Krakow. Poland

Breaking routine posts I will start this log entry with details from the end of Krakow rather than the start.

I also write this log from a different location as my regular logs. In the past are traditionally written and posted from a higher altitude, generally typed up on the flight. The reason for this discrepancy was because I was incapitated on the flight. A 6:30 am flight and our last night in Krakow could only mean one thing – sleep was for the weak hearted.

Being extremely hungover we hit the bars one final time, one thing led to another, shots, vodka doubles, uni bars, stroking furry walls… We found ourselves at 3:30 AM throwing Maccerz nuggets at a police van, soft serve ice cream at the castle walls and a terrible tasting Cranberry pie at a tree. Paranoid we would miss our flight we quickly had our final Zapienkanka (Possibly the best Street food ever!) @david whilst directing a random to the binand encouraging him to pee in it, stating that’s how locals do it.

In our final hours we unleashed final havoc on the city.

Then headed to the Airport, in which our straight faces and red eyes were mistaken for exhaustion. We stumbled to the gate and took shifts of passing out. Finally we boarded and slept once again on the flight. Since this flight route to Budapest had a 1 hour layover we had to get off and change at Berlin. We awoke again blood shot eyed and dehydrated and boarded the next flight. I think my Co-Captain and I have come to the consensus that this journey was possibly the most tough and painful we had ever faced, simply due to us being very drunk and the lack of any sleep.

Now rewind a bit to the days that proceeded in Kraków.

This city for me resembled a ancient historical gem that had been chipped away at by atrocities over the years but still had a glimmer of shine, after a short time you can see how much the city has to offer, both historically and with the amazing student population that reside there.

Starting off with the Salt Mines my Co-Captain and I went 365 meters underground to visit one of the oldest operational Salt Mines in the world. The mine was mind blowing. Carvings and salt structures detailed and articulate, all cut out of salt blocks mined. The mines also housing the biggest underground church in the world…

The place was breathtaking.

We then visited possibly the most depressing places in the world the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. A place where 1.3 million people were executed. I don’t want to say too much about the gas chambers, crametoriams or the cell blocks since it unsettles me thinking about it. Walking through the environment and the details learnt from the tour can send chills down anyone’s back. The 6 hour tour we heard enough to make us physically sick. We returned home feeling somber and upset. This place is NOT for the weak hearted.

Following our tour we needed to change our moods and we headed out to join the Krawkow Crawl! To me I think this was one of the best crawls I have been to! This majorly has to do with the fact that the guys that run it are friends and just get really into it! A group of 3 guys just out having fun with randoms (sounds familiar?) The night was one of the best nights out. Might have to do with the shot platter, the epic 4 clubs we hit up, placing bets with randoms on who can make the bar tender smile, making some life long friends, and ending up on one of the clubs websites!

We leave Poland to head to the next student Party city Hungary we be hungry for your vodka. Ready or not Here we come!

KRAKOW: The city of lost smiles.