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The shock of trying to learn two languages in two days has gotten to me. Polish may be as difficult as German, but the words aren't as long and it sure is more pleasant to the ear. Not to mention that the Polish people are like a different species when it comes to friendliness. Germans just make me nervous, they glare...I wonder if they they know how to smiile.
Six hours in second class on the train is not a fun time. You have to get up and walk the corridor occasionally just to keep from cramping up, but we made it. At least we didn't have an incessant cell-phone chatter this time, and no loud young adults, and no babies. We were going to stay two days in Krakow but since we got here at 3:30 in the afternoon and have all day tomorrow and we only came to go to Auschitz and Burkenau we're leaving on the night train tomorrow night for Prague so we'll have some time in that city.
Go figure, this is supposed to be one of the "eastern european depressed countries" economically but it has 2 or 3 internet cafes practically every block, and Pepsi EVERYWHERE.! In truth the city would be beautiful if it had a little more TLC; right now it still looks a little gray and depressing from the communist era. The buildings are all gray from air-pollution Our innkeeper has told me though that things have changed drastically since the end of communism and improving all the time.
Krakow is yet another city where we-ve seen major civic improvement going on; this is the 3rd city where they are rebuilding the train station, and another city where we've run into the local festival without even trying to plan that. It has a huge city square with,(are you ready for this Sarah) an enormous Amber jewerly market. E bought a beautiful string of amber for 15$ Some of the pieces I saw are incredible..they would put 'the rock', my smoky topaz to shame, make it look like a marble. I swear one piece was as big as a baseball. I might have to get me something special tomorrow.
Tomorrow we go to the concentration camps. The hostel itself runs a tour that's cheaper and more convient than trying to go it alone. I wonder if I'm ready for the experience. Today coming here it occcured to me that I might have been riding over some of the same rails that brought the millions to the East for extermination, at the very least the same railbeds. I'm complaining about second class and they traveled packed in cattle cars without food or water for days wondering if the rumours they had heard in the ghetto was true.
Which reminds me, I went to the 'original' ghetto in Venice, it's where the word originated. Of the 800 jews in Venice at the start of WWII only 80 came back. I'll update when I can...
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gary bouge
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It really makes you realize how lucky the people in the U.S are.I hope that you get the notes better through TravelBlog.If not let me know.Honey, i sold the big boat. The couple came from East Haddam.Call me when you get a chance.I have not herd from any of [your} friends.Anmals are doing just fine.All of the animals slept withme last night .Needless to say i was crampt in the small bed but i survived.Trooper is still waiting by the window. We are finally getting good weather now.Love Ya .