Poland

Hello from Warsaw!! Sorry I've been so terrible about updating lately - finding the time to sit down and do it is proving to be more and more difficult.

We've been in Poland for about a week now - we started out the trip in Krakow and then arrived in Warsaw yesterday. We leave here for Berlin on Friday night, via overnight train. In the words of our guide, Gabriel, we'd all better have a good sense of humor about the train - apparantly the compartments we have to sleep in are prettty tiny!

During our time in Krakow (which was absolutley beautiful!!) we focused on some pretty difficult topics. We spent a day visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau, and another day talking all about Communisim (not exactly bright, cheery subjects!!) I may go into it another time, but basically, going to Auschwitz was exhausting, draining, and horrifying. Mostly, though, it was absolutely surreal. To stand in the place where millions of people were murdered was indescribable. I've seen pictures of it and videos, but actually standing there was so surreal. It was peaceful and quiet, and completely terrifying.

The communism tour we took, on the other hand, was crazy! Literally, though - the company calls themselves the crazy guides. They picked us up in an old communist-era city bus (it looked like a giant red twinkie) and then took us to an old resturant where they fed us beet juice and little shots of vodka (at 10:30 in the morning - even the professors!). Then we toured the old communist part of the town with these crazy Polish guys...it was completely out of control. The weirdest part of the whole day, though, was that there is a film director making a documentary about the main guide of this company, Crazy Mike. So, they were filming our whole tour for this documentary - everywhere we were going there were all these camera men and sound men running around filming us, sticking cameras in our faces, and recording everything we were doing. It was ridiculous, but a much needed lighter day after going to Auschwitz.

The rest of the time in Krakow we spent visiting the Wawel (pronounced Vavel!) Castle and other sights of the city, and just enjoying the new beauty of the city. Also, enjoying capitalism and shopping :).

Today marks 7 weeks into this trip, and therefore 8 more to go. Can't believe I'm almost halfway done!!

I'll try again soon....keep your fingers crossed for free internet at the next hotel ;).

all my love...