Days 53-56 - Hamburg and Back to Amsterdam

Four days without a post?  Has it really been that long?  By now you have probably assumed that I am lying in a ditch somewhere in the European wilderness.  Actually I am in the library in Amsterdam using their free internet (a rarity in Europe.)  So how did I end up here?

I believe last time I posted there was one day left in Hamburg.  Unbeknownced to me, I had already been to all of the tourist sights in the city so after a walk around the downtown area it was time to solve an important mystery.  Does the word hamburger come from Hamburg?  It turns out that it does.  When people emigrated from Hamburg they brought with them a local dish, the Hamburg steak.  This is in fact the basis for the modern hamburger, although what we eat today does not really resemble the steak. 

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The last night at the hostel I met some guys from Germany and then stayed awake to watch the Giants game.


The Germans and the Giant's fan

In what is fast becoming a recurring theme it was time to figure out where I was headed next.  My four main choices were Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Berlin and Frankfurt.  I'd already been to Berlin, Copenhagen was too far out of the way and Amsterdam easily trumps Frankfurt.  Another six hours of travel landed me in the city.  Here are some highlights from the last forty-eight hours. 

Awesome art - I hope they aren't useable

As you may remember, the Dutch love their bikes.  Below is the largest bike rack I have ever seen.



During my first visit I stayed mostly around the canals and did not make it to the harbor.  I went this time and found that it is an incredibly relaxing place to sit and watch the boats pass.

Below is the bench I sat on in the harbor.  Normally I would not include a bench but this one had to be in here because it was actually comfortable.  To whoever invented the "I put the end of this at the perfect height to give you lower back pain" park bench in the US, take notice. 

Spending a day with three New Yorker's has made Amsterdam significantly more enjoyable.  It has also allowed me to be in some photos for the first time in a about a week.

The famous "I amsterdam" letters

The Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum are nearby "I amsterdam" so we (the New Yorker's and I) paid them a visit.
  

The Van Gogh Museum

The Rijksmuseum

We also went to the Heineken Brewery together.  I had already been but to be honest it was nice to have the company of some other Americans. 

The shadows were wierd - I still have eyes

There has been a lot more but when I'm trying to summarize four days its hard to stay on track.  Besides, I have to save some stories for when I'm home. 

I leave Amsterdam tomorrow so I'll be figuring out where I'm headed tonight.  I have to be in Rome on October 8th so going south is probably the best idea.

Scott

Days 50-52 - The 48 Hour Day and an Afternoon at the Port

I ended my last post by saying that I did not know where I was heading next.  The hostels were booked solid in Warsaw and I did not want to head any further east so Berlin became the logical destination.  I was told at the train station that the only way to get from Krakow to Berlin was through Warsaw so I prepared myself for a long day of travel.

Having stayed up extremely late to watch the Giants destroy the Cubs, I easily fell asleep on the train.  Apparently we had been delayed somewhere as I rested but of course all the announcements were in Polish/German so I had no idea.  At the arrival time on my ticket the train pulled into a station that said Warsaw and I disembarked.  I soon figured out that I was at a station on the outskirts of Warsaw and I could not find a person that spoke any English.  The only way I got to the main station was by pointing repeatedly at the destination on my train ticket until a taxi driver figured it out.  To make a long story somewhat shorter, I did get to see Warsaw from a taxi and let's just say I'm happy the hostels were booked.

Fast forward to the main Warsaw station.  I now have a ticket to Berlin for a train that arrives at 10:30 pm and no sleeping accommodations booked.  There was no time to get online in Warsaw and the train had no Internet.  However there was this wonderfully translated sign on the train:

Berlin was serving as more of a transfer hub for this journey so the decision was made to forgo a hostel and find a train out of the city.  There was a 4:30 am train to Hamburg and that is the only reason I am in Hamburg right now.

How did I pass the hours?  For the first couple I walked around Berlin because I hadn't really seen the main city at night during my first visit.

Brandenburg Gate at night

Exhausted I went back to the train station and fell asleep on my backpack.  Soon a nice guy who was missing a front tooth and had Big Berlin tattooed on his neck woke me up and tried to offer me the McChicken from his pocket.  The McDonalds had closed an hour ago so who knows how long it had been in there.  I did manage to get some sleep in the station and on the train.  Before I knew it morning had come and I was in Hamburg.  I found a hostel online, put my bag in a locker and set out to see the city.

