Poland

Polish Charlotte

            The only way I can truly describe Poland is: Poland 1 Mary 0.  There were so many things about this country that just beat me up.  And it's not that I don't like Poland, it just seems that Poland and Mary were not meant to be.  This could have been on account of the cold, a devil rental car or maybe the sad experience of visiting Auschwitz.  Regardless, I don't see myself going back at all any time soon.  **To englarge pictures, click on them**

Wawel Castle - Krakow

             We start with a horror movie looking train.  Not only were we taking a night train into Poland, but it seems this train car was going to swallow us whole.  It was the only train car that seemed completely rusted and only had half of the lights working with nice little creeks and squeaks with every step.  From that moment on, I'm pretty sure I knew I wasn't going to like Poland.  But luckily we got to Krakow safe and sound at a crisp 600 am.  Of course the mall (with wifi) was not open until 8am, so the train station bathroom it was.  We paid 2 "polish monies" to use their bathroom for a good hour making humans of our disgusting selves.  But these two hours in the morning was vital for all of Poland's planning.

Krakow

             We spent the day in cold cold Krakow.  We spent the day going to church, going in a famous Pope John Paul II church and then going in a famous old church...with a relic of Pope John Paul II.  Did you know that Poland is super Christian?  Krakow seemed like a place that would be gorgeous in the summer, but it was just so cold.  We learned a lot of about the history than we ever imagined.  Poland has truly been through so much, you wouldn't know where to begin.

              Before we knew it, we were hoping on a train to the airport to pick up our car.  We were going to go manual since we were ladies on a budget, but it was night time...in Poland...in the winter.  So, we went with automatic and started the first of our many car adventures.  We were given a good ol' Chevy with a GPS and were headed out.  We got lost, GPS helped us and in an hour we were in Osweicim.  We were staying with missionaries that Katie had a connection to and they couldn't have been more lovely.  We had real beds and our own shower and free food.

Auschwitz Gate

              We got up the next day and made our way to the Auschwitz camp.  We decided to hire our own tour guide.  Having our own personal tour guide was probably the best decision we could have made.  We bought a tour booklet, but the information the tour guide gave us, along with the opportunity to ask questions was well worth any amount we paid.  Coming from a whole semester worth of Holocaust and World War Two related classes made this trip something I couldn't miss.  I was given the opportunity to complete the puzzle, put all the pieces together and go full circle on so much I had learned and experienced in my first semester in Israel and Hands of Peace.  I was taken completely aback.

Auschwitz

              The reality that so many people faced and the hardship and utter hate there was is unfathomable.  I truly wanted to cry in every room we stepped in, but I don't think I could.  There were cases filled with hair.  And not a fish tank sized case, a complete wall sized case with hair that was shaved off.  There were dolls and shoes and eyeglasses.  There were pictures with flowers put next to them, meaning family and friends had been back.  That struck me the most because there were still every day connections.  Walking through not just Auschwitz, but Auschwitz - Birkenau where the infamous gas chambers were.  Everything was just brought to life in a matter of 4 hours...that apparently usually only takes 2.

Auschwitz

             There are also a lot of things about the Holocaust that many don't realize.  Around 11 to 12 million people died.  About 5 million of the people that perished were disabled, homosexuals, priests or other religious figures, and political prisoners.  You also learn that roughly 3 million out of the 11 were from Poland.

Auschwitz - Birkenau

             And because of this, everyone is connected to the Holocaust.  So many people have accused me of being disconnected from this or that it doesn't affect me personally.  But even if the Holocaust consisted of one group being persecuted, because I am a human being, I am connected.  The atrocities that happened are grotesque and shameful for all of mankind.  This is not something to be owned by anyone or any people.  Visiting showed me how shaken the whole world was by this.  I am connected, we all are, and don't tell me I'm not.

             After that, Katie drove us the 5 hours to Warsaw in our rental car.  I was so anxious the whole time that I think I gained a six-pack from the perpetual flexing and said so many Hail Mary's that Katie was even proud of me for praying, even though it was because I was scared of her driving.  Rain, windy roads and night time.  Not a good combo for me.  Then we were locked out of the building we were staying in at 2 am in the ghetto part of the city.  The last straw was when I completely wiped out on a patch of ice with my 20 pound pack on the next day.  Yep, done with Poland.

Poland 1 Mary 0

Devil Rental Car