After a few hours on the bus we crossed the border into Poland. It still amazes me how you can be driving for a few hours and end up in another country...that's the beauty of Europe!
Before arriving in Krakow, we made a stop at Aushwitz Concentration Camp. During World War II it was used as a network of German concentration and extermination camps that were built and operated by the Third Reich in Polish areas annexed by Germany. I knew that today would be both physically and mentally challenging, and it proved to be just that.
Enclosed by barbed-wire fences, we were taken into a few of the houses that once held thousands of innocent Jews. Inside were glass cabinets filled with belongings of people who died where I stood. Shoes, luggage, glasses, combs, clothes; the list goes on. After silently passing through what remains of these people's lives we were taken to the second camp. This was where the train came into the camp, and people were immediately separated. If you were fit and healthy you were put to work, and if not you were marched to the gas chambers to have a 'shower'.
The bus ride to Krakow was silent as everyone mentally processed the events of the day. I was so emotionally drained. It was such an experience that I believe everyone should have at least once in their life. I still struggle to describe to people what this was like. When you see how those people lived and what they were put through I think it changes you. It defiantly changed me.
Arriving in Krakow, I knew nothing about Poland's people, culture and traditions. I didn't know what to expect.
Krakow is Poland's culture capital, and is also surrounded by a crazy amount of pigeons. It is home to one of the oldest and most prestigious Universities, and has been proclaimed the 'City of Literature'. It is also known for it's nightlife, so obviously I had to go on a pub crawl. One thing I did not expect was for every pub to give you a complementary shot upon arrival, which was rude to refuse. So after I'd had enough I walked back to the hostel (picking up a big mac on the way) and managed to fall asleep in my drunken state.
The next morning we all staggered out of bed and hopped on the bus to our next destination: Zakopane. It is one of the cheapest places to ski in winter, and it also very beautiful. I stupidly didn't pack enough warm clothes (it was September, didn't think it would be that cold) and had to borrow some extra layers from people. It was freezing. And raining. And foggy. Basically, the weather was miserable and was terrible for photos. Nevertheless, Zakopane was stunning and ridiculously cheap!
Poland as a whole surprised me. Everything was cheap, the food was amazing (a lot of meat: ribs, steaks, sausages, etc.) and the people were very friendly. Poland is not somewhere that was very high up on my list of places to visit, but it really is culturally amazing. Defiantly worth a visit!
Aushwitz Concentraion Camp
Krakow
Zakpane
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