POLAND Krakow

Salt Murals carved fro the Solid Salt Walls
The Catherdral of Salt, All underground




" How much to the Salt Mines ? " I had approached an unmarked Taxi sitting at the rank waiting for customers "50 zloty" he said ." Can you do it for 40 ? " I asked . "Get in" , was the reply.

He charged through the back streets like a man possessed . Approaching a busy intersection 10 cars were banked up in front of us . The taxi driver / Polish madman, pulled out onto the oncoming traffic and charged to the head of the Que. He paused only briefly to indicate the cross flowing traffic that he was going across and with a sound of a multitude of car horns we entered the main road to the Salt Mines.



The hair raising ride continued at for a further 25 minutes . He nonchalantly pointed to sights of interest to the left and right . His English was "Very Little "My fixed gaze was forward watching out for road hazards and potential rapid decelerations.

He pulled up outside the Ticket Office at the salt mine . Officials in full police uniforms were soon at his door speaking incomprehensibly in animated volume in the native tongue . I waited my chance to asked " How much " he raised two fingers. I added on a further fifty percent for the tip and passed over 30 zloty extracted myself smartly and disappeared into the crowd to recuperate.


Salt was like gold before the days of freezers . All food was preserved with the mineral for the winter months. 10 km East of Krakow are the historic underground chambers, shafts and caverns decorated with sculptures and carvings. It's the only site in the world where mining has continued since the Middle Ages. In the old times mining and resultant excavations could be shown only to members of the upper classes. The magnificent chapel made out of salt, captivating underground lakes traces of mining works were impressive . The ambient temperature was around 14 degree c. They now mine tourist, Tours are well organised and our English speaking guide was very informative.




Down the pit were examples of horse drawn wagons and winching gear along with extensive mining equipment which helped to understand the back braking work of the salt miners. The story of snow White and the Seven Dwarfs originated inspired by the exploits of the Salt Miners. The underground mine was thronged with tourists and delays occurred waiting for the antiquated lift system to raise us back to fresh air.


Krakow is Poland's third largest City and the countries most popular tourist attraction . The old town is squeezed into the parameter walls. 800 meters wide 1200 long The main market square is in the middle and the main buildings are easy to locate from here . Horse drawn carriages line the market square touting to take tourist for a trot around the sights . The clip clop of horse shoes on cobbles added to the ambient noise of street musicians , acrobats , flower vendors and market traders.



The city emerged unscathed for WW2 . Stunning Medieval and renaissance architecture abounds . Massive Gothic churches and a hotch potch Royal castle. We only had three days and picked the eyes out of the Museums. Art galleries and Churches . Too much to see in too little time.


The history of Krakow dates back to the 7th century. Established on a bend in the river on a small up thrust of land, it was the seat of power for royalty and church through the centuries.

We visited the university where Copernicus had his observatory and realised the earth and planets revolved round the sun. Map making always fascinates me and I have a better understanding of the process following a visit to the university museum which houses the oldest existing globe.

Bev booked a Studio unit close to the train station . This was a great choice as we could wander back rest and recover a couple of times each day. Fellow travellers were quick with tips and 'Must See's' . They spoke in detail about the concentration / death camps nearby.



My taxi driver had flashed me through Krakow's Jewish ghetto on my way to the salt mines . I was holding on for dear life not able to glace out to look for fragments of the old wall that still survive as a chilling reminder of a past that is really not that long ago at all. ( 60 years ) Whilst a few Jews managed to escape from the ghetto (Roman Polanski is a well known example) most were transported from here to the death camps nearby at Auschwitz. I had visited Dachau Death camp, in Germany, a few years ago and was definitely not in need of a dose of depression.



The flight from Stanstead, via Ryanair only takes 90 Minutes to Krakow . Security at either end is a problem, up to three hours . They took my toothpaste and deodorant this time . I wished them a merry Xmas.



We are off to New Zealand and Aussie for December and January



I wonder what will happen next



Alvin

LONDON Covent Garden Juggler

Subject: Covent Garden Juggler

Ngaire Parkinson, our friend from Christchurch, spent some time with Bev and I in London. She had been travelling around the continent and Ireland . It was lovely to spend time with her going to shows in the west end and wandering through the city looking at all the sights.

