Poland

NOTE TO READERS – The Entry “Krakow Part 1 – A Celebration of Life” below is intended to be read before this entry. Thank you.

WARNING - This entry contains graphic descriptions and photographs possibly disturbing to some people. The intent is not to offend, but to explain what took place at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Please proceed with caution.

The next day in the breakfast room I met Kate, who is from Perth Australia. Kate has been traveling alone since September. She spent 5 months in Switzerland during ski season providing sports massage therapy to sore skiers. She plans to be away from home until next September. Kate’s parents were backpackers too and made a point of taking her and her brother on trips when they were little, including one to Bali. She said that she thinks going away makes you appreciate home that much more. Besides Switzerland on this trip she has been to the United Kingdom, where she enjoyed Cork, Ireland the most. “Dublin is the capital, but Cork is the heart of Ireland.” She has her own business in Perth doing massage therapy and personal training. Her real passion, she said, is netball, an Olympic sport that is very popular in Australia. Kate described netball as being kind of like outdoor basketball, without a backboard or dribbling. She has had two knee surgeries from netball injuries, but is now fully recovered and plays in Perth on a club team. I mentioned that I planned on visiting Auschwitz that day, and she said that she was headed there too. So we took off walking to the bus station.

Kate had a great sense of direction, and we found the bus to Oswiecim, home to the Auschwitz and Birkenau World War II German concentration camps. The 90 minute bus ride only cost about $3. When we got to the camp and up to the counter to buy tickets for an English language tour, the cashier’s computer went down. They called the Auschwitz computer guy, who came to the rescue! Solidarity to my fellow I.T. computer professional! Imagine having "Auschwitz Computer Guy" on your resume!

We put on headsets that were wirelessly linked to our guide’s live microphone. I liked this setup because it allowed the guide to talk to our entire group while still keeping her voice down, preserving the reverential hush on the grounds. It worked fairly well, except when we were spread out as a group in the barracks, separated by walls.

The Auschwitz we all know is actually Auschwitz I, a former Polish army camp taken over by the Nazis and turned into a concentration camp during World War II. The grounds were very well kept and the trees added to a sense of peace about the place, much like the quiet park-like atmosphere of many graveyards. We were led up to the front gate of the camp, with the cruel sign at the top saying “Work Sets You Free” in German. The “B” was welded upside down by contentious inmates. You can see it in this shot on the left side of the sign.

Auschwitz I actually felt a bit smaller than I expected. Still, it held an average of 14,000 inmates at any one time in extremely crowded conditions. Birkenau, which was built as Auschtitz II just a few miles away, housed up to 100,000. The camp was surrounded by two fences of electrical barbed wire run through ceramic insulators on concrete poles.

The counting of the prisoners occurred every morning, regardless of weather. A camp band played music for the prisoners to march to in order to make the counting easier. This is a very rare photo of the Auschwitz camp band. Auschwitz’s mere existence was a German top secret, so any photos surviving today were taken by arrogant German guards in secret.

Several prisoner barracks contain visitor exhibits. The first row of barracks displays National Memorials, created by the home countries of the camps' victims. They explain the sufferings of the camp inmates by nationality including the Jews and the Roma, or Gypsies. People were brought to Auschwitz and turned into prisoners because the Nazis did not agree with their religion, politics, or other beliefs. No cameras were allowed inside any of the barracks. This is one of the streets of Auschwitz I.

Museum exhibitions were in the second row of barracks. They displayed the incredibly crowded living conditions here, as well as the horrific sanitary problems encountered by inmates. Prisoners were brought here from all over Europe by the Nazis. Some inmates were even brought here from as far away as Greece and Norway.

An extermination exhibit included hundreds of open, empty canisters of Zyklon-B crystals, which were recovered when the camp was liberated. According to Rick Steves, Guards would herd inmates into "shower" rooms at Birkenau, complete with shower heads that were not connected to water. Inmates were told to disrobe, hang their clothes on numbered wall hooks, and to remember their number so that they could retrieve their clothes later. Guards did this to discourage rioting. The shower room was then closed, and a guard would put on a gas mask, open a can of Zyklon-B, and drop it in. When exposed to the air, the crystals produced cyanide gas. In 20 minutes, Nazis could kill 20,000 people in four different gas chambers. An elevator then would raise the bodies to the crematorium where they were picked clean of gold teeth and shaved of hair, which was then sold. Certain inmates were forced to do this duty and were kept isolated from the rest of the population. These inmates often found their own wives, parents, and even children among the dead. Some of the inmates committed suicide by throwing themselves against the electric fences. Most of the others who were able to work were exterminated after about two months. The gas chambers at Birkenau were largely destroyed by the retreating Nazis before liberation, but the one at Auschwitz I remains, as I discovered later.

