Day at the Budapest Zoo

We went to the Budapest Zoo last week with our two daughters. When the sun is shining there isn’t a much better way to spend an afternoon with kids in Budapest.

Part of what makes the Budapest zoo so great is how different it is from zoos back home in the USA. We are used to standing 30 feet away behind a 15 foot high fence, but at the Budapest Zoo you get up close and personal with the animals. Sometimes too close…the thin sheet of plexiglass between my 2 year old and a tiger was a little too scary for her. Some of the  cages are a little small and run-down, but the zoo has really cleaned up since the first time I came two years ago. Restoration on the Zsolnay ceramic tiled Elephant House turned out especially well. Speaking of elephants, this was the highlight of the day for my daughter. She is still talking about when she got to feed the elephant an apple. Again, not too many zoos will let you feed the animals, and whether or not that is a good or bad thing, let’s just say the kids love it.

Other highlights include the petting zoo (where a goat chewed off my shoelace), the Giraffe House, and the flavored cotton candy. If you’re in Budapest with kids this is a must-see.

Túró Rudi, the Hungarian national snack

What’s that thing that cannot be missing in your fridge? Milk? Orange juice? Butter? Fruit? Ask Hungarians (and expats in Hungary) and most of them will answer: Túró Rudi. The perfect snack for any time of the day.

Túró is a basically a cheese, a soft, white unaged cheese extremely popular in Hungary, and Túró Rudi is a bar of that cheese but with an outer coating of chocolate wrapped in the very recognizable white and red polka dots wrapping. As a snack it is quite healthy, as the chocolate coating is quite thin, and the Túró cheese has a low fat content (apparently about the same as yogurt) and no salt added.
Túró Rudi is extremely popular, and is definitely something unique to the Hungarian culture. If you pay attention you can see the distinguishable red polka dots on white background wrap everywhere in Hungary: being unwrapped tram, buses, and trains; waiting to be picked on supermarkets shelves; and unfortunately even littering the streets. Blame it on the chocolate coating, but Túró Rudi is something that everyone enjoys, even tourists tasting it for the first time.

Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix 2009

Bernie Ecclestone, president and CEO of Formula One Management, mentioned on the Monte Carlo Grand Prix 1983 to his Hungarian friend Tamás Rohonyi that one event of the championship should be held behind the “iron curtain”. In the summer of 1983 a telex arrived to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicating Mr. Ecclestone’s suggestion. On August 10th 1986 the first race of what would become a “classic” was held.

The appointment for this year is between 24th and 26th July, 2009. The location is still the Hungaroring circuit, located in Mogyoród, not far from Budapest (directions here).

The fact that the track is in a natural valley means that about 80 percent of the racetrack is visible from any point, making it one of the best circuits to see the race live. A great tradition that makes this appointment a must for all Formula One fans is that the Public Pitwalk may be visited by everybody holding a valid Grand Prix ticket from 16:00 to 19:00 o’clock. This year this unique chance will be prolonged until Thursday, 23rd July. That’s just one day before the first training session!

It’s no wonder that – also due to the very central European location – fans come flocking from all over Europe; mainly Germany and Austria, but also as far as Finland. If you were planning to see one Formula One race live this year, make sure is the Hungarian Grand Prix!

Michael Jackson in Budapest

Millions around the world are watching Michael Jackson’s memorial tribute today. Whether you think he was a genius or a wacko, you have to give the King of Pop credit for knowing how to go big.

And nowhere did he go bigger than right here in Budapest in 1997 while filming the opening scene of the HIStory film. Take a look at the video below and you’ll see soldiers marching on the Chain Bridge and an enormous statue of Michael Jackson erected in the Heroes Square. See if you can spot the Hungarian “rendorseg” police officer in riot gear.

What I find really ironic is that not far from Heroes Square is where an enormous statue of Stalin used to stand during Communism. Not sure how Stalin would’ve felt about being replaced by Michael Jackson.