Day 69 Krakow and Auschwitz

Hey folks, this one is pretty much going to sound like I wrote it as two different people... I'm here as a tourist, but I've also been made a witness to the horrors of the holocaust, and it is pretty humbling.

The castle on the hill.

Beautiful Krakow.

I did the really awesome Free Walking Tour of Krakow the second day here. I had tried to make it out the night before, and cheap vodka combined with a distinct two month lack of drinking made that a pipe dream... I called it quits quietly before the gang in the hostel went out. Martinis did taste real nice after my hiatus though!

Touching the Chakra.

The Famous Dragon.

The tour took me all around the main Market Square, and over to the old University. We finished up on top of the castle hill, where one of the 7 Earth Chakras are rumoured to exist. The state, being Christian, has walled the area off, and put poster boards along the outer boundaries to discourage people from "charging:" themselves, but the paint is still blackened from those who seek to touch the energy. It was neat, and I stood there for a short while to see if it felt different from the rest of the courtyard. There was even a guard standing there to discourage us from spending too much time in the vicinity... talk about an overreaction! I met a cool Argentinian friend who was also doing the tour alone, and we had a good time discovering the Old Town.

I took it easy that night, forgoing Sangria Night at Mama's Hostel, which by the way is EXCELLENT! Amazing staff and location, plus very clean. I documented the journey and hit bed early. I made a few friends, some Aussies (featured later) and a great Brazilian friend named Diego, who decided to join me in my journey to Auschwitz the next morning.

Fences at Birkenau

The Gate: "Arbeit Macht Frei"

Infamous gate through which trains went.

We woke up early, and after breakfast headed to the bus station, catching a minibus to Oswiecim. An hour and half journey brought us to the museum gates, where we signed up with a tour group, and collected our headsets. I knew going into the experience that it would be heavy, but it outweighed my expectations. The ironic sign outside the main gates, "Work Makes You Free," was the first indication that I was fully unprepared for the weight of the camp. The fact that a premeditated form of extermination was hard labour was something I had never thought of - I had always assumed that it was a by-product of Nazi Germany's need for workers. Rather, I learned, it was a real and encouraged form of murder. The barracks, especially the punishment blocks, were really hard to go through. It is impossible to imagine the kind of horrors people underwent, and really has to be seen to even believe at times. I have learned about that history in high school, and even in University, but the reality seems so much more bleak. How people survived with their lives and their faith is a testament to the human constitution, and not one possessed by many. I am in utter awe of those who risked their lives to provide evidence, and who instigated resistance movements against all odds.

After the tour, which brought us face to face with some of the personal effects of survivors, Diego and I caught a bus home in silence. Both Auschwitz I, and Auschwitz II - Birkenaue are jarring, and the monuments and bombed crematoriums leave many with the same shell-shocked disposition. I was glad to have our tour guide, as she was very informative and a good beacon when wondering which foot to put in front of the other. It was crazy to see how worn the steps in the exhibits are, from all the thousands of footfalls that have come to witness and pay their respects.

Memorial to the victims and murdered.

Memorial at Birkenau.

I took a few hours after the day trip to reset myself. I showered, packed and then ventured back out into the hostel. There was quite a few fun people about, including the Aussies I'd run into the night before. We all started talking and hanging out, and I eventually broke out the Canadian themed cards. We headed out soon after, and I found myself the lone Canadian in a posse of about 8 Australians equally separated between the genders. The place to be was the Cien Club, which had a selection of pop or techno tunes, and set the stage for a bit of hilarity. The boys unsuccessfully tried to pick up, while the only girl who managed to bag a conquest was the only other one with a boyfriend... so much for loyalty. Ah well, can't very well be the judge and jury as a lone ranger, but either way I certainly have my own conduct accounted for. Tomorrow I'm up early to catch the bus to the border town of Cieszyn, from which I'll hoof it across the Czech border to a train station and resume my progress to Prague. I am assured that this is the absolute cheapest way to go about it, so adventuring I go. I'm meeting David there tomorrow night, and Carolina, a volunteer from another project in Kenya has offered to let us stay with her Sunday and Monday night. I am excited to get to know the city, which I have heard amazing things about from other travellers.

I'm off to bed now, having gotten back from the club prudently before the others in anticipation of my early trip tomorrow. I need to suss out a pair of winter boots, as my ballerina flats are simply not cutting it anymore... Prague awaits, and I'm sure I'll have some interesting things to mull over on my way to dreamland.

I love you all.