Kraków

So we decided to try a night train to Kraków (Ryan and my first night train experience).... what an interesting way to travel!


We actually purchased 'first class' tickets since they didn't have enough second class tickets where we would all be sitting together. First class wasn't much different than second class...maybe a little more room but otherwise it seemed about the same. Our train ride was about 7 hours long going from around 2230 to 0530.... unfortunately we didn't save much by not having a room for the night since the difference from purchasing the first class ticket was similar in price to a night in a hostel.... but it was something we wanted to try. It was surprisingly hard to sleep on a train... you can't have your legs stretched out because there are people facing you on the other side of the compartment who need their leg room too. Randomly, people came into our compartment ALL night.... the dudes checking our tickets came about three times.... a guy trying to sell us stuff came in once... a super drunk lady and her boyfriend came in and yelled at us a few times.... it was a really weird night. Although I didn't feel like I got much sleep the time flew by and before I knew it we were arriving at our destination. We booked a hostel thinking we would be able to check-in early but then found out we couldn't check-in until later in the afternoon. So like any tired backpacker would do... we passed out on the reception lounge couches. =)

After a few hours Ryan and Stacy made me get up and walk around.... I was miserably tired and would have rather stayed on the couches.... but after breakfast I pepped up a bit. We wandered around for a bit through the medieval town square and royal castle which had a cool cathedral that we could walk through.

Arrived in Krakow! 

Empty streets ... only because it was 6am.

Castle

We found a leaky cauldron! We were too stuffed from breakfast to go in though...

After wandering around we decided to go back to the hostel and see if we could check-in again (even though we were still earlier than the designated check-in time. Luckily they let us have our beds! So we took some showers and they took a little cat nap =).

When we awoke our bunk mate (Kevin) happened to walk in and we did our introductions. He invited us to join him and another hostel mate (Gabriel) to go to the salt mines (which we were planning on doing a different day). We decided to join them and quickly got ready. The hostel mates had a instruction guide on how to get to the salt mines but unfortunately it wasn't very specific so Stacy took charge of getting us to where we needed to go. We took a celebratory picture when we reached the bus stop that we needed since it felt like eternity to find it!

Celebratory bus stop pic!

We HAD to do a group tour to enter the mines.... usually Ryan and I shy away from anything tour related since they generally cost more, luckily our student IDs are still going strong and got us a discount! The tour took us 130 meters below ground! We had to use these stairs to get down there...

The tour was actually a lot more fun than we expected to be! We've never been in a mine before and I think the sheer vastness of it was amazing. The tour took us through 'room' that had salt sculptures and machinery that was used when the mines were in operation.

The end of the stairs.

Man powered machinery

Salt Chandelier 

Salt Rock Carvings 

Pope

After our tour we headed back to the hostel and changed quickly then headed to dinner. So far all of the food we've eaten in Poland has been delicious! After dinner we went for drinks..... OF COURSE that stinking' 4 zloty beer bar was in Krakow too.... so we had a few rounds. After this bar we went to a 'disco club'... I saw a sign that said disco and I REALLY wanted to check out a disco... apparently that only means 'club', but it was still fun. Stacy made us dance.... we met some cool people from the UK.. and drank some more. Next we went to check out a Karaoke bar... I made the unfortunate mistake mentioning to Kevin that I always like singing Bohemian Rhapsody when drinking. He signed me up. Lucky for me everyone else in the place likes that song a much as I do (which is usually the case, but I didn't know if Polish people would be familiar with the song)! Our whole crew was standing and  singing and everyone else in the room seemed to be dancing and singing along.. It was pretty awesome.  It was a fun night.

The next day we went to Auschwitz... I don't know what to say that people don't already know about the place (the Nazi concentration camp where more than A MILLION people were murdered... the majority being Jewish people). It was a very culturally enriching but somber experience.

Map of Auschwitz

Train car that would have been full of people being transported here.

Gas Chamber/Crematorium 

Meadow where cremated ashes would be placed

German phrase: Work sets you free

After Auschwitz we were physically and mentally beat... so we headed back to the hostel and then out to dinner. During this time Ryan and I decided to book the cheapest flight ANYWHERE.... so we are now heading to Paris, France!! We are sitting at the airport now waiting to board.... we are going to go to the Disney France park and we are SUPER excited! =D We are sad to leave Poland because we have grown to love it so much... this will definitely not be our last time here.

Stay tuned for some Paris posts!