The first stop was St. Nikolai, a church first constructed in 1195.  Like most of the city it was bombed during WWII and all that remains today is the spire.

The red in the map above indicates areas of Hamburg that were at least 50-70% destroyed during WWII.

The spire of St. Nikolai

Next was the St. Michaelis Church.  I climbed all 462 steps (but who's counting) to the top of the spire.  It is actually one of the tallest things in the city so the view was great.

St. Michaelis

The Old Town Hall was the next stop before checking into the hostel.  I slept until the next morning, only getting up for dinner.

Old Town Hall

Finally feeling rested again it was time for more sightseeing.  I went to the port area and the first stop was the CAP San Diego.  This ship was mainly used for immigration and shipping of goods between Hamburg and America.

CAP San Diego

I also toured U-434 today.

I never realized how confined U-Boats are inside, especially the doorways.  There were very few places where I could stand upright and I cannot imagine being under the sea for days in such a vessel.

The gigantic doorway

On the walk home I saw this:

 

You might look at this picture and think it's a man in a bunny suit sweeping up a giant pile of bottle caps.  That is exactly what it is.  I have no explanation for what is going on in this picture.

Scott

Days 48 and 49 - The Trip to Wieliczka Salt Mine and Sleep

I have been feeling a bit under the weather for the last week so I used my free day in Krakow for movie watching and sleep.  Yesterday I was actually productive and visited the salt mine just outside of Krakow.  Wieliczka (do not ask me to pronounce it) is one of the oldest producing salt mines in the world and has been rated the number one tourist attraction in Krakow.

On my way to the tour meeting spot I came across some sort of police display.  The officers were showing off their drug sniffing dogs by creating scenarios and making the dogs find various contraband.

 
I saw about 30 minutes of the show and cheered along with everyone else as the dogs found everything from cigarettes to cocaine.  I had to leave because of the tour so I made my way to the See Krakow office.   

After a forty-five minute bus ride we arrived at the salt mine.

I had no idea what to expect from the mine.  I soon found out that to get to the first level of the tour we had to descend thirty-seven stories worth of stairs.

Looking down through the center of the staircase we could not see the bottom

The walk ended and it was time to see what the mine had to offer.  The first chamber we toured had various figures carved into the salt.

 
Apparently miners carved all of the statues during their free time.  With a dangerous ladder to the surface (where the staircase is now) it was easier to simply stay in the mine and carve.  The air in the salt mine is actually better than the air on the surface, unlike a coal mine, so there was no detriment to remaining inside. 

The tour guide demonstrating ancient mining methods

The original methods of mining were primitive since the mine opened in the 13th century.  Four people would spend their days walking in circles to haul the salt upwards.  Horses were soon introduced in the mine to perform such tasks.  It was extremely dangerous to haul the horses to the surface so the horses would actually spend their entire lives without setting a hoof outside of the mine.

A salt statue

You may be wondering why the statues are not white if they are made of salt.  The answer is that the amount of natural and artificial light in the mine is not enough to make them appear translucent.  A statue like the one above would glow with a powerful spotlight behind it.

The song of the miners

The only time one sees white in the mine is if there is moisture.  In the picture above seeping water has caused salt crystals to form.

The miners were extremely religious and consequently carved chapels into the salt.  Wood was then placed over many of the carved areas and painted.  The entire chapel in the photo contains original wood and even the original coat of paint.  The salt preserves the wood and the timber. 

The Last Supper carved into a salt wall

When UNESCO created its World Heritage list the salt mine was added amonst the original twelve.  Below is a salt carving with gold leaf commemorating the inclusion.  The Krakow city center is also on the list. 

The tourist route of the mine reaches the depth of four-hundred feet and covers only one percent of the mine.  There are also underground lakes that contain more salt than the dead sea.  It is impossible to dive in the salty water and people have actually died underneath capsized boats.

Two more random facts: the mine was home to the first underground bungee jump and first underground hot air balloon flight.  This link has pictures of the balloon flight and bungee jump in the mine

I enjoyed my visit to the mine and it was nice to get away from WWII for the day.

Tomorrow I had planned on heading to Warsaw but the hostels are mostly full.  I still might go but could also change my mind at the train station.  I really have no idea where I will be going tomorrow but I am leaving Krakow.

