I took a 3 hour train ride from Warsaw to Krakow that I will never forget even if I wanted too. I was waiting for the train to arrive and I was a surprised by how big the crowd was but I didnt think anything of it. I had a second class ticket but its always been descent enough and worst case Ive seen people stand for a little bit and then when people get off at one stop they just take there seat. The train comes and everyone is pushing and shoving like the emergency alarm was pulled. I didnt understand until I walked into the hallway and everyone suddently stopped moving. All the seats were full and I was stuck seating in a hallway that is about two feet wide. I was not ready for this and I was shocked. I dont mind using transportation services that are dirt cheap if I know about it before hand. I use Ryan Air for flying through Europe all the time. Its not comfortable at all but its worth the discomfort to deal with it. This time I was in the mindset that I could sit down and just relax but noooo I had to sit on my backpack, stand, and feel uncomfortable for three hours!
I arrived in Krakow in the afternoon and I met host Anna near in the center. We went back to here place where she cooked me some Polish perogies. I had always enjoyed perogies but I never knew they were a traditional Polish dish. Later on at night I met up with a couple CS people for drinks in the Jewish quarter of Krakow. We talked about American and Polish Sterotypes. I had a really good time them and after the drinks we went out dancing.
Costs- Train ticket Warsaw to Krakow 43 PLN(15 US)
Day 26 Tatry Mountains
I met up with a CS member named Kimberly who is from Connecticut. Her parents are both Polish and she is on a similar mission has mine to find out about her roots and meet her relatives in Poland. We walked around the city and went to a nice Polish restaurant where we ate strawberry perogies ...hmmmm delicious! It was really nice talking about each others passions for life and to hear about someone else who is curious about there roots. Its unique to find someone in there 20s to be interested in the family tree and heritage. its normal for people to be interested after they have a family and the kids are older.
Anna and her boyfriend picked up Kiki(CS from Germany) and I at the city center. We drove about two hours to southern Poland where we parked and walked about an hour to a cabin under the Tatry Mountains. We drank some hot wine and enjoyed the night inside.
Costs- Gasoline 35 PLN(12 US)
Cabin 30 PLN(10 US)
Day 27 Tatry Mountains Hiking
I woke up feeling weak and that I was coming done with something. We split into two groups Anna and her boyfriend were well prepared for hiking so they went the route of 5 hours to see the 5 lakes and Kiki and I went to see the one lake which was about two hours. The Sun was nice and bright shinning down on us. Even though I knew I was getting sick I was still able to enjoy my time and the beautiful views of the mountains! Kiki was very good at taking her time to enjoy the nature and scenery. I admired how she was able to do it and I tried to embrace it more. Its always nice to make sure and live in the moment....almost push yourself to go slow to enjoy the moment. We arrived at the lake and it was frozen but the views were incredible! Later we met up with Anna and her boyfriend and dropped off Kiki in a nearby town where she stayed at a monastery. The drive back to Krakow was tough because of all the traffic. Took about 3 hours to get back.
Day 28 Auschwitz
I woke up pretty early and left with Anna. She was going to work and I was going to Auschwitz and the famous salt mine. It was going to be a full day and I was due to catch a night train to Budapest at 10pm. I caught a bus ride at 830 towards Auschwitz. The ride took about an hour and forty minutes. Entrance into Auschwitz is free but if you want to go with a tour guide it costs you about 13 US dollars. They dont want people under 14 to view the Museum. It was quite packed full of people but that didnt take away from the stories or sights I saw. Learning about what happened in Auschwitz was disturbing and it was like hell on earth. I am so thankful and I think we should all take a lesson from the tragedies in our history that we need to embrace our lives and not let things slip through ours hands. its your life to live and you are the one in control of it. dont spend it wasting time stressed out about things or people that bring you down. I will talk about the facts of Auschwitz briefly. There were two locations in Auschwitz called Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II Birkenau. The first one was used for many political groups from Poland. When the Nazi decided to totally erase the Jewish population then they started building part two. They made Soviet Union soldiers build it during a harsh winter and about 5 percent of them survived it. When Jewish and other people were sent to Auschwitz it could take upto 12 days depending on where in Europe they were. The would receive NO food or water during the trip. About 75 percent of the people died upon arrival. The people who survived would then be checked by a SS Doctor and he would approve them healthy enough for work or not. If you were young, weak, and not approved to work then you would be immediately sent to the crematorium. The people were told they were just going to take a shower so take off your clothes and make sure to remember where you leave them so you can find them afterwards. Then they would walk into a large room crowded with many naked people and a gas would be discharded and everyone would suffocate and die in about 15 mins. Then they would burn the bodies. If you were approved healthy enough for work then you were placed in living quarters were you slept on beds filled with other people. You had to work 11 hours a day, given very little water or food, and tormented by the SS soldiers. If you were to ever do anything that would upset a soldier most times they would just shoot and kill you on the spot or take you behind somewhere and do it. Many people had issues with hunger diarrhea. The variety of way people suffered and died is what shocks me the most. Starvation was another form of torture and death. I saw pictures of women and men who were literally just skin and bones. I am blessed to have been able to visit and learn about Auschwitz and I would encourage you to do the same.
I wasnt feeling too good because I was coming down with a cold so i decided to skip the salt mine. I just walked around Krakow and I bumped into a CS member that I had been with on Friday. Natalia was nice enough to be with a coughing, sneezing, and sick guy for the evening. I joined her and her friend for coffee. She stayed with me until I had to catch my night train and I really appreciated it. Thanks Natalia!!!
Costs- Return bus ticket 20 PLN(7 US)
Group tour of Auschwitz 39 PLN(13 US)
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