poland, you're pretty cool, too

so eventually all good things must come to an end. we did have to leave the ginger monkey at some point i guess. and it just so happened that richie and his mum angie were going up to zakopane the next day, so again, our hosts went above and beyond expectations and gave us a lift. said our goodbyes again, for real this time, and headed up.

the drive was gorgeous! it was a winter wonderland in all aspects of the term. funny when we drove through the polish-slovakian border, we didn't have to stop at any check points thanks to those countries joining the schengen agreement just days before our arrival in slovakia. only downside: we didn't get a passport stamp from slovakia. sad.

walked around zakopane for a bit. it was very nice, and very busy. a typical skiing resort town, i guess. did some sightseeing of the town, ate some polish food, and bought some souvenirs. then it was back to the bus station to catch a ride to krakow. for once, we didn't have any major transportation issues - things actually went smoothly!

arrived in krakow in the evening, and found our way to the hostel, the flamingo. i could tell immediately i was going to like this town. unfortunately, we didn't get as much time there as i would have hoped, as the overnight train to l'viv ukraine was fully booked, and we had to take a different one that caused us to leave poland earlier than anticipated. either way, it's really a beautiful city. the architecture is so pretty, and of course the history is so interesting too.

the next morning, we headed out for our group tour of auschwitz 1 and auschwitz 2 - birkenau, which we knew would be depressing, but how could we come so close and not see it. we can't deny that this happened in our history, and i think such times need to be remembered properly. it was much more interesting than some other camps i've seen, as it was pretty much fully intact. unlike dachau, which was barely a shell of it's former self, auschwitz still had original buildings - all of which are mini museums and memorials to victims of the holocaust. the most moving exhibit for me were the rooms filled floor to ceiling with personal belongings - shoes, hair brushes, eye glasses, suitcases. one even had old crutches, orthotics and prosthetics. unbelievable. and to think this was merely a fraction of what took place...

on the bus ride back to krakow, joslyn and i decided that we would try to see the salt mines as well. mike was hungry, and so decided not to join, so off we girls dashed to find the minibus that would take us there. after our stop, we basically power walked/ran the entire time to the mines - but we made the final tour with only minutes to spare. and it was worth it! who knew all the things you could do with salt - white salt, green salt, statues, even a full service church with reception area. apparently, b/c of the depth and air quality, alcohol hits you faster - which according to our guide, makes for a better party afterwards... hmm, if i ever get married, i want it to be in a salt mine haha. we had to walk down over 800 steps to reach the 3rd level, and there are 9 levels all together. (thankfully, there was a mine shaft elevator up. though, for those that are claustrophobic, it's not a pleasant ride) the mines even have a conference center that is fully wired with wi-fi and cell phone access. crazy.

here's where it gets funny. after the tour, jos and i made our way back to a bus stop. unfortunately the one we found didn't have minibuses to krakow, though when one pulled up, i asked - in my best polish accent - for krakow anyway. the driver shook his head no, but still motioned for us to get on. confused, we just stood there, until he yelled quite sternly "shut! shut!" (translation: shut the door you fools!) and we did. as we stood crowded around him confused as can be, he began yelling again, this time "sit! sit!" (translation: get out of my way and sit the hell down you fools!) so we did. he then began to drive quite hastily down the streets. even, i dare say, a bit carelessly.

i tried to decide whether he was indeed helping us, or if we were being kidnapped. both were viable possibilities. in the end, the kindness of strangers won out. he was merely giving us a ride to the correct minibus stop. he even proclaimed, as he pointed dramatically to the stop, "krakow! no charge!" (translation: this is the stop you were supposed to go to, you fools! but since you are fools, i will not charge you for this service, as it is not your fault you are fools!) again, in my best polish accent, i mumbled a thank you (dziekuje), and he actually laughed at me. but i think he got the point that we were sincerely appreciative.

back in the city center, found a lovely restaurant and had a truly authentic polish meal - pierogis! they were very tasty. completed the meal with roasted potatoes, and in the end decided to go all out and get the cheesecake too. heck, you need to treat yourself sometimes.

the next day, had time enough to walk around krakow's wawel hill (royal castle) area, see traces of pope john paul II around the city, and also explored the market square area (which, i read, is actually the second largest square in europe - after st. mark's square in venice) to get my fix of cheesy souvenirs. didn't make it to kazimierz, the jewish quarter, but will next time. as there will most definitely be a next time. this wonderful city deserves much more of my time, as does the remainder of poland. it's a great country.

by 1300, we were on our train for the polish-ukrainian border. and that is another story altogether..