".....What a wonderful phrase!"

            For those who are reading this blog post and have grown up a part of Generation Y, you probably have encountered the gripping animated film The Lion King at some point during your childhood. This theatrical release defined the Disney Renaissance era of our generation, and continues to live on as a classic film in homes around the United States.

            For those of you who didn’t grow up as Generation Y babies, and have also lived under a rock long enough to deny yourself the glory that is The Lion King, I would like to 1. Declare the impending spoiler alert, and 2. Encourage you to take a hiatus from my blog, and spare yourself the embarrassment: Go watch the movie.

            Why this would ever inspire me to write a blog post about Budapest, I honestly don’t know. Perhaps it’s the triumphant and awe-inspiring story; perhaps, the vibrant and distinct anthropomorphic characters; perhaps, even, the architectural beauty and color that paints the landscape. Regardless of the means of my own inspiration, I have found that there are striking parallels between the movie that inspired me, and the city of Budapest, Hungary.

            …And so, my tale begins. You might as well just call me Simba; I'm shameless in making myself the star, hero, and focal point of my own blog post...
            After seven long hours of travel on a train straight out of Harry Potter (not to throw everyone off with these arbitrary movie references), I arrived in Budapest just as curious as the little animated lion cub that stole our hearts so many years ago. I was lucky enough to be housed by one of my best friends from home, Mary, who is studying in Budapest this semester. We’ll just equate her to Rafiki, as she was my guide and fountain of knowledge in this city she knows so well and loves so much -- her “Pride Lands” if you will.

             Our adventure began on Friday morning, as Mary and I were the catalysts to each other’s desires to explore. We started by visiting Heroes Square, a monument located at the end of Andrássy Avenue that commemorates the lives and legacies of the most influential figures in Hungarian history. Though I could hardly identify who any of these figures were – unfortunately, I am not well read in this area of history – I was able to recognize Saint Stephen, the first king of Hungary, and an immensely famous figure in Budapest. In the center of the monument, a column stands topped by archangel Gabriel holding a cross, signifying St. Stephen’s efforts to convert Hungary to Christianity. The monument was a spectacle in plain terms, and an inspiring start to the day.

Vajdahunyad Castle

   As the morning continued, we took a stroll through the City Park, Városliget, and passed through the Vajdahunyad Castle, which has since been converted into an agricultural museum. Tourists were surprisingly scarce and the park was perfectly peaceful with rolling green lawns and bushy willow trees. On our walk, we stumbled across a number of spectacular statues; a contorted tribal figure, a jumbo-sized hourglass, and what I believe is called the Millennium Statue. The park became the small slice of tranquility I have been craving through my abroad experience.

The cutest couple in City Park

The Hourglass -- by which we were fascinated

Cowering at the Millennium Statue

            …but I digress, I’ve forgotten about my Lion King theme. Maryfiki then took me to the center of Pest, where we visited one of the most impressive markets I have ever seen. Lofty glass ceilings, intricate scaffolding, and architectural precision are the only ways to describe the market: and, well, big. Kiosks strategically line the two-floored monstrosity, cramming together booths ranging from butchers to souvenirs, pastries to homegrown veggies, and of course, authentic Hungarian cooking. Take a look for yourself:

Pre-pepper..

            Think back to that Lion King scene where Simba is slurping down his first meaty mouthful of grub, courtesy of Timon and Pumbaa. Now think of me, scarfing down my first hearty helping of pepper stuffed with rice and meat, complimented by a side of potatoes and sauerkraut; if you’re cringing, know that I was at first, too. However, as much as I am not a fan of peppers, this meal slathered in hot sauce was heavy, yet delightful. The meal was paired with the most quenching of Hungarian beers, Arany Aszok, which is made at the Dreher Brewery in Budapest and is famous around the city.

            As if I had not seen enough beauty in one day, we also visited St. Stephen’s Basilica in Pest, once again named for St. Stephen I. (Fast fact: St. Stephen’s "incorruptible" right hand is mummified in the reliquary… thank goodness for Wikipedia.) The basilica is neo-classical in construction, and adorned with sky scraping bell towers and Roman writing. It is equal in stature to the Parliament Building, which we also had the pleasure of seeing later that night.

St. Stephen's Basilica

Mar and I in front of the Parliament Building on the Danube! 

            The sights in Budapest are absolutely endless; so much so, that even after a full day on Friday, we traveled early Saturday morning to the Buda side of Budapest for more. Budapest is divided by the Danube River (much like how Prague is divided by the Vltava) with the west territory being Buda, and the east territory, Pest. Mary had shown me around Pest all of Friday, and it did somewhat remind me of the Pride Lands in The Lion King: inviting, bursting with life, and Mary’s stomping ground. Buda was a bit more ominous; it seemed more removed, shadowy, and “beyond our borders,” as Mufasa once said. Nonetheless, we had been dying to visit the cave in the mountainside, and so we extended our journey further.

