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Published: September 1st 2006
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The Birds
Pigeons at Town Square We arrived in Krakow three days ago via a more ghetto overnight train than our first one. We were welcomed by rain, and lots of it. We found our hostel, rested, showered and headed out when the rain finally let up.
The town square is great. It is one of the largest medieval town squares in Europe and contains the world's first shopping center, which now hosts kiosks of souvenirs. The square also houses St. Mary's Basilica complete with a bell tower. Every hour one of seven firemen plays the bugle in memory of the fireman shot in the neck with an arrow in the invasion of 1241. From this bell tower he was able to warn the townspeople of the oncoming invasion. Thanks to this man, the town was able to defend itself.
The square also features countless shops from Lacoste to Diesel and the most pigeons one has ever seen. The worst part about the latter is that we not only watched people feed these flying rats, but were holding them and petting them and letting them set on their heads! Between that and the human statue with a live rat resting on his arm, we were
appalled.
Many streets in the Old Town, including the one that houses the former home of Pope John Paul II, are cobblestone and quaint. The main part of town is surrounded by a park trail and trees and greenery. Overall a very homey town.
The second day here we took a bus an hour away to Auschwitz. Words can't even describe the experience of walking into the concentration camp through the gate with the archway that reads "Work Brings Freedom." The tour guide took us through various blocks (buildings) which housed the prisoners/victims/martyrs during 1940-'45. Some of these barracks had been converted into a museum-type setting with pictures and quotes from this time period. I spent half of the time thinking of the movie "Life is Beautiful" and the other half picturing the innocent people that arrived to this camp, and others like it, with hope and faith, only to be stripped of everything...personal belongings, loved ones, and faith in humanity. We walked through rooms that displayed the heaps of individuals' eyeglasses, suitcases, brushes, combs, kitchen utensils and shoes. What really got me were the shoes of children and babys in the display case, followed by a room
Eye for an Eye
Outside the Torture Chamber showcasing more hair than I've ever seen in my entire life. Full braids were kept intact after being cut off before its owner was sent to the crematorium. It makes me sick to my stomach to even flashback to it.
During the tour we walked past the Death Wall where thousands were shot execution style, followed by viewing the exhaustion cells (3x3ft cells where it was impossible to sit, so after a full night of standing, the person would have to go out and work a full day), starvation cells, and suffocation cells (so poorly ventilated that not enough oxygen entered the cell). To think that someone actually did this to other human beings and SEEING the site of where such attrocities took place is truly sickening. We were informed that women were used as guinea pigs in testing done by OBGYNs and those that didn't die from the procedures were later killed and autopsied to see how the procedure had affected them. The tour at Auschwitz ended with a walk through one of the very few gas chambers remaining (the Nazis destroyed the majority of incriminating buildings, paperwork, and other significant documents at the end of the war
to hide their crimes), which was used as a bunker from 1943-45, and into the adjoining crematorium. This really got to me and I couldn't take it anymore. I'd never been so emotionally exhausted in my life and it was then that I questioned if I was really going to be able to finish the tour at the site of Auschwitz II - Birkenau.
Birkenau was the extension of Auschwitz I. This site was much larger and much more brutal than that of the former. We stood on the ground where thousands of people got out of the trains and were selected to live or die. Those that "made the cut" lived in overcrowded wooden barracks and the only ounce of freedom they had was in the sanitation barracks. Hardly our idea of freedom....basically a gigantic latrine with hundreds of holes on a concrete slab where one sat right next to the other. They were only allowed to use these barracks once in the morning and once in the evening and they considered this to be "freedom" because it was the only time they weren't being supervised by a guard (as they were too disgusted by the smell to
even enter). The weather that day was terribly cold, windy, and rainy, and to think how much I was suffering in that weather, I couldn't even begin to imagine how anyone could have tolerated it during the colder winter months. At the back of this camp was a memorial in 22 different languages in commemoration of the 1.5million innocent Poles, Jews, Catholics and POWs that were martyred at the two Auschwitz sites. We left that camp more sombered and more humbled than ever in our lives.
That being said, I have found Krakow to be one of my favorite stops thus far. We have dined at Polish cafes, eaten pierogies (ravioli-like Polish food), drank Polish beer (Ryan has), and found Krakow's fire-breathing dragon.
On day three we toured Wawel Castle on Wawel Hill just blocks from our hostel. We toured the decorated and furnished state rooms and were somewhat unimpressed with the "renovations" currently taking place. Although the castle existed in the 10th century, in parts it looks as though it's a 20th century castle. Kinda takes away from the authenticity of it. However, not only did we tour the "stately" parts of the castle, we also ventured
Work Brings Freedom
Entrance to Auschwitz down into the den of the Wawel dragon. This fire-breather used to terrorize the local population by stealing sheep and feasting on virgins. Luckily it was slain by Krak, the founder of the city, by tricking it into eating a sheep stuffed with tar and sulphur causing it to explode in a ball of flames!
As you can tell, we experienced a bit of everything in the Eastern European bloc.
Next up: Prague, Czech Republic - Sept 2, 2006
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Bas & Be
non-member comment
Told ya so....... ;)
Dear Ryan and Tenille, Great to read the updates since you guys left us in rainy Amsterdam. Sounds like you guys are having a great experience. I remember speaking about Krakow with you guys and i guess the promise that is was worth your while was not an understatement. Enjoy some more eastern european food and drinks and take care!!!