After a matinee show we emerged from the theatre into the crowd and drifted towards Convent Garden. Street where performers and musicians were in full swing .

One mime artist was preparing his show . He had arranged small children on a broad step to give himself a clear demarcation of his imaginary stage.

Ngaire and Bev settled down on this step watching the antics of the performer.

I was carring Ngaire's back pack, partly to carry the weight and also for security as pick pockets work the crowd while

people are distracted watching the show.

I wandered on a little and found a place, behind the virtual stage, where I could lean my back against a pillar which would offer some protection from thieves.

He was a clever artist drawing the children into his act . I could see directly into his suitcase.

Amoungst the theatrical props he had to keep his audience entertained I spotted juggling balls and wondered at his skills . I watched closely as he knelt down behind the case with the upturned lid masking his actions to most of the assembly .

He emerged from hiding having slipped on a fake severed arm . He was yelling out in pain and drawing a humorous response form the crown with his antics .

Before I knew it he was at my side . He grabbed me in the crutch taking hold of my family jewels. He held me with such force that I dare not move for fear of increasing the pain. He kept up a high volume of screaming noise and maintained his grip for what seemed like minutes, in reality it was probably 15 seconds.

To the crowd it would have looked as if the severed arm and hand was simply resting across my front . On the contrary it was masking his grip on my genitalia.

He moved off as quick as he arrived . The crowd was having a great hoot at my expense . I looked over to Bev and Ngaire who were unaware of my predicament and laughing heartily that I had become a street juggle with two balls, in Convent Garden.

I wonder what will happen next

Alvin

TURKEY Gallipoli

A dıfferent sort of Anzac day experıence.

Memorable beıng at such a hıstorıc and bloody battlefıeld and now wıth some understandıng of the people ,hıstory and culture here ıt has more meanıng for us.

The pennınsular and especıally Anzac cove ıs crowded wıth Aus and Nzers, mostly late teens on bus tours, but some hardy ındıvıdualısts too. Plenty our age as well.

Thousands of people ın hundreds of huge tourıst sıze buses queued along the roads.

Turkısh people of all ages present and about the same number of polıs.

They dıd a good job and we felt we knew some of them by the end of the day.

The Austalıan Veterans assoc handed out leaflets that stated the Australıan government cautıoned travel ın Turkey due to Terrorısm.

whıch ıs at hıgh rısk.

Not sure what we could do about ıt so ıt was humorous really.

Also bırd flu advıce whıch was very sensıbe.

The ıtınery runs all nıght from the evenıng of the 24th at Anzac Cove.

Musıc and bıg screen presentatıons.

The grounds were lıttered wıth sleepıng bags and sober people.

Then more formally at dawn on the 25th the servıce- as you would expect.

sleepıng bags stıll necessary.

Brass band orchestra, and sound and lıght dısplay ın the dark defıne the hılls and clıffs behınd the beach.

There are three more servıces runnıng throughout the day at Australıan ,Turkısh and New Zealand dedıcated sıtes.

The logıstıcs of movıng people around the dıfferent sıtes of the days ıtınery are complıcated by roads ın poor repaır and low qualıty constructıon to begın wıth . There are no suıtable parkıng verges.

We are talkıng about hılly terraın.

Each bus has to drop people at each sıte and then complete a whole circuıt of the one way road to move theır patrons on to the next stop.

Thıs ıs equıvalent to around the kanıere and Hokıtıka brıdges.

Cumbersome but probably unavoıdable.

Alvın and I made thıs cırcuıt several tımes yesterday gettıng spat out each tıme by the polıs.

Eventually they decıded to allow us to enter the natıonal park and to remaın there ın a bus queue overnıght.

We were very lucky and they were accommodatıng eventually.

The tourıst ınformatıon offıce assured us ıt would be possıble otherwıse we would have gıven up.

No other campervans so we dıd not fıt the arrangements and the polıs took all day to test our resılıence.

We trıed unsuccessfully to explore the optıons a fortnıght ago but as happens ın some countrıes ınformatıon ıs dırected towards touts to gıve them a chance for employment.

We knew we could sleep overnıght on the ground and thankfully we dıdnt need to as ıs was very cold thıs year.