Scott

Day 47 - Krakow City Tour

Today I went on seven hours worth of walking tours with three women from Australia.  The first tour was of royal Krakow while the second tour was based around the old Jewish ghetto.  With seven hours of information to sift through it would be impossible to write a complete post but some highlights are below.

The Basilica of St. Mary

This 13th century church is located on Main Market Square, the center of Krakow.  Every hour a trumpet plays a brief song in each direction, continuing a tradition from medieval times.  Many did not have clocks so the trumpet was the way to know another hour had passed.  Today it is a mere formality but all businesses on the square must legally turn off their music when the trumpet sounds. 

Old Town Hall

Above is the tower from the Old Town Hall, which was initially constructed in the 14th century.  The tower is the only remaining piece and today functions as a museum.

JP2 in the window

When John Paul II used to come back to Poland he would always stay in the room in this picture.  Since his death an image of him has been placed in the window and the room is largely unused.  John Paul II was the only Polish pope in the last 500 years and he is still a great source of Polish pride.

Resting place of kings

The crypt above houses the remains of many Polish kings.  Lech Kaczynski (the Polish President who died in the recent plane crash) has joined other Polish rulers and is now buried within.  His resting place is part of Wawel Castle, one of the most famous landmarks in Krakow.

The fire-breathing dragon at Waweł Castle spits fire every five minutes.  It was built because it is a character of a Polish legend and I have included it because anything that breathes fire deserves a place in this blog.

And now onto the depressing old Jewish ghetto.  Before WWII there were 65,000 Jews living in Krakow.  62,000 of them died in The Holocaust and today there are only 97 Jews living in the area.  However the area is not abandoned as cheap developers snatched up the land, renovated the buildings and have turned the place into the most modern district of of Krakow.

Above is the monument to The Holocaust.  It is located on what is believed to be the oldest Jewish cemetery.  (Apparently I have been spelling cemetery wrong my whole life.  Thank you mom for telling me it is not spelled cemetary.)

Ghetto Heroes Square

The chairs in Ghetto Heroes Square are all that cover this awful stretch of land.  Jewish people were gathered here by Nazi officers and promised a better life if they followed them onto the trains.  They were of course sent straight to the gas chambers.  Nazi officers also held contests here where they would challenge crippled people to see who could run to a finish line the fastest.  Once they got to the finish line, which was out of sight of the other people, they were all shot and killed.

Above is a plaque on the outside of the factory of Oskar Schindler, which has been turned into a museum.  This is of course the same Schindler from Schindlers List and the movie was actually shot in the factory.

Between WWII and 50 years of communism you would think that Krakow would be an extremely depressing place.  I actually like the city and appreciate how it is willing to display some of its ugly history.  As George Santaya said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

Scott

Days 45 and 46 - Auschwitz-Birkenau and NFL Sunday

As you would expect Auschwitz was a moving experience.  It is impossible to describe the emotions that ran through my head but I think the plaque below best sums up the experience. 

Auschwitz is actually comprised of three different compounds.  Birkenau is one such compound and is where a vast majority of the killing took place.

The train platform at Birkenau

The train tracks in the picture above dead end just behind where I was standing.  The tracks were constructed for the sole reason of bringing the victims closer to the gas chambers so there was no need to extend the tracks.

A train would arrive at this platform and the people would then be asked to line up by gender.  A doctor would walk by and hand select those individuals who looked to be good workers.  The rest (all the children, most of the women and some of the men) would then be told to walk to the shower building.   After they all disrobed and went into the room a metal door would slam shut and Cyclone B would be released into the chamber.

An old gas chamber at Birkenau, destroyed before the liberation of camp

The gas chambers were situated below ground, as you may have noticed in the photo above.  The purpose of this was to muffle the crying, screaming and yelling coming from the victims within.  Contrary to popular belief the gas did not kill the victims quickly.  It took twenty minutes for the inescapable fate to be realized.

Actual cans of Cyclone B that were used by the SS

After the gas was cleared from the chamber the bodies were cremated.  At the heighth of the killing around one thousand bodies were being burned per day.  This was the longest step in the process and its length is the reason that more people were not murdered.

Birkenau  was so well planned because it was built after Auschwitz so the SS was able to correct its mistakes.  For instance the gas chamber at Auschwitz was built above ground near the residences of the prisoners. 

Auschwitz gas chamber

Initially Auschwitz did not use Czclone B for its executions.  The first victims of the camp were killed in a myriad of ways, including death by firing squad.

