick trips to Slovakia, Romania, Austria, and Croatia.

On the downside, the city has a very odd and strange odor, and I can smell it everywhere I go. I don’t know where it’s emanating from, but on one incident at night, I saw an old lady positioning herself in between two parked cars while urinating standing up. I don’t know if it’s the smell of urine or a gas leak all over the city.

The Hungarian Countryside: A Brewing Far-right Nationalism

I hitchhiked with a friend who is of Hungarian descent from Cluj to the border town of Biharkeresztes in Hungary. From there, we were going to catch a train to Budapest. Hitchhiking through the border was a bit of a hassle. The border control was really on alert because of the migrant crisis. Nobody would give us a ride to the border, so we walked it across on foot to hitchhike on the other side.

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We walked about 2 kilometers towards the train station in this town. We came across two farmer teenager carrying scythes. My friend overheard them talking, and he told me later that they were yelling:

“I’m gonna kill you, migrant!”

I can only assume it’s due to my darker skin and black hair that I would be mistaken for a migrant. But that etched a compelling and disturbing image in my head. Imagine if one of those teenagers carrying sharp scythes started swinging at me. Not a very good first introduction to Hungary.

The Far-right faction is represented by Jobbik which regularly blames the country’s ethnic and religious minorities for its woes and in recent years have been reported to form vigilante groups meant to harass minorities, especially gypsies. Bands of vigilante groups are formed to patrol small towns in Hungary and rural villages and threaten and harass the local Gypsy population.

Eger: A Beautiful Place, Kind Of

There was also an incident in Eger where I was flat out refused service. I went to eat at a restaurant one night and used the Wi-Fi service. The next morning, I went to the same restaurant now talking to a different server. I politely asked if I can get a table and use their Wi-Fi. The server looked at me in disdain and said they had no WIFI. He then told me to go away. WTF? I was a paying customer last night and will be again today!

The next day another incident happened where a group of guys who were drinking beer at a restaurant when two dark-skinned individuals passed by, probably Romas (Gypsies) – the group proceeded to harass them. One had formed a fist on his hand and bumped it on the palm of the other proposing to beat the dark-skinned individuals. I was walking past them when this all happened, and I think I was only spared the heckling because I had an expensive camera wrapped around my neck.

I was disturbed by what just happened so I bought a hat that screamed tourist so I would stand out like a sore thumb and look like a tourist instead of a Gypsy. That hat has a large engraving that says “Los Angeles.” It worked like a charm!

I have faced racism before growing up in California during the early 90s. In the suburbs of Sacramento, I was chased by a van full of skinheads who threw rocks at me and calling me a gook. To their ignorance they had no other derogatory name for a Filipino and all they can muster up was a catch-all insult for all Asians. During these days and age, I would like to think that’s all behind us but that’s not the case, especially here in Hungary.

The Final Train Out of Hungary

After these incidents, I couldn’t wait to get out of Hungary. On the train out towards Slovakia, I ended up in a town called Miskolc. It is an industrial town full of working-class people. I explored the city for a few hours and did notice a larger Roma population. The people of Miskolc were noticeably friendlier, at least to me. I was greeted with a smile when I asked for information or a mug of beer. I accidentally dropped 5,000 forints on the ground the guy behind me rushed up and told me I had dropped it. A very helpful and friendly gesture.

In Eger, I didn’t get the same treatment. I felt like I have glared at constantly like I was a stray dog. As I sat on my seat on the final train to Slovakia, I reflected on my experience in Hungary and can only conclude that the EU is weakening. The EU was meant to avoid the Ethnic Nationalistic movement that devastated the world in the 20^th century (the Holocaust). I hope this trend doesn’t continue because Europe has a long history of ethnic nationalism. My time in Hungary is a stark reminder of this.

HAVE YOU BEEN TO HUNGARY? WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?

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