Krakow, Poland

The train from Bratislava to Krakow has to go through Czech so it I did not make my trip easier by going to Slovakia but I was glad I got to see the other half of the previous Czechoslovakia. The train took 10 hours and I had to chance trains 3 times but eventually I made it to Krakow! On the last train to Krakow I made friends with this English guy and Canadian guy. We were all staying at different places but said we would try to meet up at the Information centre in the town square. There appeared to be only one on our map so should not be a problem.

One of the trains I took!

I stayed at a hostel called Bling Bling which was a nice relief after Orange Hostel! I put my stuff away and then made it down to the town square to meet the others. Unfortunately there was several information offices and I never found them. Instead I went sightseeing. As I was getting further north and it was summer it stayed light for ages so sightseeing was possible.

The streets of Krakow

Wawel Castle

Mariacki Church. Legend has it that during one of the Tatar raids a guard watching from the tower saw invaders approaching and took up this trumpet to warn the others however his alarm was cut short by an arrow through his throat. Since then every hour a trumpeter will play from one of the towers and stops suddenly in the song where the original trumpeter was apparently shot.

Sukiennice or Cloth hall in the centre of the town square.

Some of the lovely churches in Krakow

The next day I went to Auschwitz-Birkenau. I went with the tour at the hostel because the woman there told me it was good and would work out the same price otherwise. It took 1.5 hours to reach Auschwitz from Krakow. Once there I felt really ill. It was just one of those places everyone has to see for themselves. I had learnt so much about Auschwitz at school but nothing can really prepare you for the really thing. It was just such a huge factory of death. I almost cried when we went into the crematorium. The whole thing was just so depressing. The guide was really good and really passionate about the camp so it added to the experience.

That night when I got back to the hostel I could not do anything. I was just shocked! While sitting on the couch looking exhausted I made friends with this guy called Richard from England. Richard informed me that he went to Auschwitz-Birkenau but only paid $14 compared to my $50 by doing it himself. That was a huge saving but I did like having a guide.

That night I was booked onto a train to Warsaw and felt like some home cook food for a change so I cooked some spaghetti for Richard, who was broke, myself and some others at the hostel. Finally after chatting with everyone in the hostel for several hours I left for my train at 1am.

Just before I left for my train some people at the hostel had been telling me horror stories about night trains. Just what I needed. thanks guys!! Anyway for the first time in ages I was a bit nervous about the train. But these nerves were all gone when I meet this girl from Warsaw. We started talking and it ended up she had just had a meeting with Dr Janusz Krodkiewski, who was a lecture from Melbourne Uni and had taught me for 4 years at university. What a small world!!! So we spent most of the ride talking about Engineering and Janusz. it was soon funny!

As the train pulled up in Warsaw I turned my mobile on. Then I got a message from Paul Treasure (a friend from uni who I did my final year project with), who I had told to meet me in Warsaw and then travel with me to the Baltic states but never thought he would come. The message said he would be arriving in Warsaw at 10am and where should we meet!!!How exciting!!