There were extremely moving exhibits of prisoners' personal effects. Before being moved from their homes, they were told that they were being "resettled" in the east and that they should bring everything they would need with them. Some even paid for their new homes in advance. When they arrived in Auschwitz the Nazis took their belongings and used them for their own war effort. On display were recovered items from the victims, including thousands of eyeglasses, pairs of shoes, and suitcases with the prisoners' names and dates of birth written on them. One exhibit that especially got to me showed a mountainous pile of shoes from children. Upon arrival, anyone under 15 years of age was immediately executed. Their shoes were then taken and used to produce leather goods for the Nazis.

If I had to pick one image that I cannot erase from my brain, however, it would be the exhibit of human hair. There were hundreds of pounds of it on display, shaved from the dead bodies and used by Nazis to make fabric for clothes and uniforms. Some of the hair was beginning to turn white, a natural part of the aging process - it has now been 64 years since the camp was liberated. Near the front of the pile something caught my eye, and I moved closer to the glass. In the stack of human hair was a little girl's perfectly braided ponytail, cut off just after she was gassed and before her body was incinerated. I was unable to hold back my welling tears.

Building 11 was the most feared building in Auschwitz I. No one ever left alive. Prisoner bunks, stacked three high, could be seen here. Three prisoners were assigned to each bed, and they had to lie on their sides so that they all could fit. The cells in the basement were particularly disturbing. There was the Starvation Cell, where prisoners were kept to starve to death, the Dark Cell, holding up to 30, and the Standing Cells, where prisoners were forced to stand together for hours or even days at a time. These cells were also the places where the first tests of the Zyklon-B gas were held. Insidious human experiments by Dr. Mengele took place here as well. The basement of building 11 was one of the most disturbing places I have ever visited and "felt" for myself. My hands were literally shaking, and it took everything I could do to keep from bolting for the stairs.

Trials were held in this building in the German language with no translation provided. The condemned prisoners were then forced to strip and then were taken out into the courtyard and shot standing against this wall. As you can see, the barracks windows facing the courtyard were boarded up so that prisoners inside could hear the screams of the executions without being to see exactly what was happening.

The memorial at the courtyard wall.

A hallway in one of the barracks displayed photographs taken of prisoners during processing. I stared into the eyes of those now gone, and was struck by their familiarity. Even though they passed away over 60 years ago, I recognized these people. They were the faces I see every day back home in Athens, Georgia. Here were the eyes of the grocery store clerk at Pubix. This was the wrinkled expression of the lady I walked past on College Avenue. I found myself developing a very close kinship with these familiar strangers, and the thought of their passing in such an unspeakably brutal manner deeply saddened me. This is a close-up of some of the flowers and candles at the wall, left in memory of the victims here.

Between buildings at Auschwitz I.

This is the guard's counting hut. The prisoners at Auschwitz were counted every day, rain or shine. The longest count at Auschwitz lasted 18 hours. In the extreme cold weather, the guards with sit in this hut, protected from the elements, while the starving, scantily-clad inmates stood outside freezing for hours. Long counts often happened after an escape. It is a little known fact that 144 people actually escaped from Auschwitz. When one did escape, however, the rest of the camp suffered terribly.

A close-up of the barbed wire at Auschwitz.

The fence's cold efficiency.

Between the wire.

A guard tower located in the middle of the blocks.

The Auschwitz I crematorium and chimney.

The entrance to the Auschwitz I gas chamber.

People were forced to undress outside before being herded in to this gas chamber. Up to 700 people could be gassed here at one time. Guards would put on gas masks and drop the Zyklon-B through vents in the ceiling. This gas chamber is all original. Hundreds of thousands of people were ruthlessly murdered in this room.

