Hotel Suwalszczyzna (Stuck in Suwalki)

The train stopped in Suwalki and went no further that night. Sestokai would not be an option until the next morning. From the Suwalki train station (and I use that term loosely), it seemed to be a town of 100 people. Luckily, the town was larger than that and there was actually a hotel. Due to the dearth of English speakers, I broke out my 'International Translator' for its first official use. This map-like guide (folded and laminated) contains an array of pictures, including foods, services, needs, and so on for when the language barrier is too great to overcome. (There are certain friends who will be receiving a phone call from me if I use a certain section. You can guess which one that is.) The idea is quite similar to what we have used with kids with autism and other disorders in my field. (To my speech pathology friends, it's basically AAC for travelers.) It enabled me to find money exchange, a hotel and phone card. Given the reaction to my presence, it's safe to say that the Suwalkians (?) are not accustomed to backpackers. I had a surprise welcome at Hotel Suwalszczyzna. 100 wedding guests were waiting for the bride and groom to walk through the hotel front door. Instead, they got a grungy backpacker. None of them were ready with cameras or rice, but I won't ever forget their priceless reactions.

So I stayed in Suwalki's only hotel and watched bad movies dubbed into Polish, just because I could. I knew the next day could be interesting as well.