Summer Trip Report part 1 - Poland

Here's the long-awaited update to my trip in August.

I started my trip in the Polish capital, Warsaw. Having lived in Africa for the last 2 years and now in a tiny village, Warsaw seems like a huge metropolis to me. So many skyscrapers! Also the city is very spread-out, that means lots of walking.

The Palace of Culture and Science, built in the Stalinist style, a gift from the Soviet people to the Polish people.


A memorial for Polish soldiers in the Second World War


The symbol of Warsaw, a mermaid holding a sword and shield


My next stop was Krakow, probably the most popular tourist destination in Poland. The city is nice, but the masses of tourists turned me off. Also, in my room at the hostel were 5 British guys who came to Poland with the sole purpose of getting drunk every night. They'd come back at 3-4am, then proceed to talk loudly and make lots of noise for 2 hours before going to sleep. And one of them snores really loudly. I don't have fond memories of Krakow.

Lublin, Chelm, and Zamosc, 3 small towns in Eastern Poland that don't see too many foreign tourists. Even the Polish people I talked to were surprised I wanted to go there. They all asked me, "what is there to see?". However I'm glad I went. They're smaller, calmer, but still very charming and beautiful. They're not overran with tourists, and I can see real people living real lives. I enjoyed that very much. A much needed and welcomed change from my bad experience in Krakow.

The medieval festival (I call it the chicken fest) in Lublin


Old-fashioned garbage truck


Old town Zamosc with Renaissance buildings


Poland is a nice country to travel. It's definitely poorer and less developed than western Europe, but it's improving. The people are warm and friendly. The food is wonderful. I ate very well throughout this trip. The cars are older, and drivers aggressive. They make 3 lanes of traffic out of a 2 lane road. The driving is sometimes scary, but still safer than in Africa. :)