Salt Mine & Auschwitz visits

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Today was our day off! We first visited Wieliczka, a 700-year-old local salt mine, and it was absolutely amazing! As we traveled down hundreds of steps, we reached the first of three levels that we would be touring with our guide. (There are actually nine levels in the mine.) We were underground over 500 feet deep and there were caverns and tunnels for miles and miles that were carved out of the salt. The mine was filled with enormous sculptures and 40 chapels/churches underground in the mine. All of the churches and crucifixes and statues were carved out of the salt - all by amature sculpturers. It was crazy to think how much time these miners spent on creating these detailed chapels and sculptures!

After the salt mine, our group visited the largest-ever concentration and death camp in the world, Auschwitz. It was another very moving experience for everyone in the group. We spent three hours touring the camp and museum which was unlike any museum any of us had ever been to. It was very sad and scary to learn about and to even try and comprehend what went on there between 1940 and 1945. Our tour guide, Dorota, was wonderful and very passionate about spreading the word of Auschwitz, as she had two uncles that were killed in the camp. Her words were oft repeated throughout the guided tour, "We cannot forget." And we will not forget this day which was a life-changing experience for everyone in the group.

Tomorrow, we will be leaving the hostel nice and early (7 am) so that we can be done working by noon and be back in Krakow by 1:00. Our goal (which we will achieve!) is to have all of the walls done tomorrow, as well as most of the ceiling. They will then begin to pour the concrete floor tomorrow after we leave, while we go back to Krakow to get some final shopping done in the main market square. It will be so fulfilling to get the walls done tomorrow. We absolutely cannot wait!!

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