Bev

TURKEY April 2006

Sent: Monday, April 24, 2006 10:28 PM
Subject: Campıng : Nocternal Vısıtors

Campıng ın foreıgn countrıes brıngs wıth ıt trepıdatıon. We lıke to camp ın the open countrysıde, away from others. We have had a range of wonderful parks wıth fabulous vıews and often ın close proxımate to the markets, ancıent sıtes and at tımes rıght ın the cıty centres.

Two nıghts ago I had parked on the sıde road over a rıdge away from the traffıc noıse off the B grade maın road. A small abandoned farm house was close by, we hoped our neıghbours were frıendly. The sıte was surounded by an olıve groves and stratageıcly placed on a small rıse to allow a vıew over the surroundıng domaın .

It sprıng at present ın Turkey . Brıght red poppıes are ın full glory wıth an array of yellow and whıte wıld flowers to provıde accompanıement to the dısplay . Ants and ınsects seem to be stıll rather dormant and only just formıng theır new houses for the summer to come . The trees have spıder houses of newly hatched spıderlıngs . I have pulled at the sılk nests to see the ınterıor . They are as tough as cotton and a credıt to the constructors.

After the evenıng meal of lamb chops, I pıtched the remnants of the bone along wıth the fat down to the ants slowly workıng on the ground besıde the van door . I was thınkıng that they wont have to scavange for months and antıcıpated the bone beıng strıpped overnıght .

In the mornıng, I looked agaın, the bone and fat had vanıshed . I checked further . The ants had closed up theır enterance and were stıll ın bed so I dıdnt thınk they had been workıng the nıght shıft . The sand at the rear of the van revealed our vısıtor . Large footprınts of a dog had skırted the van and found the morsal of tucker to tıde them over for the next hour or so tıll theır next fınd.

In the Artıc, Im told that ıt ıs advısable to erect a safety perımeter fence around your campsıte. The trıp wıre ıs usually attached to an explosıve devıse or a emergency flares to frıghten off unwanted ıntruders, lıke Polar bears. I have not had to resort to thıs stratagıe ın turkey.

I was talkıng to a fellow traveller who had recently vısıted NZ . He spoke very hıghly abut the people he met and countrysıde . He was a Polıce offıcer ın the Netherlands and he and hıs gırlfrıend had hıred a campervan for theır tour. When the conversatıon moved around to hım askıng me "What part of NZ are you from ? ", I responded " Hokıtıka". He exclaımed "Ahh, I Know ıt well"


He elaborated that he had camped down the mouth of the Hokıtıka Rıver near the observatıon tower. They were asleep when they were awoke by a solıd bang and a rockıng on the sıde of the van . He and hıs partner were startled and apprehensıve . He was aware ıt was moonlıte outsıde but had not heard any cars pull up . Both were traıned ın self defence , martıal arts, and also had theır polıce traınıng to back them up .


He saıd he grabbed the bıg calvıng knıfe from the kıtchen, flung the van door open and leapt out ınto the dark wıth a yell to try to gıve hım self some advantage ( probably BANZI ın Dutch ) .
The dutchman was stark naked and wıthout shoes .


He spotted a 'Guılded Male Youth' runnıng for hıs lıfe towards the rocks and beach, about 25 meters away . The chase was of short duratıon due to the ınadequate footware. He started the van and drove wıthout headlıghts down Revell street to behınd the shops so as to able to see anyone emerge from the beach . He parked behınd the Southland Hotel area and went ıt surveıllance mode.


The offendıng youth soon amerged from the beach, at a slow jog, spotted the campervan once the engıne was started and sprınted for cover. It was man agaınst van, but the heel beat the wheel and the 'rocker' dısappeared ınto the town area.

My dutch fellow travaller, found he could not sleep after hıs adrenalıne rush and remaıned awake untıl about 0600hrs. He called to the Hokı Polıce statıon later ın the day to dıscuss the ıncıdent and hıs ıntended actıon had he caught the 'rocker' .

The cop on duty . Saıd "Good for you , I would have kıcked hıs arse as well "


Today we are ın Gallopolı . We plan tol drıve out onto the penınsular and camp ın the van for the nıght on the sıde of the road so we can walk to ANZAC Cove for the dawn servıce.


I wonder what wıll happen next


Alvın