The next room held the crematorium, which could burn up to 340 bodies a day. This meant that it took two days to burn all of the bodies from one round of executions, and the inefficiency caused the Germans to erect the much larger and more efficient Birkenau camp, which had four huge crematoriums on its grounds.

We then boarded the shuttle bus for the short ride to Birkenau, just a few minutes away. This is the main gate, featured in the movie Schindler's List.

Train cars full of prisoners would roll through this opening into the huge 440 acre camp.

Train tracks into the heart of Birkenau.

Our guide told us that Birkenau was started in 1941 when the original Auschwitz got to be too small. Birkenau held about 100,000 people, and the Nazis were still adding on to it when it was liberated in 1945. The original plan was for Birkenau to hold upwards of 200,000 prisoners at one time. Buildings stretched as far as the eye could see.

This is a stove inside one of the barracks at Birkenau. The summers were stifling due to lack of ventilation, and the hard Polish winters were warmed only by these meager stoves. A brick duct linked the stoves at either end of the barracks, and the bricks are worn smooth from inmates sitting on them to warm themselves.

Each of the Birkenau barracks buildings held from 400 to 1000 prisoners. Rick Steves says that the buildings were actually prefabricated horse stables, which made them cheap and easy to erect. Horse-tying rings can actually be seen on some of the walls.

Five to seven people slept on each level of the bunks. The bunks are angled so that more prisoners would fit into them at any one time.

These are the latrines. There was no running water, and the prisoners were responsible for keeping them clean. The horribly unsanitary conditions led to numerous rats and disease. Because of the disease, the German guards were afraid to enter the latrines, which made them a center for the resistance movement and the camp black market.

Numerous bare chimneys mark the sites of barracks which were destroyed by the retreating Germans, who tried to get rid of the evidence before the Allies came.

New camp prisoners would step off of their cattle cars onto this dividing platform. After having ridden in unheated train cars from as far away as Greece and Norway, the prisoners would tumble out of the cars and be greeted by a Nazi doctor at this location. The doctor would evaluate each prisoner to see if they were able to work. If he pointed to the right, the prisoner would unknowingly trudge to his or her instant death in the gas chamber. If he pointed to the left, the prisoner would live to work for a few months until he starved to death, died of rampant disease, or was gassed. Rick Steves says it best when he states that "It was here that families from all over Europe were torn apart forever."

We turned to the right, and walked the path of the condemned.

A beautiful wreath placed at the end of the line in Birkenau.

This is the Birkenau Memorial. At the 60th anniversary of the camp's liberation in January 2005, several Auschwitz survivors came to the bitterly cold outdoor ceremony here. Our guide said that even though the former prisoners were very old then, many were still in terrific shape, and sat refusing to wear winter hats.

Our guide left by telling us that if we ever met anyone with the tattoo of a concentration camp number on their arm, to count ourselves as very lucky. Tattoos were only given to inmates at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Very few of them made it out alive, and now, 64 years later, there are fewer alive still. The seeds of their subsequent generations, however, have since taken root in the soil nourished by the ashes of their ancestors. It is a wonderful thing that their chidren and their children's children are now flourishing again in the vibrant, new Poland, as well as all over the rest of the world.

"The one who does not remember history is bound to live through it again." - George Santayana

I took the train the next day, bound for Krakow, Poland. Before hopping on the train, I grabbed a hot dog at the Olomouc train station. They cost about 75 cents!

I had to change trains in Katowice, Poland. After being able to spread out on the first train and work on the blog, the Polish train has us packed in like sardines. I ended up standing the entire way in the little compartment right where the doors are and the train cars join. For some reason the doors where I was standing were padlocked shut on both sides! Just wondering, but is there some sort of fire code on Polish trains?

Arrival in a new city is always exciting and confusing at the same time. I immediately changed money at the train station in Krakow at the ATM, which only gave me bills in denominations of 100. I finally located the correct tram, and when I tried to buy a ticket from the conductor, he said, "2.50." When I sheepishly handed the 100 Zloty note to him, he said something like, "Wha! Bla? Kra!!" and smacked his head a few times. He then kicked me off the tram!! I hid my face as the tram full of Krakow natives passed me by, staring at me in disbelief. I had to look around to find somewhere to break the giant note (worth about $28). I finally found a Kebab stand and got a sandwich (kind of like a gyro). They were going to cash the 100 for the sandwich, but I felt bad about it and got 3 bottles of water from them as well, adding another 4 Zlotys to the bill.

