Day 89 & 90: America Pie Came Alive

Day 89.
Date: 29 Nov 2008.

Heaters are very common in countries with seasons. Most people nowdays uses electric heaters rather than the old way of heating up the house using firewoods especially in cities. However, it is stil interesting to see a modern heater standing beside an old school one. Barbara slowly explains to me how to heat up the apartment using the old way.



I made my way to the city center to catch a bus. I am going to visit a salt mine today. Along the way, I saw a granny with her grandson. I was kind of surprise to see the method that she uses to bring him out. I mean this is not the first time I see someone using this method but I had not seen this anywhere else other than in Europe. I know that this method meant good but hey I just dont feel good about it. After all, the kid is a human. Why do you have to lease him up like as if you are walking a dog?



More pictures taken along the way.











Wieliczka (Vyeh-leech-kah) is the name of the salt mine that I visited. List as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978, it has been in operation for 700 years. Reowned for its preservative qualities of mircoclimate as well as health giving properties, chronic allergic diseases can be treated here by overnight stays. At a depth of 327m, it has tunnels of a total length of 300km over 9 levels and a temperature of about 14 degree Celcius. There is an underground museum with statues, chapels with alterpieces and monuments etc all built from salt. There are even underground lakes in this mine. It is just like an underground city built out from salt.

This is the entrance. From the top, everything seems normal.



But as we walk our way deeper and deeper into the ground. A hidden treasure reveals itself.



Please bear in mind that from now on whatever white stuff you see in these pictures are all salt. Some pictures illustrates how work are being carried out in a salt mine while other are just random pictures around the mine. Statues that you see are not in white but believe me, they were also being carved out from purely salt!!





































Structure holding the salt mine from falling.



Tracks for the wheelbarrow.



The most amazing place in this salt mine is the ornamented Chapel of St Kinga. It is actually a fairly size church with each and every single element, from chandeliers to alterpieces, made out from salt. It took one man more than 30 years and then his brother to complete this masterpiece. About 20,000 tonnes of rock salt had to be removed. It was indeed awesome.

I could not believe my eyes when I entered this chapel. I told myself that "I had found the perfect place to hold my wedding." This place is truely unbelieveable. Imagine, walking into a world of salt, the floor, the stairs, the walls, everything. The feeling of being there is beyond description. If I were to find a partner to settle down with and if I had the money, I will hold my wedding dinner here and I will fly all my guest over to attend my wedding.





Other places in the world listed under the UNESCO World Heritage Site.



This place is just like a underground city.







WHAT?!?! They have Wifi here?? OMG!!!!! Unbelieveable? Believe it!!



Getting back to the surface is no problem at all. We all got a chance to take a ride in the actual mine kind of lift. Just like those you see in the movies. Abit scary but it is worth the experience.







And oh... I met 2 guys from HongKong during this visit and we made our way back to the city together. It was nice talking to them. Haven spoke mandrian for awhile.



Well, today's St Andrew's Day. It is a day where both guys and girls come out to seek for their partner. They will play lots of fortune telling games to see their future. For example who will get married first, what will their love life be like etc. Examples of these games will be like dripping candle wax in water, or lying shoelaces from yourself to the door etc. Anyway, it is a day for fun and everyone is out partying. So my host brought me out to experience the culture.

At first we went to a Jewish pub with her friends and her mother. Yes, you heard me right. We went pubbing with her mother, how cool! Then we went to some disco. We kept changing location but everywhere is so crowd that we ended up in a newly open club which is quite quiet. Feeling bored, one of her friends suggested that we should go to her friend's house party and so we did.

Now, house party is a common thing here. Krakow is a student town and there are over 400 clubs and pubs here catered just for the students but people still holds house party. To me, a house party is about inviting some people over to a house, and they invite their friends and their friends invite their friends, everyone is just there to have fun. I had never been to a house party before so it was interesting for me to experience it myself. Never did I know that this first house party that I went to was THE WILDEST HARDCORE PARTY that I have ever been to IN MY LIFE!!!!! Did you watch the movie America Pie? It was like I walked right into the movie. OMG!!!!

One rule about going to a house party, bring your own beer and ciggy. A house party is not a free party. You will to supply yourself with drinks. Not everyone knows everyone. People just bring friends.

This was what happen.

While making our way there, some random guys on the streets walking in our direction yelled out to us saying that we have to go to this great house party. Hmm.. Thats exactly where we were heading. GREAT! Must be one hell of a party.

However, when we got there, everything was dark and quiet. Where's the party? Then we climb up the dark stairs which had no lights. 2nd floor... 3rd floor... and as we got higher and higher, we saw people sitting along the stairs and corridor smoking and drinking. Finally, we got to this apartment and when we open the door. WOOOH!!!! STOOOMP STOOOMP STOOMP!!!! Out came the loud music. People dancing, DJ spinning, everyone was crazy.

