A Tour of Auschwitz and the Salt Mine - Oswiecim, Poland
Oswiecim, Poland
A very, long, cold, somber day with 5 English women, that ended on a great note.
Jim had arranged a tour of Auschwitz, Birkenau, and the salt mine near Krakow. Our tour guide, Phil, picked us up at 7:45 and we went off to meet the rest of our group. They're good friends that travel and plan something special on their birthdays. This trip was Phyllis's birthday, so they surprised her with a trip to Krakow. She had no idea where they were heading until she got to the departure gate. They were a little quiet in the way to Auschwitz. Phil showed a video produced by the Russians about the "liberation"of the camp. Very difficult to watch and listen to, but certainly set the tone for the day. Auschwitz was a Polish military barracks, so the brick buildings were very different than the wood barracks we've seen elsewhere. The camp was not very large, but the exhibits really showed the scope of the damage the camp did. We left there and went to Birkenau, also known as Auschwitz 2. It was huge. Rows of rows of barracks, some just chimneys, some full buildings. Phil did a really good narrative for us and we all left in very quiet moods. Birkenau is actually the camp that is seen in most pictures. It's where the railroad cars were brought through the gates, and the prisoners were "sorted". Chilling.
I was really surprised at how many people were there, how many flowers were left at different locations, and how many school children came on tours. Everyone was very respectful, and it was clear that we were all there to pay our respects, and remember what happened.
After lunch in the van, we drove back towards Krakow to the Wielczka Salt Mine. Arrived just in time for the 3 pm English tour. We walked down 53 flights of stairs, they were numbered, I didn't count, into the mines. The walls, floors, everything are made of rock salt. The mine opened in the 1300's and was in operation until the 1990's. We were there for 2 hours and saw less then 1% of the total area. The men that worked the mines went up and down every day, but the horses that turned the wheels that lifted the salt to the top lived their whole lives in the mine. They were very well cared for, but jeez, they never got to see the sun. We walked miles and miles of wood framed corridors, and saw some of the "chambers". They were large rooms, carved out of the mines and decorated with doorways, statues, and floors carved out of salt. Truly amazing. Then we arrived at the main cathedral. It's 300 meters under ground, and huge. It can hold between 500-600 people. It's absolutely breathtaking. We took lots of pictures, but I don't think they will capture the magic of the room. Huge chandeliers, a gorgeous altar, and scenes all around the room. At the opposite end of the cathedral is a larger than life statue of Pope John Paul II. Most of the work was done by amateur sculptors who worked in the mines.They actually hold weddings in the cathedral. It must be amazing. There are several brine lakes in the caves, and stairs everywhere.
Totally enjoyed the tour, but at the end they led us into a room and told us to wait for the elevator to the surface. Our English Guide left us in a large room. We waited while several of the larger tour groups went to the elevator, and we were finally given the okay to go ahead. We walked, and walked, and walked, felt like we were being herded to who knows where, and finally arrived at the elevator. Several hair raising whistles blew and peopled piled onto the elevator. 9 on the top elevator, and 9 on the bottom. We must have waited for 3 or 4 groups, and at least 20 minutes, before we got our turn to escape. It was pretty much during this time that our British friends really loosened up. We were all speculating on where we were going, just how small was the elevator, and would we ever get out of the mine. We finally all poured into the elevator with another couple. Jim and Phyllis were in a bit of a compromising position, which Jim thoroughly enjoyed, and we all got silly and laughed about everything.
After a short ride back,we relaxed for a few minutes and headed to dinner at a local restaurant, Zielona Kuchnia, that our guide recommended. It was right around the corner from our hotel, and truly delicious.
I can't upload pictures from the camera until we get back to Berlin, but Jim has a few on his phone that I can put up.