Back at the tram platform I met Jacek, who was very helpful, assuring me I was in the right place. Jacek works for General Motors in Poland, doing import/export work. He is from a small town in western Poland and has been in Krakow for three years. He says working for GM has definitely been interesting in these hard economic times. He said that he thinks they have been in the equivalent of Chapter 11 in Poland for the past 5 years! Thanks for your help, Jacek, and good luck with GM!

Despite the fact that the directions were backwards, I finally made it to Nathan's Villa Hostel!

My room at Nathan's, in a 6 bed dorm. I was on the far bottom right, on the first floor next to the window on the street. I was worried about this at first, but the noise wasn't a problem. Notice the nice big lockers - they even give you a free lock to use at check-in! Total price? $17 U.S. a night!

Nathan's turned out to be quite the place. They even had a renovated basement with a pool table...

and a home theater! Notice the couches on risers!

In the common room of the hostel I began to work on the blog. Soon I met Matthew, who is from Eastern Washington State. He said that people are surprised to find out that that area of Washington State is desert country, with rolling hills, sagebrush and tumbleweeds. Matthew is traveling for three weeks after doing student teaching in Ireland in ceramics. He hopes to return to the U.S. to find a job teaching ceramics in High School or College. Matthew is a photographer too, and soon hopes to set up a web site for his best work. Matthew and I made plans to explore Krakow together the next morning after breakfast.

I also met Krisztina, who is from Targu-Mures, Romania. She is an English language teacher, with excellent English speaking skills. She was accompanying 20 6th grade students and 20 adults on a trip to Krakow on a school trip. They were all staying in the same hostel as Matthew and me, and were very well behaved. Krisztina speaks 5 languages, which amazed me. She thinks that travel is terrific education for the kids. Krisztina enjoys practicing her English using Yahoo messenger with friends she has made from around the world. I told Krisztina that she would make a great our guide! It was great to meet you and your students, and good luck in school!

The next morning Matthew and I headed out after the free breakfast at the Hostel (bread, butter, and jam). This was a neat sign right across the street. Can you imagine driving around with it on the top of your car?

I have always paid attention to interesting graffiti. I even wrote a paper on it on Semester at Sea. I loved this mouse!

A great older couple jamming on the street!

We even met some traditional Polish military officers on the main square. Matthew took this picture. I just hope that thing's not loaded....

I kept seeing these beautiful window boxes all over Krakow. People really seem to take pride in their city.

Near the city gate, we ran into this character. He was playing accordion with all his heart. I recognized the tune, but it took me a minute to place it. He was singing Jambalaya, by Hank Williams! In Polish! I picked up and began to sing with him in English. We must have made quite a couple that morning, and I know we turned a few heads. "Son of a gun, we're gonna have big fun on the bayou!"

A beautiful balcony.

Matthew had to make arrangements for his train out of Krakow later in the day, so we stopped by the main train station.

The giant Galleria shopping center is right next door. I did not so much as even step inside!

We both did a double take at this sign. Are we being watched?

According to Rick Steves, a city wall was built around Krakow after the Tartars destroyed the city in 1241. This round building is the Barbican, a defensive fort standing outside the wall to provide extra fortification to weak sections.

Behind the Barbican was a Polish music group playing in traditional dress. So colorful.

This is the Florian Gate, Krakow's main entrance. A drawbridge once connected it to the Barbican, spanning a moat. The moat, no longer needed in the 19th century, was filled in and turned into a beautiful park, called the Planty, surrounding the city.

Matthew and I walked through the Florian Gate (in a much more peaceful fashion than the Tartars), and strolled along Floranska Street, a center for the city's artists. I saw this very strange creature on the sidewalk trying to interact with children. I can just imagine my mother telling me, "It's OK, you can go up and play with that strange unknown person kneeling under the blanket with a big wooden beak in his hand. And when you are finished, be sure to have fun playing in traffic." Creepy.

