Blog: Hello from Hungary

As I expected, things have got much tougher now that I'm in Eastern Europe. Planning ahead and booking ahead is virtually impossible because there aren't any youth hostels, I can't speak the language and the few tourist information centres that exist are normally closed by the time I arrive. I've been staying in a mixture of guesthouses and cheap hotels - and everything is much cheaper in Hungary, especially the food. You can get a really good feed for 4 or 5 pounds. Actually, the food is one of my favourite things about the country. They excel in stews here which is one of my favourite dishes. Everything is with sauce (not vinegar like in Austria) and is pleasantly spicey. One of my favourites is the "Vitaminsalad". For Hungarians, this is a super healthy choice: cold diced carrots, peas and sweetcorns garnished with a heap of mayonaise and a sprikling of paprika.
Hungarians are friendly and helpful. I've been offered food a couple of times: a bag full of pale peppers, pork snitchel in KFC flavoured batter and pancakes galore. The main problem has been the heat. It has been topping the high 30s, and reached a new July record for Hungary, at 42 celcius in the south and east of the country. I'm now in Pecs, a beautiful historic city. The main square is adorned with a massive mosque, which has been converted into a church. It signals to me that I am enterring Ottoman Europe: the territory fought over between Christians and Muslims for centuries.
Hopefully, I'll find a proper internet cafe later and can post some photos. I'm getting better at asking people if I can photograph them, so expect some Hungarian smiles.