Trip to Krakow(Oct 5 - 7)
Krakow - the ancient capital of Poland, where the kings lived and the only major city here to come through World war II mostly unscathed...
1st Stop: Salt mine at Wieliczka.
Inside the mine, we entered various chambers filled with chapels and statues carved by the miners during their free time, and underground lakes as well.
Square at old town. Bigger and better than the old town in Warsaw.
Candy floss
The Rynek Glowny looks lovely at night.
Inside lies a marketplace that houses several stalls selling accessories and souvenirs.
Kosciol Mariacki
See the window on the taller tower partially covered by the shadows?
Legend has it that the early Tartar raids, a watchman positioned there saw invaders approaching and used his trumpet to alarm the rest. His warning was, however, cut short by a Tartar arrow that pierced through his throat. This legend therefore lives on, where every hour, a lone trumpeter plays the bugle call and halts abruptly at the precise point where the watchman was supposed to have been hit
Mother and child seated at the church entrance
Church interior
Wawel Castle
View of Krakow from bell tower of the church
Hae Ran, Jesus, and me.
Fire performers
Lody time again! 2 zloty for a huge scoop!
Jewish District
Decided to explore the jewish district after we checking out of the hostel.
Fresh food stalls
True blue flea market. Selling vintage cameras, old passports and other neat stuff.
Unscramble this.
Dream car!
Auschwitz Concentration Camp
This was the place where many Jews all over Europe were transported too. Many were deceived by Nazi propaganda thinking that they were on their way to seek work in German factories or farms. After a torturous journey in sealed goods or cattle trucks, the dazed survivors were inspected and divided into two categories. The "fit" and "unfit". Those placed in the latter category (up to 75 percent of them) were told that they had to take a bath. They were then ordered to undress and then herded into the "shower room", and gassed with the deadly "Cyclon B", through the ceiling attachments. Valuables like earrings, gold tooth fillings and even hair were stripped from the dead bodies before they were thrown into the furnaces and cremated.
Yes I saw the gas chamber for myself, and the crematorium as well. It was horrible to imagine anyone put in this gruesome fate.
German saying of "Work makes one free". What a tragic irony.
Some prisoners were tied to the post and left to die
Others were shot at this wall
Death sentence was a slow painful process where most died from exhaustion and hunger.
Dinner at Mcdonalds. Check out my Big and Tasty Bekon Burger sizing up the fillet-o-fish.
Burger under siege!
I think Krakow is pretty. And after the trip I feel better exposed to and more informed on various forms of architecture like Renaissance, Gothic, and Baroque. Still, I look forward to Prague.