Memories

[Written January, 2007]

The Human Resources Director at my company flipped through my passport as she verified my identity before I began work again after a four month sabbatical. It was eight in the morning and I was groggy, wondering how I ended up back here. In September, I left to string for the Star-Tribune. At once a career exploration, it was also a great excuse to travel.

Here I was, getting my old job back at the insurance brokerage I worked at since 2003 and all I could think about was the anomalous second ‘out’ stamp on my visa with Sweden (my flight back to Warsaw was cancelled on account of heavy fog and I was never “stamped” back into Sweden).

My journey started by flying to Warsaw, staying with a friend from my hometown of St. Louis Park. From Warsaw, I would travel around the continent.

As I weaved my way through Poland, Switzerland, Hungary, Greece, the Czech Republic, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and in a fortuitous set of circumstances, Ecuador, the world became enormous and microcosmic at the same time.

I never went abroad during college, opting to focus on what Gustavus had to offer domestically. I graduated in 2005, went full-time with my company, and started hoarding my unused salary.

After saving a healthy sum, I felt comfortable leaving to travel and tackle the world on my own terms. Having an open door in Geneva at the UN’s press office with a freelance journalist to learn the ways of the pen, I made it my first stop. A press junket to Ecuador availed itself to me and I seized the opportunity.

I am part of a growing number of people in my generation who, knowing that this is the most opportune time to travel (no spouse, kids, mortgage, etc.), throw caution to the wind and see the world.

Three months outside of one’s native country allows access for that individual to a new perspective. Put simply, a fish is not aware of that fact that it is a fish, until taken out of water. And it’s getting back into the water that yields epiphanies.

O’Hare was busy when my flight finally touched American soil after ten hours in the air. Bustling people trying to catch their domestic flight from Chicago pushed and shoved as they peered down the baggage claim.

Walking down the long terminal after the short tram ride from the international terminal, I saw two homeless men being removed from the outer terminal. The faces of hungry children flashed through my eyes and I realized for that moment that our country has a lot in common with a place like Ecuador.

It was October, during the middle of the press junket. We had just finished a train ride down to El Nariz de Diablo in Alausi. We consumed a box lunch on the tour bus as our driver deftly negotiated the Ecuadorian highland roads.

As our tour guide made his triumphant attempt to extol Cuenca (our destination), I began noticing children awfully close to the road periodically. Many of them had strings in their hands, knotted shreds of old clothing.

A few more moments passed and the frequency of children was increasing. I walked up to the front of the bus and saw that along the road through the highlands, the children were setting up roadblocks with their string tied from one end of the road while one child held the other end up taut for approaching vehicles.

Cars showing no signs of slowing blew through, the children letting the string down when it was obvious their efforts were for naught. I didn’t understand what they were doing.

Then we stopped. Our tour bus driver, an Ecuadorian whom I would come to trust for honest answers, opened the door to the cabin of the bus and asked if we had any food left from our box lunches for the kids.

All nine of us jumped to attention and we put together a large ration of packaged food. A Russian journalist and I walked out of the bus to hand the food to the children. As the smiles across their little faces broke loose, I looked at Katia, who looked back at me. No words needed utterance.

As we got back on the bus, I asked the driver why the people were so hungry here and not elsewhere during our journey. He informed me that the farming industry is everything in the highlands and that periodically, crop yields aren’t sufficient. Everyone goes hungry.

That’s when I saw our tour guide enter the driver’s vestibule and shut the door. Angry Spanish went back and forth between the Ecuadorian men. I would later find out that our driver was being scolded for allowing a group of journalists to see such national disgrace.

I sat down and remained silent, deep in thought, the rest of the way to Cuenca.

More Fruit

http://www.laprensademn.com/news.php?nid=527

Fruits of Labor

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpid=380&show=archivedetails&ArchiveID=1271463&om=1.

More to come.

Happy New Year

As many of you might have guessed, after a long stretch of no posts on this site, I have indeed arrived home.

I flew back early for a number of reasons but at the end of the day, it's just nice to be back with those you hold close around the holidays.

In review, here is the list of countries and cities I visited:

1.) Poland (Warsaw and Krakow)
2.) Switzerland (Geneva)
3.) France (greater Geneva)
4.) Ecuador (Quito, the Amazon, Riobamba, Cuenca, and Guayaquil)
5.) Hungary (Budapest)
6.) Greece (Athens)
7.) Finland (Helsinki and Tampere)
8.) Sweden (Gothenberg)
9.) Czech Republic (Prague)
10.) Denmark (Copenhagen)

My sincerest thanks to all those reading this and for keeping up with it. It was a wonderful motivator to keep exploring. Perhaps this travel log has a future. Don't forget it!

