next stop...krakow

Polish dancing
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So I've left Hungary. My last day was interesting, not so much because of anything I did, but rather the stories I heard. Here they are...

1. Piotr from Poland accidentally ended up at a guys flat instead of a hostel, paid for a room then started getting nervous when the guy who lived there started calling a friend. Did not get his money back.

2. Anna from Chicago (who knows a Serbian in Sheboygan) worked in Australia through a temp agency on a work visa. First assignment a sweatshop and getting yelled at by a pitboss because she talked/laughed.

cathedral and bell tower
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3. Three guys from Ireland, hid in a forest in Croatia. They were planning on sleeping on the beach, but had been told they may have their passports taken away so they hid in the forest for the night. They had previously drank absinthe. Made for an interesting night. Heard this story while we were waiting for our train that was delayed an hour and a half.

4. Woman and her parents from Turkey. They were on vacation throughout Europe. They had arrived in Budapest the night before (relatively late) and their reservation was not held. Ended up without a place to sleep, stayed outside Parliament where at least there were guards. Plus she was on the same train as the Irish guys and me, which was delayed an hour and a half.

takes six strong men to ring this thing
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My trip from Budapest to Poland itself was uneventful. After the Turkish woman and her parents got off the train I laid across the seats to sleep. The border crossings were a bit of an abrupt wake up as the border patrol guys stormed through the train to stamp our passports. They were extremely efficient which I'm sure was appreciated by all.

Krakow is great. It doesn't feel so rushed. In Budapest I had the feeling that all foreign tourists were tolerated, but not extremely welcomed. Krakow is welcoming.

accordian players in the main market
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The main square always has some type of cultural or street performance going on. I've seen Polish dancers, an accordian quartet (which may not sound that exciting, but they were REALLY good), fire jugglers, a marianet extraordinaire (his best show was of a Micheal Jackson puppet and he could do ALL of Micheal Jackson's moves), and some other events that aren't popping into my head right now.

Went to the cathedral to see the bell tower. It was something out of National Treasure, huge beams that had to be squeezed between and a bell so big it is said that it takes six strong me to ring it. That night I went to a jazz bar. It was in a basement with vaulted ceilings, very snug. It kind of made me think of a speakeasy. Really good jazz, I think the guy is a name, unfortunately I can't think of who he was right now. Made a friend, and planned to go to Auschwitz together the next day.

entrance to Auschwitz
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Auschwitz is hard to describe, especially on a blog. I will just say that it doesn't matter how much history I studied, being there is a totally different experience.

Yesterday I went to the New Jewish Cemetery. It is described  by the Lonely Planet as eerie. It definitely could have been a background in a movie. There were about 9,000 gravestones, really packed together. They were in different levels of existence. Some had their engravings worn down by the elements, others had the tops broken off or chunks out of the sides. Some began to lean into there "neighbors." The grass is unkept, ivy grew in places and there were trees everywhere. It was really a unique place. I also went to the Old Jewish cemetery which did not have nearly the impact, but I did have the cultural experience of wearing a Yamakuh.

guard tower and barb wire
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Today I went to a Salt Mine. I had seen it on the Travel Channel so it was neat to visit it in person. Besides the actually mining, the miners have created churches throughout the mine. Really amazing, and it's all out of rock salt.

I did wonder though if technology is having a negative impact on travel. It seemed like so many people were more concerned with capturing images digitally than taking them in. The height of this awareness came when they were playing music from Chopin in a very scenic area and I heard the click of a guys camera going. I guess I just when I get off the beaten path that won't be as much of an issue.

walk way
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The update hasn't included a lot of detail, but I guess since Krakow is so great, I have less time to write. I plan to stay in here until Sunday morning. I'll be heading off to a few of the suburbs in the meantime. Stay tuned...