Jazz clubs seem to be everywhere in Eastern Europe. This one is the home to Janusz Muniak, one of the first Polish jazzmen. Muniak plays the saxophone.

Towering above the main square is the striking St. Mary's Church. The shorter tower belongs to the church, while the taller tower is actually a municipal watchtower. A live bugler plays a song from the tower each hour. My guidebook explained that a Krakow legend says that during the Tartar invasion a town watchman saw the enemy approaching, but halfway through the trumpet call an enemy arrow pierced his throat. Today the trumpet call from the tower still stops halfway through. 12 buglers (who are also firemen) work 24 hour shifts on top of the tower, sounding the hour around the clock. The call is broadcast on Polish National Radio every day at noon.

One of the reasons why I like the Rick Steves' Guidebooks is that they are so much more detailed in their descriptions than Lonely Planet's!

The interior of St. Mary's Church. Breathtaking.

The main statue on the square is Adam Mickiewicz, a Romantic poet considered the "Polish Shakespeare." His work "Pan Tadeusz" inspired patriotism in Poland after it had been taken away by various invading empires.

On one end of the square is the Church of St. Adalbert, the oldest church in Krakow, dating back to the 10th century. It actually predates the square.

The interior of St. Adalbert.

This is the Cloth Hall, built around 1555 on the spot where cloth sellers had their market stalls since the Middle Ages. There are still souvenir stalls inside. I saw a picture taken of this building in the 1870's, and it showed people strolling its colonnades just like in this picture. It really made me think of all of the people and of all of the afternoons that the amazing Main Market Square has seen over the centuries.

I love this shot of a boy chasing the pigeons. Look at his hair fly!

We were exploring the Main Market Square when this giant blue unicorn began to circle the square. Ummmm...OK. Matthew figured it out first - it is a rolling advertisement for the local newspaper, The Gazeta! It definitely caught our eyes. Maybe the Atlanta Journal and Constitution should try it. It might improve circulation.

This tower is all that remains of the Town Hall. By the 19th century it was easier to tear down the crumbling Town Hall than to repair it. Matthew and I climbed to the top of the tower, but glass kept us from going outside and getting a good view. While ascending the very irregular steps, Matthew wondered how on earth people centuries ago were expected to run up and down them all the time without breaking their necks! I do know that the twisting passage definitely was not meant for either of us.

At the foot of the tower was this cool sleepy lion. I don't think I have ever seen one like it!

I love this picture of two men sitting at a cafe in the square. It is fun to think of what story it might tell....

This giant, hollow head might be a little bit out of place in the square, but no one seems to mind. It is by Igor Mitoraj, a contemporary artist who studied in Krakow. The head is wrapped in cloth.

On a stage in the square Polish children did traditional folk dances. What was going on? Did we stumble upon some sort of festival? If we had tried to schedule a visit to it, we never would have made it. The fact is that we were just plain lucky. The dancers were dressed in their traditional best.

Watching the spectators was almost as fun as watching the dancing. This little girl in a pink hat stood out.

Then deafening guns went off and sirens sounded. A parade was making its way through the square! Men in traditional Polish military outfits came marching by first. Their fur uniforms and hats were particularly outstanding. Something just caught this one’s eye.

This one’s feather seemed to reach the sky.

For some reason I thought this guy looked like a High School wrestling coach.

Look at the fur on this one!

Now this guy was amazing. He looks like he is a prince in some epic movie.

The procession of regal gentlemen was followed by this guy. How would you like this as a summer job? “What did you do last summer?” “Uh, I was a beer, dude.”

We finally found out that the festival was called the Dragon Parade. According to Rick Steves, a dragon was instrumental to the founding of Krakow. “Once upon a time a Prince named Krak founded a town on Wawel Hill. It was the perfect location, except for the fire-breathing dragon who lived in the caves under the hill and terrorized the town. Prince Krak had to feed the dragon all of the town’s livestock to keep the monster from going after the townspeople. But Krak, with the help of a clever shoemaker, came up with a plan. They stuffed a sheep’s skin with sulfur and left it outside the dragon’s cave. The dragon swallowed it, and before long, developed a terrible case of heartburn. To put the fire out, the dragon started drinking water from the Vistula River. He kept drinking and drinking until he finally exploded. The town was saved, and Krakow thrived.” Look! A dragon has been spotted above the square! We’re all out of sulfur to cause indigestion. Will a Big Mac do?

