The Awesome Poland Adventure (Part 3/3)
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Hello folks, the cool cats are all napping right now so here I am telling stories about us being in Poland at the moment. Kinda tired so I'm not really gonna make an effort to be entertaining.
Continuing off from yesterday, if you read my tweets overnight, then you would've known that we stayed up a bit to play poker, blackjack and cho tai ti by using mini pretzels as chips. Delicious pretzels that tempted us to eat our own chips. A bit disgusting actually to use slightly oily biscuits as chips to put on the table but we did it anyway.
We added the element of a shot of vodka for all who bankrupted at any particular round and that made the rounds a bit more 'chi qek'. The first few rounds were unceremoniously lost by Yao whom I quote him - 'took the shots like a man'. Throughout the games we were mixing juices with the vodka as well. All in all it was good moderated fun.
This morning we woke up a little earlier and headed off straight to the largest Nazi concentration camp ever at Auschwitz. According to the site, over 1.1 million Jews and others were sent there during the Holocaust and about 90% perished there by gas chambers and executions and so on. It was so shit scary. Walking through the grounds where medical experiments and so much more was done (like sterilization tests on patients) was super morbid.
I can't say I had a good time there (I wonder which human would) but I can say that it was very mind blasting mind opening. I've read about all this kinds of torture before out of interest with the Kempeitai Japanese camps and the Auschwitz one too but to actually see it for yourself, chills man.
I shudder to think about it.
After that harrowing experience, we headed off in yet another long van ride to the oldest salt mine in the world, Wielicza Salt Mine.
By then it was about 3pm and so we had lunch in a quaint affable little cottage opposite the mine. The decorations were impeccable and it suited the outdated yet still lovable Christmas theme. The food? Out of the world; our driver had recommended the best to us. I had Turkey fillet with Polish Mushrooms and the Peasant Potato and both still hold a warm fuzzy feeling.
Now the Salt Mine. Little did I know that the one we were going to was so significant within the history of mankind. The kind that makes you want to lie down on the floor with your mouth open and just silenced to the awesomeness of the place. Just so you know, it was among the first 10 or so sites registered under the UNESCO World Heritage Sites and had over 2200 rooms and 300km around.
In my mind I had always pictured mines to be very long never ending routes which never had a ceiling any higher than slightly above an average sized person.
But boy was I mistaken. The first place was a chapel and it was immaculately carved and decorated by the miners themselves during that time. I tell you, mostly throughout visiting the chambers, I had to consciously tell myself to close my open mouth at the wondrous architecture of the miners and the high ceilings. They even had horses living in the mines because it was so huge! And the funny thing was that these horses tended to live longer than the ones above ground simply because the air quality was therapeutic. Talk about kuda di bawah tempurung!
The biggest chamber and most glorious one was none other than the huge cathedral. Immensely gorgeous with chandeliers that hanged from ceilings that pained our necks to look at, the walls were also carved out of rock salt with pictures of the nativity and even the Last Supper all in almost 3D like form across the walls.
It was so breathtaking.
I repeat. Breathtaking.
I could have been there all day.
When the guide mentioned that the acoustics in the cathedral were good, she backed it up with evidence and played music that emanated throughout the halls and rang beautifully in our ears. The lights (including chandeliers) were following along rhythmically by dimming and brightening according to the various dynamics of the orchestra playing in the background as well.
The guide said that people get married there, my friends.
And I don't see why not, considering how it really was. Many famous people have trodded it's paths since its opening as well. Lord Baden Powell, founder of the very awesome Scouts, composer Chopin, Pope John Paul II and even President Clinton are all no strangers to the mine.
On Chopin, there is even a whole room-cave dedicated to him where they play a piece of his to the ripples of the water.
Spectular.
Darn, I'm running out of adjectives to describe the grandieur of the location. But anyway, don't take my word for it. Do your own research on the location and then come up with your own adjectives. Heck, I heard there's even an award winning film made about it!
I was in such a drunken stupor.
I guess I'm just so grateful at this moment that I get to experience all this right now. And with adequate company as well. I absolutely cannot complain.
Anyhoo, after all that awesomeness, we travelled back to the hotel and then we walked to our favourite Ikea once more. Over there, we experienced dancing on the clouds again with the hot dogs and ice cream that is unique to the location. Some of you might say we lack variety, and I don't disagree, but who's complaining if we're happy? :)
But yeah. Here I am now, typing this.
And guess what am I going to do to right now? Immerse myself in the Fizzy Bathtub (using the Fizzy Ball ball with a diameter of 4cm that I bought from the salt mine).
Oh yeah!
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The final day involved visiting the Royal Church, St Mary's Basilica and eating more good food. Eventually we had to board the plane as night fell. And then we reached home after midnight.
Reality.
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