Statue Park

After the fall of the hegemonic Communist party, Budapest did something no other city has done. They collected all that was left of the Communist-era statues, and plunked them down in a little park on the very outskirts of the city where anyone and everyone could see them. This morning, Didi and I decided to check out what Statue Park was all about; I had been on the fence about it all semester long, but with Didi's initiative it was enough reason to justify the hour-long trek to get out there.

I find myself repeating over and over again that as wonderful as Budapest is, it's so tourist unfriendly that you have to laugh sometimes. Lucky for us, Sarah had gone a few weeks before and was able to warn us that finding the bus depot was a bit of a challenge as the signs to the park actually point you into the train station (opposite of the bus depot) and that the stop for the park was both quick to pass by and unannounced. Many, many students have described the phenomenon of watching the park go by before realizing that they should have pressed the 'Stop' button a minute or two ago. We, too, found ourselves scrambling to get off the bus once we realized where we were, but it was all in good spirit. With Stalin's great big boots looming above the entrance, it was rather obvious that we had come to the right place.

Some say that the park is the neatest thing; others will confess that it is a bit of a let-down. I kept an open mind about the whole thing and decided that although it wasn't as big as thought it would be, the whole concept of it and the rarity in the preservation of these statues and monuments made it very much worthwhile. Some of them seemed larger than life! Can you see me between the man's legs mimicking his pose? Really puts things in perspective doesn't it?

Overall, I really enjoyed walking around memories of days gone by. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience, you could say, given that all other Communist artwork and such has been destroyed. It's a shame that they don't have more, but you really can't expect the oppressed to want to keep around things that remind them of their oppressors. I don't really have any other big plans for this weekend except for studying for my finals. It's really hard to believe that the semester is over. I just can't seem to wrap my mind around it. So many places, faces, new cities and new friends. Does it really have to end?

Yes, yes it does. But there is no better way to end it than in the company of loved ones. I am SO EXCITED to see Aunt Shelley and show her around Budapest, and then we're off to Spain-- where I actually speak a bit of the local tounge *phew* Until next...