Captivated by Krakow

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Despite the stifling heat blanketed over the city, somehow the chimes of the bell tower striking midnight make their way to my hostel as I lie there awake with sleep escaping me. Sounds slightly poetic doesn't it? Well that is exactly the effect this city has on me...it somehow has ignited a yearning to be poetic. Not originally living up to the expectation set of Krakow having the same beauty of Prague, this city has grown on me to the point that I am sad to leave. I could have easily spent another week whiling away time in this quickly evolving city from baron to haven.

Poland is still cheap, even in Aussie dollar standards so you can happily indulge in delicious Polish cuisine and drinks (this is a dear home for vodka lovers!) and marvel in the inexpense! So many clubs and bars barrowed beneath the city's surface, stepping down into them is llike transporting yourself to Krakow's hidden underworld - dark, mysterious, sensual...you could lose more than just a night's sleep in these clubs.

Then to the changed experience of visiting Auschwitz...I am unsure why it felt so important for me to visit (it was the driving force for me to visit Poland)...perhaps it was my German heritage, listening to stories of the war from my dad or merely the fact that I needed to see it to believe it. After being there for a couple of hours the words "I'm sorry" kept coming to mind...I am sorry that the world let this happen, I'm so sorry it wasn't stopped sooner or that it started at all.

Its funny how travelling through a place of such horrific disregard for the sanctity of human life can bring an individual who wasn't even alive at the time, to be overcome with the overwhelming urge to apologise. It then dawned on me that perhaps the Australian Government needs to be stepped through what it must have been like for the Aborigines when white man came in and treated them with the same disregard - perhaps then they may also feel compelled to say sorry.

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Photos

Town Square
The centre of Krakow is dominated by the huge market square - its a hive activity both day and night.

Girls out on the town
Met up with Jen and her friend Yvette - with these two it was mandatory to go out for drinks...poor things having to drag nanna along :-)

Everyone smokes...
Except me!! Yep, still not smoking - yay for me!

The infamous entry gates to Auschwitz
It seemed strange to be visiting on such a beautifully sunny day.

Oscar Schindler's Factory
As if Auschwitz wasn't enough, I figured I should complete the journey to Oscar Schindler's factory...eerily quiet its hard to imagine that it was once the haven for so many Jews during the war.

Not just a bunch of randoms!
I didn't end up staying with a couchsurfing host in Krakow as was happy staying with Jen and Yvette in hostel. But did do a couchsurfing catch-up with a bunch of them in Krakow - all awesome people!

Just one of the streets...
Its all very festive looking isn't it!?