            After finding a bus to the top of an endless hill, we visited the Budapest Castle District, whose significance is unbeknownst to me other than a stunning view of Pest and dazzlingly ornate tile shingles on the castle roof. This was just a pit stop on our journey to the cave, however, and after much moseying we came upon the Hospital in the Rock.

I bet your handyman can't do this...

The aforementioned stunning view of Pest

            Yes, the name is a perfect representation of the site itself: a hospital carved into the rock of the Buda mountainside. The hospital was top secret and unknown to the public up until 2004 – however, it has been used since as early as 1945. The hospital and secret nuclear bunker was used throughout World War II and the Cold War, and is stocked with fully functioning hospital equipment dating back to the 1960’s. We toured through barracks of wounded soldiers and commanders (often stuffed 3x their intended capacity!), through the World War II German-Hungarian command post, and even through the ventilation and water system that supplied the hospital. The most interesting fact that I took from our tour was surprisingly about the water system itself; the hospital was so secret that people could not even leave to fetch water. Thus, piping ran from the hospital, through the Castle grounds, and surfaced in the castle flowerbeds, where the service responsible for watering the flowers every morning would not just water the flowers, but also connect their hoses to the piping and stealthily supply the hospital.

Before entering the Hospital in the Rock ...in warm coats for the cold cave temperatures!

We weren't allowed to take pictures in the Hospital, so here's a picture of the flower-shaped gelato!

Simply Szimpla

            Of course, there are never enough hours in the day when sightseeing. We packed it in early that afternoon to get ready to explore the Budapest nightlife, which may only be adequately described in Lion King terms as the Elephant Graveyard. Funky, unfamiliar, and a tad overwhelming, we ventured to the Szimpla bar in Pest, as it is one of Mary’s favorite nightspots. Graffiti on the walls, an open bungalow ceiling draped with nets and vines, and seats made from the hoods of cars (and lined with shag carpet), Szimpla was a world of its own. Most noticeably different from the Prague atmosphere is that Szimpla is more of a casual bar scene; Prague mostly dons the nightclub look. It was a nice change of pace from my usual dose of nightlife, and it was especially fun to mesh my new group of UNH friends with a few Prague friends visiting Budapest. (The UNH crew was truly the Nala to my Simba… love at first sight.)

Friends -- Old AND New!

            After three long days, I had to part with this new world that I had fallen so deeply in love with. I had initially been dreading the 7-hour return to Prague, but it turned out to be an opportunity for reflection.

Through my whole experience in Budapest, the most striking takeaway is the adversity these people have overcome and the strength they have gained. A city destroyed and then rebuilt from the ground up; a people once destroyed, now callously remembering the scars that Communism left behind. I will remember the Hungarian flag that flew in the City Park, with a hole cut through the middle to symbolize riots against Communist oppression; I will remember the Chain Bridge, once left in ruins after being destroyed during World War II, and once again rectified in 1949 to link Buda and Pest; I will remember the Communist Headquarters, outlined in the night by dimply lit bulbs and protected by armed guards, that silently sat on the corner of Andrássy Avenue -- just a few hundred meters from Mary’s apartment.

The Hungarian Flag symbolizing Communist Oppression 

Andrassy Avenue by day

            If I could, I would equate this overcome of adversity to Simba conquering Scar and his hoard of hyenas on Pride Rock, but this would do no justice to the reality of the Communist history that seeps through the buildings and the grounds of this city every day. Though in my young age Scar was the most frightening of villains, the villainy of Communism is no animation. The impression communism has inculcated in the hearts and minds of Hungarian citizens is still present every day. It is a chilling, yet empowering, reminder of the strides both Hungary and Europe have taken since the reign of a Communist regime.

            After such an inspiring trip, I can hardly wait to visit Budapest again. I suppose the most appropriate tying of loose ends would be with “hakuna matata” meaning “no worries” according to The Lion King. Though there will always be worries, the people of Hungary serve as a living reminder that your worries can be quelled and overcome. I am very lucky that my biggest worry abroad has been as simple as homesickness – because being around old friends, even in a foreign city, can make you feel at home from thousands of miles away.
(...Is the title coming full circle for some of you now? Right? Get it?)

Ps. If you would like to know why I was ORIGINALLY inspired to relate this post to The Lion King, please enjoy the video below. If this doesn't remind you of the stampede that lead to the demise of Mufasa, I don't know what will:

Disembarking marathon style, off to conquer Europe one city at a time...