On the bus trip from Lithuania, I sat next to a Lithuanian college kid named Justin. He had spent a year working a construction job in England, so he spoke English very well. Justin and his four friends were traveling to Krakow for a chess tournament. They all have chess scholarships at one of the Lithuanian universities and occasionally travel to tournaments in neighboring countries. We had an interesting conversation about Lithuanian culture and their stereotypes of other nationalities.
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A movie – “Along Came Polly” (Jennifer Aniston & Ben Stiller) – was shown during the first half of the bus ride. Something interesting about watching English-language movies in Lithuania: Instead of using subtitles or fully dubbing the language into Lithuanian, they turn the soundtrack down to about half volume and then use just one person to translate everything that’s being said (overlaid with a louder soundtrack). So you hear the English (softly), as well as the translator’s voice over-top. .
A movie – “Along Came Polly” (Jennifer Aniston & Ben Stiller) – was shown during the first half of the bus ride. Something interesting about watching English-language movies in Lithuania: Instead of using subtitles or fully dubbing the language into Lithuanian, they turn the soundtrack down to about half volume and then use just one person to translate everything that’s being said (overlaid with a louder soundtrack). So you hear the English (softly), as well as the translator’s voice over-top. .
The bus stopped every 60-90 minutes throughout the night to let people off or on. And each time the bus stopped, half of the occupants filed off for a smoke break… so due to frequent interruptions and non-reclining seats, I didn’t get a lot of sleep on the bus ride. I arrived in Krakow at around 6am on December 27.
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I had booked a hostel online and (with a map and a little assistance from an info desk) was able to walk there from the bus station. I ate breakfast with several other hostellers before I took a four-hour nap. One of my breakfast companions was an American woman named Silvana, who is currently serving a two-year term in the Peace Corps in Romania. Around ten of her Peace Corps-Romania comrades were also staying in Krakow for a week – most at our hostel and a few at a different place. Since I had the Peace Corps experience in common with them, and since they were nice folks, we hit it off well and chummed around together for much of my Krakow visit.
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I had booked a hostel online and (with a map and a little assistance from an info desk) was able to walk there from the bus station. I ate breakfast with several other hostellers before I took a four-hour nap. One of my breakfast companions was an American woman named Silvana, who is currently serving a two-year term in the Peace Corps in Romania. Around ten of her Peace Corps-Romania comrades were also staying in Krakow for a week – most at our hostel and a few at a different place. Since I had the Peace Corps experience in common with them, and since they were nice folks, we hit it off well and chummed around together for much of my Krakow visit.
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On my first evening in Krakow, I joined the Peace Corps crowd to a bar that one of their American friends who currently lives in Krakow recommended. It was great little pub with a back room, where locals played their guitars and sang their favorite folk songs and sea shanties. Some of the music was quite beautiful and haunting. Here’s a pic and a sample clip from the jam session (sorry, the sound quality is poor).
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Krakow musicians having a folk music jam
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On my second day in Krakow, I went with Silvana and a French hostel friend to visit the concentration camps at Auschwitz. It was sobering experience and one that I don’t regret having, but I think I would rather visit at a time when there were not quite so many tourists. There were huge mobs of people trying to see the site, so it was very noisy and bustling with lots of activity… it was, therefore, a little hard for me to feel particularly meditative or emotional about what I was seeing or what it represented. It was also nostril-hairs-bitter-freezing cold that day, so it was a little tough to think about much besides how cold my hands and ears were. But part of the plight of the camp prisoners was getting through the fiercely cold winters... so from that standpoint, I guess I got a more “realistic” taste of the camps than if I’d gone during a more comfortable time of the year.
On my second day in Krakow, I went with Silvana and a French hostel friend to visit the concentration camps at Auschwitz. It was sobering experience and one that I don’t regret having, but I think I would rather visit at a time when there were not quite so many tourists. There were huge mobs of people trying to see the site, so it was very noisy and bustling with lots of activity… it was, therefore, a little hard for me to feel particularly meditative or emotional about what I was seeing or what it represented. It was also nostril-hairs-bitter-freezing cold that day, so it was a little tough to think about much besides how cold my hands and ears were. But part of the plight of the camp prisoners was getting through the fiercely cold winters... so from that standpoint, I guess I got a more “realistic” taste of the camps than if I’d gone during a more comfortable time of the year.
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Entrance Gate to Auschwitz #1: "Arbeit macht frei" [Work makes one free]
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Bitter cold Auschwitz camp #2
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On my third day in Krakow, I wandered around the town alone, taking pictures, and then went out for dinner with the Peace Corps group. I had to leave early in the morning on a train for Prague, so I didn’t stay out late partying with them. The PC bunch was a really nice group of people, and spending time with them made my Krakow visit very enjoyable. Plus, Krakow is a beautiful city with a lot of charm and plenty to see, so I recommend it as a vacation destination. And the hostel where I stayed -- Flamingo Hostel – was also great, so I highly recommend it as well.
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Wawel Royal Castle in Krakow
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View of the Krakow from the castle wall
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Wistula River from the castle hill
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Indian food dinner with the Peace Corps-Romania crew (photo by Silvana Guberti)
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Krakow's Old Town at night
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Main square and stage where the New Years Eve festivities would take place (a few days later)
