Travel Diary

Krakow, Poland

I got help at the info booth and purchased my tickets to Prague the next night. I also picked up my tickets to Auschwitz and the Salt Mine. Everything was planned. They gave me a map and I headed into old Krakow. The city center was tough to find as the lady had the map turned sideways when explaining it to me. Now why would you do that? My bearing was all off, but I finally figured it all out. It would have been easier in warmer weather. Everything is simply tougher in the cold. I don’t know how Alaskans can do it all (or penguins for that matter). (I know, I know. Be nice to the penguins.)

There were many photo ops in the city. The sun was coming up, but clouds prevented any great lighting. I took what was offered. Mostly the streets were quiet and still in the early morning. The buildings and sculptures were pretty amazing though.

The hostel wasn’t too hard to find. I left my bags and headed back out, not sure where exactly to go. In time, I found the castle after a long, long walk to I don’t know where. The castle was nice, with a cool tower to ascend. I didn’t see all of it since the admissions were a bit crazy. Each little area had its own entry fees and such.

After the castle, I checked out the Jewish Quarter, but it was rather uneventful. In time, I returned to the hostel. I had a shower, but the hot water must have been out because it was very cold. Oddly though, the sink had warm water when I shaved. Strange. I stayed in the common room for a while, chatted with some people, and got a few things done. Soon, I was off to bed.

I slept well, but there was a bit of snoring. There were four other people in the room, all Frenchmen on holiday. I arose early and had breakfast at the hostel. It wasn’t bad, though not terribly great either. In the common area, I spoke with Mary and “Florchin.” They were from Florida and Singapore respectively and studying in Geneva. They were also going on the Auschwitz tour, but at an earlier time.

My tour guide came at 8:30am to pick me up. That’s a nice feature, when they come to your hotel or hostel to pick you up. The guide was Jude and she escorted me to where the bus would come. Minutes later, it arrived and I boarded. It was about an hour and a half away as we drove through the countryside. On board, I chatted with Mike, who had come with his daughter from Liverpool.

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