The Golden Tiger

When the Czech president wanted to show Pres. Bill Clinton a traditional Czech brew, he took him to the "Golden Tiger" (trans.) in Stary Maestro, Praha. I'm happy to report that this afternoon, Brian & I squeezed ourselves into the modest pub between a German and a Czech couple. The Czech had one beer (Pilsner Urquell--the original pilsner beer) on a continously flowing tap, and two 0.5L mugs arrived on our table before we barely sat down. Somehow we shared in the fun with the fellow tablemates, who didn't speak any of the same languages. Brian and I finally tallied the hatchmarks and paid the tab, feeling that at last we had been to the mighty Czech Republic.

Today we made up for lost time, covering the town from Zizkov to Mala Strana. Tomorrow we're contemplating a move to somewhere in Bohemia, as yet undecided, followed by Slovakia. I should probably start figuring that out, so good night (or good afternoon, depending on your location) and more later.

Catching up to Prague

Ah, Europe, with your centuries of intricate history, hidden courtyards & coiled backalleys, myriad cultures in travel-sized countries, and predisposition to food poisoning. If I'm behind in posting, blame the unknown Polish toxin that had me bed-ridden for my first day in the Czech Republic. But no worries, I'm back on my feet, and tomorrow, the wide world of Prague awaits.

But to finish up Poland properly, here's few photos!

The hodgepodge of architecture styles of Wawel Castle & Cathedral. Here Polish saints, national heroes, & monarchs are entombed in the handsome church. We climbed to the top of the bell tower in the back for excellent view of Krakow on a clear winter day.



Krakow: A lazy lion on Market Square, the elaborate interior of 14th century St. Mary's Basilica, and Brian feeding swans on the River Vistula beneath Wawel Hill














We also visited Auschwitz and Birkenau, names synonymous with evil. The sites were not as well presented as the National Holocaust Museum in D.C., but the importance of visiting, perhaps, is simply realizing as you stand in the cold rain that yes, evil does exist and yes, this did happen to millions of people. That anyone could have survived seems impossible to me....

Electrified fences surrounded the bleak compounds. Many of the original structures were destroyed by the SS, who tried to hide the evidence of the "Final Solution" while they retreated. Four of the five crematoriums were dynamited, while Crematorium IV was burned down by the sole prisoner rebellion at Auschwitz.

Taken from the guard station over looking the train platform in Birkenau. Here in 1944, the Nazis rushed train cars full of Hungarian Jews to the gas chambers. Almost one half of all Jews killed at Auschwitz were Hungarian Jews gassed in a 10 week period during that summer.

Back in Krakow, we wandered Kazimierz, the old Jewish district with no more Jews. Throughout this part of the world, it seems to be a reoccurring theme. Here in Prague, we visited the Josevof district where tens of thousands of Jews used to live (including the famous Franz Kafka). Today, virtually no Jews remain.

More from Prague tomorrow.

Krakow for the young & young at heart

I'm writing from a computer that has a floppy drive (not a good sign) but is running Linux (slowly). We're at the "Bling Bling" Hostel, which name aside is in a great location for a great price. The reverse schedules of the serious travelers vs serious partiers is also very apparent here, and the clientel seems to be about 50/50 in that regard.

We arrived in Krakow yesterday and spent the day wandering Old Town, a mix of medieval architecture and history and a bustling cafe/club scene. Swarms of university students zoomed around Europe's largest market square, especially after dark, and people-watching was nearly as enjoyable as some of the attactions. Today we spent a sobering day at Auschwitz & Birkenau (Oswiecim, in the local tongue), where the Nazis systematically murdered 1.5 million men, women, & children.

Pictures will probably do a better job explaining the city & our short time in Poland than I will. That is, if this clunker can actually manage to upload them...nope, can't get it recognize my USB jump drive. There's a polite, subtle line for this sole tortoise of a computer, so I'll have to wait for another chance to mess around with it.

Tomorrow we're packing the day full of interesting Krakow sights, followed by the night train to Prague. Expect a long update / photos in a day or two!

First stop: Warsaw

I'm writing from a busy, cozy hostel common room where Poles are drinking tea and vodka (out of similar sized cups) and discussing who-knows-what in boisterous Polish. Everyone we've met since we arrived last night at the Frederic Chopin Airport has been incredibly helpful and quietly friendly.

Today: Under the sightly sinister Palace of Culture and Science, we explored the reconstructed city of Warsaw. Even after getting lost in a maze of name-changing streets and trams, we found the Warsaw Rising Museum, a proud and impressive record of the insurgency against Nazi occupiers in WWII. Sadly, many of the Polish Home Front Army were persecuted by Stalinists after the war's end.

We had a tasty lunch of fried meat dumplings and hunter's stew at Zgoda's Grill Bar; they make cabbage perfectly edible! Incredible!


Next we ventured further into the city's center and walked up Royal Way, past reconstructed monuments, churches, and the University of Warsaw. At the end of the boulevard, we toured the sumptuous interior of the Royal Castle (again, meticulously reconstructed after it was razed by the Germans during the Warsaw Rising).

After wandering around the sights and styles of Old Town, we grabbed a table at a local cafe and took a coffee break. With daylight fading, we stopped in at the National Museum and wandered around the diverse art collection (with middle-aged women sitting in the corners of every single room, watching us like hawks). Their section on Polish surrealism was pretty interesting; the piercing irony of Christmas 1944 in Auschwitz caught our attention.


It was dark by the time we were herded out of the museum by the staff that outnumbered visitors by a 100 to 1. Wandered back along the busy streets to the hostel and then did found our way to a nearby ex-pat hangout with live (and very decent) music for supper.

Tomorrow we take the train to Krakow, and our adventures continue.

A walking path in Old Town, Warsaw

Getting ready to go

Hello all! I'm currently in Maine, helping my brother pack up all his stuff for storage. He's headed to New Zealand for the semester, and since there's a month's gap between one semester and the other, we decided we should go backpacking.

Hence this trip (which begins in 26 short hours!)

Central & Eastern Europe