Hundreds of people, all colors, shapes, sizes, and hairiness, relaxed together in the sun. Every one of them had the same reaction to the 35+ degree celsius mineral baths: "Ahhhhhh!" (as they slowly lowered themselves). And every one of them had the same reaction to the 15 degree celsius cold plunge: "Ahhhhhhh!" (as they laughed and either dunked or hesitated, depending on the competition).
Old Hungarian men played chess in chest-high water with an entourage of tanned onlookers. Shower-capped women swam laps. British bachelors drank beer and retold stories from the night before. At the Szechenyi Baths in Budapest, everyone was equal. We spent an entire day in the 16 different pools, some surrounded by marble pillars. Two men tied as "best dressed": One man wore a speedo under his enormous midriff and a tiny white "gone fishin!" t-shirt (wet, of course), which barely came past his nipples. The other wore a pair of white tighty-whities as his swimsuit.
That night, we paid $5 each to attend "Tosca" at the State opera house. Our seats were the first row of the highest balcony, all the way to the right (so I could see the cellos and a sliver of the stage), but it didn't matter. The sound was incredible. In fact, it was so good, I went to a ballet the following night!
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