The firing wall

After a person was murdered his possesions were sorted and stacked by type.  The items would be distributed to army members since supplies were short during the war.  

A stack of eye glasses from the victims

I would continue but I think you have gotten a good sense of the atrocities that took place at Auschwitz-Birkneau.  It is hard to imagine such a mass extermination but reading some accounts of the victims personalized the experience. 
 
On a much, much, much lighter note it also happened to be Sunday yesterday.  After the trip to Auschwitz all we wanted to do was watch football and stop thinking about what we had just seen for a while.  I set off with ten students from the University of New Hampshire to find a bar that would turn on American football.  After a long trek we found an Irish pub that set us up with our own TV and we watched the whole slate of games.  The low point of the experience was when Tom Brady fumbled to seal the loss, as the UNH students are Patriots fans. 

Luckily the Bears decided to not be awful for once so I got to sing Bear Down a few times.

Day 46

Today has been kind of a nothing day because I was up so late watching football.  I am taking it easy, doing some laundry and resting up for the six hour walking tour of Krakow tomorrow.  I have really liked what I have seen of this city so far and after tomorrow I should have a better sense of the area.

The people I have met here have treated me like royalty as soon as I have mentioned that I am from Chicago. I have yet to meet a local who does not have a relative there, as there are actually more Polish people in Chicago than in Krakow.

Scott

Days 43 and 44 - My 22nd Birthday in Prague and the Trip to Krakow

If you read my last post you know that I decided to go skydiving for my 22nd birthday.  Luckily I survived.  Actually it was a pretty safe experience and it makes sense because if people were dying the tour would not be around.

After a one hour car trip to the Czech countryside our group arrived at a small airport in the middle of nowhere.  We were given five minutes of instruction and then it was time to put on the jumpsuit.  There were nine of us in the group and we had to be split up into three different groups.  With a personal cameraman and tandem jumper for each of us, we could only go three at a time.  I was in the final group and before I knew it it was time to walk to the plane.

The walk to the plane with my instructor

 The plane had twin prop engines and it was a windy day so the ascent was a bit bumpy.  When your nervous already this does not steady your nerves.  All of a sudden the plane levels off, the garage door opens and it is time to jump.   

The why am I doing this face

What an awesome photo

It was a bit windy during the 200 km an hour free fall

The graceful landing

Success

To make a long story short, skydiving was a great experience.  Unlike spelunking I was actually able to enjoy the event while it was happening.  What a great way to remember turing 22.  Thank you to my mom for making this my birthday present after the fact.  I enjoy that she waited until I was safely back on the ground to make the offer just in case something went wrong. 

On the way home I had the pleasure of seeing the largest collection of keys in the world.  Looks like I can cross two things off of the bucket list.   

Made entirely of keys

No birthday would be complete without a trip to a five story club, so that is exactly where three Canadian women and I went to celebrate the remaining portion of my birthday.  Each floor had a different type of music playing so it was constantly entertaining, especially because the Candians would not let me pay for anything.

The extremely politically incorrect name for the rap floor

One of the Canadians in the fog waterfall

 We left around 6 am and I had to be up for my train to Krakow by 8 am.  Somehow I managed to make this train although I had to sprint through the station with my backpack.

The trip here was ridiculous.  First I found a seat and set out in search of food.  Of course the place on the train where the food car was supposed to be located just was not there. I asked about the bar car and was told they just did not have one on this train.  When I returned to my seat disheartened I checked the schedule to see how long I had until Krakow.  The stop was not listed so I asked somebody working on the train which stop it was.  Apparently I was one the wrong half of the train.  Halfway through the trip they split the train in half, with the front going to Poland and the back going to Slovakia.  Uhhhhhhhhhh was all I could say back to that information.

I found a seat on the Polish side and then found out my Eurail pass is not valid in Poland.  I told the man I was going to Krakow and he sold me a ticket.  I got off at the station on the ticket only to find out I was not in Krakow.  Here I was a sleep deprived man alone in some random city in Eastern Europe.  Somehow I found a bus here and arrived a full twelve hours after I had left.

The plan is to rest up tonight and take a Krakow city tour tomorrow.

Scott

My apologies for any typos.  Today I am typing on an American keyboard set up for Polish.  For instance, when I press the letter z, y appears on the screen.  I cannot wait to use my laptop again.