Krakovians jammed the streets shoulder to shoulder and cheered as the parade rolled past. I guess this dragon must have been a little nearsighted.

The children marched in their full Krak the Dragon Slayer garb.

There was even a pool float dragon!!

An excellent troop of stilt dancers urged the crown on!

Watching the scene below from her apartment window, this beautiful lady reflected everyone’s mood that day. Rarely have I seen a city so full of vibrant smiles and life. This is one of my very favorite pictures.

We cut across town after the parade and returned to the route of our walking tour. I loved this planter we passed along the way.

We easily found St. Francis’ Basilica, Pope John Paul II’s home church while he was archbishop of Krakow. Its gothic beauty seemed a bit understated to me, perhaps making it feel even more powerful. This is the exterior.

Inside, the altar area with beautiful stained glass windows by Stanislaw Wyspianski.

A close-up of Wyspianski’s greatest stained glass masterpiece, God the Father Let it Be. Look closely at the details. I have never seen anything quite like it.

Walking past the altar I saw a lady doing some vacuuming! I guess even basilicas need tidying up every now and again.

I am very glad I had my guidebook with me or I would have missed one very important detail in the church. On the second pew from the last on your right as you are leaving is a small silver plate labeled “Jan Pawel II.” This was Pope John Paul II’s favorite place to pray when he lived in the Archbishop’s Palace across the street! Here is the pew.

I did not sit in the seat itself out of respect, although everyone is allowed to. I did sit directly behind however, and thought John Paul’s view of the Basilica from this vantage point was very interesting.

John Paul II often returned to Krakow after becoming Pope, and stayed in his old lodgings across the street. He would often stand in the open window above the arch and talk with the regular people gathered below. He would talk to them about religion, but also about things like current events, sports, and whatever other topics they were interested in. I was very impressed by this. In case you can’t find the exact window, just look for the handy Pope poster.

Matthew had the sharp eyes on this one. Walking through Krakow, Poland we saw – parked on the sidewalk, no less, this Maserati sports car – with an Illinois license plate! Man, that’s one long drive!!

Today Krakow has 142 churches and monasteries within the city limits, more per square mile than anywhere outside Rome. This is the Church of Saints Peter and Paul. There are statues of 11 apostles (Judas is missing) plus Mary Magdalene.

This is the Hotel Copernicus, which has hosted (you guessed it) Copernicus himself, as well as George W. Bush.

This house is where John Paul II lived for 10 years following World War II.

We next climbed Wawel Hill (the Ws are pronounced like Vs, making the pronunciation VAH-vel ). The guidebook told us that Wawel Hill is “a symbol of Polish royalty and independence,” and is sacred territory to every Polish person. “A castle has stood here since the beginning of recorded history.” This is Wawel Hill.

The statue out front of the castle Tadeusz Kosciuszko, who is actually a Polish hero of the American Revolution and helped design West Point! I had no idea I had to come to Wawel Hill to learn American history!

Just look at the amazing variety of textures on the cathedral. Wawel Cathedral was gradually surrounded with 20 chapels over the years, giving its hodgepodge of styles. The Cathedral contains the Polish Royal tombs.

The river, where Krack finally vanquished the dragon!

The Castle courtyard.

Another in my ongoing series, "Horses With Hats."

The colonnade of the Cloth Hall.

I thought it might be interesting to photograph the photographer.

This lady advertised herself as a fortune teller. She sure looks like the real thing!

About this time Matthew had to leave to make his train at the station. We said our goodbyes and Matthew drifted off into the crowded square. Thanks for a great day Matthew, and good luck with your ceramics!

Ice cream being sold just off the square. My blueberry scoop was small, but terrific!

Inside the Cloth Hall.

"Excuse me Sir, but do you carry any Chess sets?"

This guy's look is priceless!

I wondered if this might be the latest shoe style. They certainly caught my attention!

These guys are getting in on the "Horses With Hats" fashion trend too!

The things that make a city beautiful are its details. I looked up and saw this impressive balcony.