I stood out from the crowd as I am the only Asian around. Within minutes, this girl came up to me and said " Hello!! Watashi wa ...... des!" Ha. She thought I am Japanese. I replied, "I am not Japanese." Then she told me that she love the japanese culture and that I hurt her by saying I am not japanese. And then she walked away. Well, that left me in doubt for awhile. I hurt her cause I am not japanese? WTH?!

Anyway, some guys came over and talked to me and invited me to join them for some smoke. It was not the normal ciggy that we were talking about. They were refering to weeds. Then another guy took me around the house and introduced some girls to me. I will never forget that conversation.

Me: "Hey!! Where are you from?"

Girl: "I am polish but I am not from Krakow."

Me: "So what brings you here?'

Girl: "Oh I am here to look for One Night Stand."

Well, very straight forward aint she? I barely know her for 3 minutes and thats what she told me.

Ok, here's another incident. I remembered that I need to answer nature's call and so I went to the toilet. There was no queue but the toilet was occupied and so I waited. 15 minutes had passed, noone came out. I knocked. Noone open. So I waited awhile more and knocked. Noone open again. So I walked away. After I took about 5 steps, someone open the door from inside. A guy and a girl came out, seeing that there was noone waiting for the toilet, they went back in again.

Another incident. I need to go toilet again. Same thing happened but this time round, 2 girls came out from the toilet instead.

Cant they just get a room? I need to pee man! I need to pee!!! ARUGH!! haha...

America Pie came alive!!! What a party!! People were drank, people were high. Drinking, dancing, smoking. Everything that I saw was just like from the moive. If only I had my camera with me, I would have captured everything down on film. But too bad I dont. So I can only leave it to your imagination.


Day 90.
Date: 30 Nov 2008.


After such a wild party last night, I woke up feeling sick. Sorethroat, cough, feverish etc. Did nothing, just took a day rest. But by evening it got worse. Bought some ginger and drank lots of ginger tea. Hopefully I will be better tomorrow.


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Day 88: Should I be Gay?

Date: 28 Nov 2008.

I realised that most cars in europe always does a head in parking and if they were parked parallel along the roadside, they would park it half on the road and half on the walkway.



Since the market square is in the center of the town, I will have to passby it no matter where I want to go. And whenever I passby this place, I cant help it but to take a few more shots.





Oh oh.. I cant remember what is this.



Anyway, I paid a visit to the Wawel Castle. It is the very symbol of Poland's identity. How can I miss it? However, most places within the castle does not allow photography and so I can only share with you whats around the castle.

















Love this shot.



They really have interesting water drainage pipe dont they?



First, I went to the Royal Chambers which does not allow photography. Then I went to the Crown Treasury and Armoury. This sword is the treasure!!!





Its good to see that the sun is shinning bright!! I have to enjoy it while it is still there.



The Wawel catherdal, right beside the castle is also a place not to be missed. The Sigismund Bell, Crypt of St Leonard abd the Royal Crypts are among the few that lies within.

This is the Sigismund Bell Tower.



This is the massive iron door to the Catherdal.



Hanging at the entrance is bone of a prehistorical animal. It is believe that so long as the bone remains here, so willl this catherdal. It is said to have magical powers.



This is me at the incredible entrance.



I went up the bell tower for a fantastic view of the city.



Here are some photos taken along the way in the tower.









Then, the Crypts.







From the castle you also have a good view of the city river.





More views of the castle and its surrounding.













After visiting the castle, I went wondering around for awhile. Saw this bike. Numberplate: Poland, EU. Guess they are proud to be polish and also part of the EU.



I went to visit a couple more churches. Saw this at one of the church which I think is quite interesting. The priest seems to be blessing this guy in the center and then it is wet. But there were no tap or whatsoever.

















Then in the evening, I ended up in the Jewish district.























Since nights falling, I had to make my way back. Saw this hostel long the way. After being in ex soviet countries for so long, the name of this hostel sounds funny to me.



HAHA.



Like I said, passing by the Market Square is inevitable. Woah!! The Xmas market is now open. Let see what they have for sales.



Want your name on a horseshoe? Yes you can.

















City walls with lights.





When I got back "home", my host, Barbara asked me if I want to go Club hopping with her. I said ok. Since there is no cover charge, lets do it. Here are some photos takenin a club.





Hey look!! That girl is HOT!! I mean she is hot hot not hot hot. She is so hot that she is sweating like mad. HAHAHA....



Hmmm... I never had luck with straights and I never know why. Back in Singapore, a gay try to hook up with me in zouk. In thailand, ladyboys always come to me. In Ukraine, some lesbians came and talked to me. And now in Poland, within 5 mins after I got here, a gay came over and tried to get to know me.

Maybe I should just be gay. I would be way better. HAHA. NOT! I cant imgaine myself being a gay. I still prefer the oppposite gender. Sorry!! I am not into guys!!

Oh and you know what? The gay who came and tried to know me, he is no ordinary person. His dad is the most powerful person in the police force here. My host's friend told me. He know him.

Anyway these are the party crew for the night. Here's Barbara, my host.



This is me.



And this is Barbara's friend.




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