Praha

And then there was Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic. I arrived in Prague hoping there were going to be minimal levels of tourists allowing me to navigate the city freely and without crowds holding me up. Dead wrong on this count. But the city still managed to charm me nonetheless. Owing to this is the fact that it went unscathed in World War II. Lucky as many believe it was the only capital city in Europe to do so.

The hostel I stayed in was filled with Americans, Brazilians, and Mexicans. With my pathetic Spanish, I communicated with many and had a wonderful time. But it was outside the rough and smelly hostel that I enjoyed myself the most.

Prague has been seeing tourism for a while, and many believe it still has not peaked yet. Hordes of people surrounded the central square of the old town to watch the lighting of the Christmas tree and observe the Astronomical Clock as it punched the hour with a small presentation of different objects popping out and back in.

As I watched so many people empty their wallets as they purchased coffee, hot wine, souvenirs, etc. in the square, I realized that Mr. Barnum was right: a sucker is born every minute. I had been warned to not purchase anything near the square as prices steeply inflate in the area.

Opting instead to venture into the lesser traveled parts of the city, I was delighted by the ingenuity of the Czechs (one bridge, which doesn't cross a river, rather a ravine, has a four lane highway on top. Below it was the subway line, which, as I stood under it, produced to most frightening sounds. I have to hand it to the Czechs, despite a slow economy (I ate like a king for under $10 with consistency, including a non-obligatory tip and a couple glasses of wine), the Czechs would seem to have the most coveted tourism destination in Europe right now.

Purchasing a copy of The Prague Post, the leading English-language paper in Prague, I read about the constant line of hundreds, often thousands of people who are applying for residency visas. They wait outside the Czech immigration office in Prague everyday, many camping out the night before to guarantee at least a start in their paperwork. What surprised me more? Many of them were Americans.

The tourism has had an interesting effect on the Czechs in Prague, though. They are happy to receive the vast amounts of new capital each year from Americans to Zambians, but their attitude would suggest otherwise. Often cold and a little irritated by the fact that they are slowly losing their own city to the world, their frustration with the massive amounts of tourism is sustained, but quiet. Just remember to speak English, don't insult them with a terribly hacked up Czech when saying hello and thank you.

What's more, while we continue to flood the city, more and more Czechs, being members of the European Union, are emigrating much like Poland's brain drain within the last few years. Better economies in other EU countries seem to suck talent away at an alarming pace. But so goes the boat of capitalism: it sinks or swims, be sure you're on the right boat.

Plans

Much to my dismay, I finally gave in and decided to visit Prague. My previous apprehension regarding the matter was generated by continual advice from others to the effect of, "Oh my god! Go see Prague!"

And thus, fearing a tourist-ridden city almost completely untouched by war and carrying with it the beauty that arguably defines Central and Eastern Europe, I bought tickets (with the knowledge that this is low-season for tourists so really, I'll have the city to myself; not fighting lines and hordes of French people--who go everywhere by the way).

I will be there for a little over three days, flying out this Tuesday. And as always, a short review will ensue upon my return.

The Differences

After a number of discussions with individuals whom I have encountered on this little trip of mine, I have come once again to some conclusions, or perhaps observations of our own country. The world is composed of an estimated 6.3 Billion people (of course, entirely depending on which statistical algorithm one chooses to adhere to). With 192-4 (depending on who's counting) countries in the world, we happen to be part of a minority of countries that enjoys a geographical isolation.

More to the point, we're very fortunate in that we were never forced into diplomacy out of necessity for many decades. We could continue our way of life as Americans without worrying about say, Russia coming over the border. Having little fear and threat from countries like Canada and Mexico, we truly found ourselves in a global oasis that is North America.

In my opinion, this did two things. Firstly, we became a dominant economic force in the world because our standard of living facilitated our attainment of disposable income. Instead of looking for safe drinking water, or saving up to emigrate from one European Union country to the other for a higher salary, we are concerned with getting the next iPod. Only in America will you see the frenzied preoccupation with an inanimate object such as a Beanie Baby [sic].

Secondly, yes, we got a little paranoid in our dealings with the rest of the world. I attribute it to our isolation and comfort. Now please understand, I'm not tearing apart America as many expatriates are so fond of doing. It's just an understanding that can only (in my mind, at least) be achieved by gazing upon the US from the outside. Pearl Harbor and then 9/11 would seem to be the harbingers of this behavior that we have adopted.

Having never been attacked and, save the Civil War and American Indian Wars, having never fought a war on our territory after the the War of 1812. When I am in Warsaw, I see it. Remnants of a city once leveled by war. The same for Hungary. This was pointed out rather poignantly when I was in Budapest, and in a museum which was having an Exhibition honoring the 50th anniversary of the Hungarian Uprising against the Russians. In the picture, a 50mm cannon was in front of a badly damaged moving theater. Walking through the streets with my host, he pointed out the very same theater, partly rebuilt, and with picture-perfect resemblance to the picture in the museum (minus the cannon).

