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Every naked traveler should make a trek to Budapest. Not only is it a glorious sight as a city in itself, it is home to some of Europe's hottest men and even hotter saunas. When you arrive in this city in the heart of Eastern Europe, you'll be dazzled by architecture and art, so leave plenty of time for that. And when you want to have a nakedly gay time, there's plenty to do and see. Budapest is known for its Turkish baths. When this naked traveler made his way to that city, you can be certain that lavish Turkish bathhouses were on his mind. A result of the Turkish occupation of Hungary in the 15th and 16th centuries, public bathhouses are part of the Hungarian way of life. There are a number of these places and all have their charms. Some are old and filled with history (as well as naked men) and some are relatively recent (in the neighborhood of a hundred years old). A good thing to remember is that these are public institutions; anyone with the fee gets to go. Though areas like swimming pools are open to both sexes, men and women have their own domains which are quite big and well appointed. They boast sauna rooms, wading pools (of varying temperatures), masseurs, private cabins, and more. One of my favorites, and perhaps the most nakedly elegant, is the Gellért (attached to a swanky hotel of the same name). This is a massive Art Deco bathhouse which has an outdoor area, swimming pools, and large men's quarters. When this naked traveler entered the Gellért, he didn't know what to expect - and it turned out to be a completely different experience. After paying, you make your way to the appropriate section. Waiting for you are several way-overbuilt hunks. I like a nice body as much as the next guy, but these bodies were machines. They hand you a towel (large enough to get lost in) and - there's no other way to describe it - a flap of cloth with two apron strings you wrap around yourself. It's thin cloth and hardly anyone was even pretending to wear them, when I joined the crowd. It was nakedly dazzling, this massive hall with three wading pools (hot, cold, tepid), many long halls, doors behind which one could only wonder what went on, as well as sauna and steam rooms. I thought a good steam would be in order before sampling the wading pools. I imagined the bathhouse-style steam rooms I've seen. Wrong. This was a huge room, with a high ceiling. Men stood in rows (on different levels) and took in the steam. Be prepared for something hot when you get there. And I'm not talking men or sex. The temperature was so high, I thought I'd be parboiled. None of the other guys seemed fazed; they stood still as statues breathing in the hellish air. When I was nearly cooked, I headed for the wading pools, which were more nakedly satisfying. Everyone abandoned their little aprons to cavort nude in the water. There were flowing waterfalls feeding the pools and beautiful tile work. But who noticed that when the water was also filled with one gorgeous hunk after another. And friendly. There was more than footsie going on beneath the surface, that's for certain. Gay men flock to these places, and I'm sure there's no end of the "curious" who attend to try and see what fits. You can get a massage in these bathhouses; they are, after all, meant for health and wellbeing. The masseurs were the gigantic muscled type and I would have fit into one of their hands easily. I skipped that treat. There are other bathhouses including one which is all male. The naked traveler tried to get into this one, but it was cleaning day and the place was closed. The Rudas is said to be the most spectacular in design but I can't imagine it beats the Gellért. The Kiraly is another famous bathhouse, as is the Palatinus, which is attended almost only by gays, at least at this time. Things change fast in Eastern Europe but the bathhouses of Budapest are going to hang around for a long time. There are two Western-style gay bathhouses, Szauna 69 (gaysauna.hu) and Magnum Sauna and Gym (magnumszauna.hu). These will be more familiar in style. They also feature fun parties and, of course, lots of naked men. Should you need to get to a bar, Budapest has some that will help you recover from the sight of all that naked flesh. The Action Bar (action.gay.hu) is large and friendly and features some hot dancers. If Peter is working when you get there, you're in for a treat of major proportions. The Coxx Club (coxx.hu) is also fascinating. Others (in this ever changing environment, it's necessary to check) can be found at budapestgaycity.net and budapest.gauguide.net. If you haven't made vacation plans yet, Budapest is a nakedly good choice.  Joe DeMarco's latest projects include The Lavender Raven, an online GLBTQ mystery & more journal, at www.lavenderraven.com, as well as Mysterical-E, www.mystericale.com. Joe's website is www.josephdemarco.com Top |
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