We were taken by bus to Budapest. Had to drive through Slovakia and over the Capuchin mountains. There was even a ski area. On the way our guide spoke about the economies of Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The median salaries in these countries is about 25% of that in Germany yet people in these countries pay 37% of what Germans pay in taxes. These countries of Central Europe are definitely poorer than the Western European countries. That is one reason they have not adopted the euro. They have however agreed to back each other up in the European Union. These countries have also been refusing to accept any refugees. One reason is that they are poorer than Germany and can’t afford the burden. Our guide also said that the refugees don’t want to settle in these countries because they are poorer. They want to go to Germany or the Scandinavian countries. Here are a few pictures on our way to Budapest including the ski area.