Polski

This blog is written, documented proof that I survived the 26-hour marathon bus trip from Stockholm to Krakow, Poland. After three buses (stopping to change in Copenhagen and Berlin) and three ferries, we made it to Poland. It was not by any means a pleasant experience, but it was not as bad as I was expecting. Most of my concentration went to not counting down the hours passed and comparing it with the hours ahead. Instead, I found ways to pass the time. I read an entire novel (The Life of Pi), front to back, cover-to-cover on the first bus. I don’t remember the last time I read an entire book in one sitting. I slept most of the second bus (save for the ferry at 3am). And I listened to the final Twilight book on my iPod on the third and final bus.

We made it to our hostel a little after 4pm on 30 March. This hostel was our best so far! We almost didn’t book it because of its name; the “Mosquito Hostel” didn’t sound appealing to us. Don’t judge a book by its cover and don’t judge a hostel by its name. There wasn’t a spec of dirt in the building. The kitchen was spotless. The lockers were all functioning (a rarity). Notices reminded guests various ways to be as environmentally friendly as possible. And the BEST part was the mattresses. Mosquito’s bed frames were adorned with proper mattresses, springs and all. Most hostels provide some form of over-grown egg crate mattress for guests to lay their heads. In addition to the fabulous sleeping provisions, Anna and I were the only ones in our 10-person dorm. SWEET!

The night we got to Krakow, it had been raining all day. The city was dark and drab, like a watery gray paint had been spilt across the canvass. Nevertheless, we wandered all around the city center, venturing to the market and the cathedral and the castle.

The next day was a busy one. The Eurolines timetable only allowed us 1 full day in the city, so we decided to make the most of it. Following a brilliant night’s sleep on hostelworld’s most comfortable mattresses, we set off for our first destination of the day: Auschwitz. We learned a lot, including that Auschwitz was both a death camp AND a concentration camp. We saw a lot, including the remaining belongings taken from the incoming prisoners. I thought a lot. I hurt a lot. My mind (and perhaps my heart) had a hard time grasping all the massacres that took place on the ground where I was walking. Visiting Auschwitz was difficult. Hard. Not an easy thing to do. But I’m so incredibly glad I did it. My Granddaddy lied about his age so he could serve in the Navy during WW2, and my Grampy fought in the second wave at Normandy. I am proud of them, and I’m glad I got to see a part of what they were fighting against. I made notes in my travel journal of the things I learned, thought, and felt so that I will remember them, and I took numerous pictures; while I strongly believe visiting a concentration/ death camp is something everyone should do if able, I also think it should be a conscious decision. I will not, therefore, reveal what I learned, thought, or felt, and I also will not load my pictures on the internet.

We spent the remainder of the day in a must more uplifting way: at the SALT MINES! Anna Bartlett Wilson LOVES her salt with a little bit of food, and she christened the mine “her Mecca.” There have been miners here for hundreds of years, and the mine didn’t close until 1996 after a devastating flood. It’s obviously been renovated from a working environment to a tourist attraction: wooden stairs, a café, and a lift. However, remnants remain showing us what work in the mines would have been like. The stairs employees had to climb and descend were little more than notches carved into the salt ground. Carved statues showed us how workers had to burn off methane gas before ventilation was installed. A pulley system with mannequin horses showed how they transported the salt before the train was installed. Our guide explained to us that the salt miners were very religious, so various cathedrals were carved and molded from the rock walls to provide a place of worship. They were stunning. However, what really blows your socks off is the salt cathedral! Remember my earlier rule of thumb that a cathedral is a cathedral is a cathedral? I would like to make an amendment to that rule by saying a cathedral is a cathedral is a cathedral UNLESS it is carved 100% out of salt! The floor tiles, communion table, baptismal font, chandeliers, statues, and paintings are all salt creations! And they were all made not by professional artists but by men who worked in the mine!

We got back to Krakow with enough time to explore the city a bit more before the sun began to set. All the gray and drab from the previous night had been washed away with the sunshine. The city was colorful! It was vibrant! People crowded the streets, and street performers crowded the square! Cafes and restaurants were busy with people sitting outside. The surrounding garden had bright green grass. Krakow is a beautiful city! Just not in the rain…