Hey Buddy! What are you looking at?

Dinner that night at Dorothy's Kitchen - fried pork chops with butter and cheese: $4. Massive heart attack: priceless.

If I were a Pekingese I certainly wouldn't put up with this.

"Man, we can't do ANYTHING on this bus! OK guys, put up your trumpets!"

Back at he hostel I met Brenda, who hosts a BBQ on Nathan's deck nearly every night. She buys food with her own money and then grills it up for hungry backpackers who pay 10 Zloty each for Polish sausages, wings, salad, bread, and mashed potatoes. I thought it was a really smart way for her to make extra money. Brenda will go back to Syracuse University in New York at the end of the summer and then is off to Sydney Australia to stay for awhile to stay with some of the Australian friends she has met on her travels. At school she is studying International Relations with a concentration in media. Brenda wants to move to New York City eventually and find a job with a company doing business in Europe so that she can travel back frequently. Good luck Brenda, and thanks for the finely marinated wings!

I saw ts guy in the lobby and just couldn't let the opportunity pass....

The next day I was off for a day trip to Wieliczka to see the unbelievable salt mine there. I walked to the bus station. The first challenge of the day was deciphering the Arrivals/Departures board in Polish. Well, at least they use the same alphabet....

Outside the bus station the Coke Zero Police were on patrol! "ATTENTION! DRINK COKE CERO! COKE CERO IS NUMBER ONE!" Uh, no thanks. I'm a Diet Coke man myself. Now put those silly handcuffs away.

Any ideas as to what this creepy veggie-face billboard is advertising?

I was so used to things not being marked that when I got off the minibus in Wieliczka I automatically asked a local lady where the salt mine was. She just laughed and pointed to this sign directly behind me!

The exterior of the salt mine.

The guides had to wear these hard hats, but it made me wonder why there were none for us, the visitors!

To get down to the first level of the mine (there are 7 levels) we had to walk round and around, down over 800 steps. After a while I got dizzy! I was just concentrating on not falling on my head again.

The Wieliczka salt mine is a very special place. It produced sat for over 800 years, only just ending in 1996. In contrast to very short coal seams, the seams in a salt mine are often over 100 feet high. Over the years the miners in the mine began to carve things out of salt, eventually ending up with a number of statues and even chapels. This huge underground church absolutely took my breath away. Everything is carved from salt crystals, right down to the chandeliers!

Me in front of the altar.

A close-up of the incredible chandelier crystals.

There was even a statue of Pope John II here, also carved out of salt. Salt in its natural state here has a darker color, due to impurities. John Paul (who was definitely turning out to be quite the man in Poland) actually visited the salt mine 3 different times.

There was also an underground events center. "Come to our next business conference - 150 meters below the earth!" People actually get married here.

The afternoon was so nice when I got back that I took a walk through Krakow's Old Town, which constantly seems to be changing. On this day I found a group of nuns chatting on a street corner.

There was a guy doing a marionette show in front of a wildly appreciative crowd. Elvis really is everywhere.

A whole group of nuns passed right in front of me, on their way to St. Mary's Church. I never see nuns wearing habits in the States.

These guys were chatting animatedly in front of the door of the Church of St. Adalbert.

A pair of carriage drivers rattled slowly down a cobblestone street.

An earring seller taking advantage of a break to catch up on her reading.

I finally stopped for dinner at a traditional Milk Bar, a throwback to the old Communist days. It was a cheap cafe where locals eat good, sturdy Polish food. I had potato and sausage soup with meat dumplings. $3.50 total. While eating I pretended to be a cold, Polish factory worker taking his meal on a snowy winter night. It was warm, delicious, and filling.

One of the famous Polish vodkas is Bison Brand, flavored with a long blade of grass from the fields of the Polish Bison reserves. It is supposed to taste like Apple Pie. I wonder if the Bison have anything to do with that....

I also walked past these two girls lying on a bench with their heads on each other's shoulders. Have you ever had a friend like this?

The vibrant people of today's Poland, literally risen up from the ashes, truly warmed my heart. I saved an important part of their past, however, for my last day in Krakow. I was privileged to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau. In respect, I will give it its own section.

Next entry: Krakow Part 2 - Auschwitz-Birkenau