Traces of forgotten stories

As I wrote before, a city is not simply a physical place or a collection of buildings. A city is a multilayered entity where ever-important events of history intermingle with its residents' everyday life for centuries. Sometimes these events leave their trace behind for us. To remember, to forget or to wonder about.

What were the things these clips and cords tried to keep here? Who put them there, when and why?

Most probably I'll never know the story behind these stuff. Still, it reminds me that this city is filled with millions of stories. My Budapest is full of my personal history, but there are millions of Budapests coexisting with it at the same place and the same time. These clips and cords offered me a glimpse of a Budapest almost completely different from mine, yet as much real and true.

Like yours, too.

Urban Nature 2

Moss growing on the steps by the Danube

The holiest river in danger

“What is the holiest river in the world? Some might say the Ganges in India. Others would propose the Jordan River or the River Nile. But I say the holiest river is the one that's closest to where you are right now.” Rob Brezsny

My holiest river is the Danube.

Thanks to our society's hunger for alumina, the extreme amount of rain we had and the mind-boggling uninterestedness, irresponsibility and greed or incompetency of the main representatives of the company, the river is in grave danger now. Last week's red sludge spill is reported to have been neutralised before it reached the Danube. But who can say that there will not be a second disaster at the same place?

Shall the Danube look the same as River Marcal does now?

 (the picture is from here)

The complete flora and fauna of Marcal are officially declared as dead. I repeat: complete flora and fauna. Dead. Not an animal, not a plant, nothing remained alive. Is this what is awaiting for the Danube as well? I don't know, I can just hope that it cannot happen.

What about us, living in Budapest, getting our tapwater from the Danube? Or what about those people whose sacred river was Marcal?  And what about those people, whose house, garden , pasture and arables are now covered by the highly toxic and radioactive red sludge? What will they do? How can they “stand up again” and live on in their poisoned home?

If you can, please, help them!

You can send money throught the following institutions:

the county magazine “Napló”: OTP Bank 11748007-20097158, in the memo line, please write “adomány”

Hungarian Interchurch Aid, see their website

Hungarian Maltese Charity Service: OTP Bank 11784009-20200673 memo line: “iszapkárosultak”

Hungarian Reformed Church Aid: CIB Bank 10702019-85008889-51100005 memo line: “iszapkárosultak”

Or you can call number 1752 (costumers of Magyar Telekom, Invitel or T-Mobile), one call costs 250 Ft.

What about your sacred river? Brezsny says:

“Go to that river and commune with it. Throw a small treasure into it as an offering. Next, find a holy sidewalk to walk on, praise the holiness in a bus driver, kiss a holy tree, and shop at a holy store.”

Back home

I just arrived back home from the Balkan Rainbow Gathering, that took place among the beautiful mountains of Macedonia,

And look what was awaiting for me just around the corner, in my favourite park.

It seems that, at least now, this is true for me everywhere: