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Published: April 9th 2008
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As mentioned in a previous post, I couldn't have been happier to find out that I was going to Poland last year as part of my graduate program. I've always wanted to see the place where my great-grandparents came from, and growing up in a Polish community, I knew that somedoay I would go to the motherland. Granted, I don't now exactly what part of the country my ancestors came from, but it was still really cool to get the chance to set foot in Poland.
We arrived @ Krakow's airport after spending 5 days in Munich, and automatically, you can sense a change between the two places. While Munich is very modern, clean, and smells of delicious meats at every turn, Krakow is, well, a little different. When we finally left the airport, you could tell that there was a little bit of a gloomy vibe to the city, and many establishments on the outskirts of town were either dirty or run-down. In no way is Poland a third-world country, but nonetheless, it is still developing in many parts. Much of the infrastructure is still developing, so there is construction all around Krakow as well. Our tourbus finally made
it into the Krakow Market Sqauare, where we encountered some kind of anti-nazi demonstration as we were making our way to the hotel. No better way to get greeted in Poland than guys parading around in gas masks and yelling chants in Polish. We did our business meeting for the day with the U.S. Embassy, and then had some time to walk around the square. We saw St. Mary Basilica, one of Krakow's signature landmarks, and did a little bit of shopping in the main market plaza.
One thing we learned about Krakow is that, surprisingly, it has a very popular and large jazz scene. All around the proximity of the main market square, there are many jazz clubs with local acts jamming through the nite. We want to one that was sort of like going into an underground dungeon. The music flowed and we grooved all night to smooth jazz. The keyboardist actually looked like he could be my cousin, but hey, we Polish people all share some similar traits. After the jazz club, we were quite hungry, so me and my friend Pat went to a streeside food vendor near our hotel. Kebab pitas filled with shaved
chicken or lamb have become insanely popular in Poland, and can be found on nearly every street corner. I decided to try one for myself. I went to order my kebab, and the vendor could immediately identify that Pat and I were Americans. Therefore, he asked "Do you want your kebab spicy, American boy?" Being the spice fan that I am, I said "Bring it on". Mistake. After filling up my kebab with chicken, some shaved cabbage, and a little onion, the vendor pulls out this bucket of molten red sauce and lines the interior of the kebab with it. Then, he takes his spatula, and smears the sauce all over the top. Holy shit, my insides are going to explode. He tops off the kebab with some yogurt-like sauce, and hands it over to me. I take one bite, and honestly, it was delicious. I ate the whole damn thing, and believe it or not, did not get violently ill. While enjoying our kebabs, Pat and I ended up talking some to drunk British guys who were enjoying a kebab as well that were quite entertaining. Interestingly enough, Krakow has now become a weekend getaway to the British according
to these guys. Who would have thought?
The next day, we had some business vistis to a few Polish companies where some Americans have capitalized on a growing economy and have made some good money for themselves. We also took a visit to Philip-Morris in Krakow and saw a cigarette plant in full operation. We'll just leave it at that. After our visits, Pat and I found this snazzy man's shop in Krakow and bought some sick threads for cheap, since the exchange rate for the Zloty is 3:1. I also found a t-shirt that I could not pass up, which featured Chuck Norris and the Polish words for "Law and Order". Needless to say, awesome. Went to a popualr bar in the main square that night where everyone literally just got shithammered and absurdness ensued. Almost got in a fight with some Irish dude, but managed to make it out alive.
Saturday, some of our group went to Auschwitcz, while the rest of us decided to go to the Krakow salt mines. What's cool about this place is that deep underground where workers used to gather salt, there is now an actual chapel, sculptures made of pure
salt, a full ballroom, and some really spectacualr rock formations. Not to mention, you have to walk down 100 flights of stairs to get there, but definately worth it. The other really fun part, the small elevator ride back up. It's like going on the reverse of Tower of Terror @ Disney. After our visit to the mines, we rolled through Krakow's old Jewish ghetto, which was a real hot spot during WWII. We actually drove by the factory in Krakow that inspired the film Schindler's List, as well as saw the platform where people would wait to get on the Auschwitcz train. Really powerfull stuff. It's thing like that which you see in movies and read about in history books, but never really hits you until you physically see it. We then headed to a brewery in downtown Krakow for lunch, where we had a fresh-brewed "yard of beer" which our tour guide Maria was really excited about as you can tell from the picture. After touring some of the castles and churches of central Krakow, we ended up doing something for dinner I have been meaning to do the entire night. Have real Polish perogis for dinner, and
Yard of Beer
Maria our tourguide is estatic. let me tell you, they were f**king delicious. I cleaned plate no doubt. I did manage to have a little kielbasa as well, but truth be told, the one from Labudas in Ludlow, MA kicks ass bar none. We just hung out at some bars in the main square that night, and then we were off in the morning to our next destination.
All in all, Poland was quite the place, and really connected me to my Polish roots. Would I go back, yes, absolutely. While Krakow is nowhere near being a London, Munich, or Paris, it has it's own charm. A charm that makes you say "You know, I don't know what it is about this place, but I like it"
Until next time, safe travels
-Kacz
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Jacek
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Towns hall - not church
>Church in Krakow's Main Square This is towns hall tower - not church!