Ragers and reflection in Poland
Trip Start
Jun 04, 2008
1
12
17
Trip End
Ongoing
Krakow,
Southern Poland,
Poland
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
enny, Maxi, Matty and I tentatively made our way out of Cesky Krumlov witht the rain heaving down at around midday. Just out of town we saw a horror car wreck which ensured the trip would be a slow and cautious one. We had intentions to make Krakow but we all knew it was a big ask. We drove most of the way whilst listening to the Ricky Gervais Show. Maxi was in the back lying on the bed when we asked him to jump under the covers as we were about to pass the border. We couldnt resist pretending to stop at a border point and pretend we were being interrogated outside the car. When we opened the back door we all sheepishly said "Theres nothing but clothes in the back" we rustled around pretending to be an arrogant customs official and pulled up the covers to find Maxi awaiting his fate, we got him a good one.
We decided not to push on to Krakow and instead stay in a small city named Bielsko-Biata. The architecture was cold concrete and the bad weather was ther icing of the cake. As we drove through the city we encountered a couple of rough looking local skinheads who were yelling out abuse at us. After carefully choosing our parking space we went to a italian restaurant and had a beer. The waitresses were really cute and were happy to teach us some polish as I ate my garden salad and Ben ate his tomatao salad (a cut up tomatao literally).
Skyping
We asked the girls where the party was on a monday night and they pointed us in the direction of the only bar that would be open. We sat around and had a few beers. Calling it a night early we all piled into the van and surprisingly slept well. Poor old Benny was in the front and had the sun on him from 6am. He hinted at waking up numerous times throughout the morning but was only answered with grunts untill 10am. After this we made a quick getaway and headed for Krakow. On the roadtrip to Krakow we pulled over to a little local restaurant. Eager to try some local cuisine we grabbed a seat and ordered some goulash from the friendly old owner. The goulash was delicious and the owner also taught us some Polish. With full stomach's we jumped back into the van. We made it to Krakow and searched for our destination for over an hour. Our spirits were higher than ever as we played the fool in the front. Flashing the orange caution light on top of van on every time we saw an attractive girl kept us busy and was probably one of the reasons it took so long to find the old town. We parked the car and walked around the main square. Grand, crowded and architecturally splendid the square is regarded as one of the most beautiful in Europe and is where alot of the action in this cultural centre takes place. We strolled around and booked a night in Nathans Villa hostel (regarded as one of the 10 best in the world). We found a park right out the front and checked in.
After settling in we had a few beers in the underground bar and met the fellow travellers (mainly Irish).
Suiting up
I quickly recalled the all too familliar hostel trap of asking each and every person the exact same questions (Where have u been , Where are you from etc.) which made Matty and I pretty stoked that we had been getting away from that thus far in our trip. Nonetheless it was great to be in a scene full of other travellers with a common goal, to have a good time. We hit the town that night in a big group and had a ball in a local night club called "Prozac". It had many different rooms with a few different DJ's. It also had a few bartenders that could spot a sucker tourist coming from a mile away. The drink prices seemed to change each time I went to the bar but we all had a good time for much cheaper than we could in Western Europe. The next day was a very laazy one sitting around and making jokes all day as only can be done when hungover. Benny showed us some funny Youtube clips including the Penetcostal chasers section which Ive posted on Facebook. Its classic but quite disturbing, I'd say a must see.That night we got loose again on fresh strawberry Daiquiris. There was something in the air that night and we were running around like lunatics. I posted a clip of us in the poolroom on youtube. As usual Benny stole the show and could be heard from 4 blocks away. We sampled a different nightclub that night which had a much larger local clientelle. Many of the girls were insanely beautiful and were either very cold or overly flirtatious (My conslusion was that the latter were girls of the night).
Waiting for a bus
The drink prices were through the roof so we called it the night earlier than the night before wondering if we would be able to make it to Auschwitz the next day.Thankfully we did. We caught the bus out to the site of potentially the most tragic events in history. Auschwitz concentration camp was where over 1.5 million detainees (mainly jews) were culled during World War II. From the first step into the camp the atmosphere was eerily overwhelming. The entrance gate showed the line "Work brings Freedom" a cruel joke on the prisoners who were told once they'd entered that only way to leave the camp was through the chimney of the furnace as ashes. We walked around the site reading about the attrocities that took place. Each of us walked around trying to take it all in with mixed emotions of disbelief, sadness and anger. When I walked into the room that displayed 7 tonnes of human hair that was harvested by the Germans to be sold for textile use it hit me. I was suddenly so aware of how real this place was and the undeniable story that comes with it. It was a moving experience that I think everyone should try to see. The museum is free for the simple reason that as more people are educated about this attrocity the likelihood of it happening again is decreased.
It was a relatively quiet trip home. That night we had a few beers and hung around the hostel.
The next morning we packed it all up and had a goodbye dinner with Ben (affectionately known as Ron Burgundy). We knew we'd miss his antics and his craziness. Maxi, Matty and I took some final photos of ourselves around the van, yelled out Expect it! a hundred more times and pulled out of Krakow.
Comments
europe on a shoestring
brad you are an absolute crack up ! i think ill replace my europe on a shoestring with your blog ! have fun , we look forward to the next instalment ....