Until 9/11, that was a foreign concept to us. And we don't ever want it to happen again. That's why we reacted the way we did. Once thing that surprised me being in Europe and Latin America is that it is extremely difficult to get into the US right now for non-citizens. Gone are the days of the thirty, sixty, and ninety day visas that allowed tourists to float throughout the country with little problem. Full visa applications are required. And if you're not American, I have been hearing reports that customs isn't very lenient anymore either.

We're trying to protect ourselves. And that's acceptable. But to what end are we harming ourselves with our obsession with security. To be frank, the rest of Europe is still not forgetting Guantanamo Bay. They are refusing to back down on receiving answers. To this end, it's apparent that we have become scared of future that could possibly bring with it a global attitude, where the US can no longer be the driver. Instead, it would seem, we will be in the back seat of a car being driven by the Indians and the Chinese, while we sit next to the European Union. Between India and China, there are over 2 Billion people. With 300 Million and a fast growing 400 Million in the US and the EU respectively, our manpower is still not enough to hold up.

On the other hand, we have the intelligence and the infrastructure to sustain happy, healthy lives, while we get out of the car to enter the backseat. The real question is, will the American government and its people takes its attention away from security, just enough, to start helping Americans get on with their lives.

Therein lies one of our larger problems. As a general rule, America was founded based on the fear of a large over-arching government. We didn't like the whims of a monarchical system and certainly detest the idea of dictatorship. So we designed a government that would be sluggish and hard to change, so our economy could anticipate changes and respond accordingly. This, while Americans could count on the fact that if they were ever held liable or accused of a criminal act, there would be due process and indeed, it would take a long time.

In my mind, though, if the US is going to survive in the "New World" that is globalization, we will have to adopt larger governments to handle what the private market has been doing so poorly at: health care. Now, I've been to Finland and I've been to Sweden. Contrary to popular belief, many people take private policies on their health care to supplement what the government provides. But if they didn't have it, they would likely receive care anyway, but just not with the expeditious time frame that would be the ideal. But I don't think we even have that in the US. We have to go to Urgent Care because our doctor can't see us for six weeks minimum.

If there's one thing to take from this little essay of mine, it's this: a bigger government is not something to be frightened of when it's big for the good of the people and controlled by the people. What warrants fear in my mind is an hyper-sensitive government willing to throw due process out the window in the name of national security.

A Return Home

I wanted to comment on another part of my time in Finland. My original desire to go was brought about by the fact that I am half-Finnish. Knowing that some of my mother's family were still in contact with our Finnish relatives, I reached out to my aunt and received information regarding two different families. I contacted them and received warm replies. We all share the same great-great grandparent, if I'm not mistaken. This makes many of them second cousins (and some once-removed).

Many within my generation or my older brother's, I thoroughly enjoyed my time. It was very exciting as the resemblance of one of my cousins to my mother was present. Indeed, it's definitely my family.

One side resides in Helsinki, and after arriving at my hostel, I soon made contact with them. Within a day I was having dinner at their hope in a suburb of Helsinki, Espoo. Eating traditional Finnish dinner, a smoked set of salmon fillets (much like an American family having steak or chicken) our discussion was one of a family history I must confess I was not terribly familiar with. Their comments and knowledge of Minnesota was very impressive as they had visited during the summer of 2001, shortly before the events that were 9/11.

The other side of the tree was a family in Tampere, a city roughly two hours outside of Helsinki to the Northwest. Taking a pleasant train ride which by European standards was somewhat slow as we hauled through the Finnish landscape at 160kmh (96mph). A university town, Tampere was also much like the second-city syndrome I have spoken of before as it was very much a cultural hub of Finland.

Again, striking resemblances and my driving interest to understand my maternal family's history yielded many new pieces of information. Much of my family stayed in Finland. My family was started from one individual who came over to Minnesota (my great-grandfather, father of my grandmother, mother of my mother). I was struck by the intellectuals that were my cousins.

More to the point, it was very interesting to find so many writers in my family, in-laws included. It would seem that writing is in my family, as well as school and higher degrees of education. This is also supposedly the case on my mother's father's side, although I did not encounter this family unfortunately.

More the reason to return to Finland again, though. But next time, it will have to be in the summer.

Tampere:

Göteborg, Svenska

As I was flying over on a no-frills European carrier, Wizz Air, I sat next to a Polish man who live South of Gothenburg. His name was Piotr (my name in Polish). And he worked for General Motors powertrain design systems (mostly servicing the Saab division). We spoke at length, his English being not fluent, but with time and clarity, certainly conversational.

Since the Gothenburg City Airport is anything but (it's at least 30 minutes outside), he gave me a ride to my hotel. That was my first encounter with Swedish hospitality. In fact, the Swedes are very nice. As I noted in the previous entry, I am visiting an old college friend, who, upon my arrival, had me over to his childhood home where his father was preparing a large dinner to entertain a number of guests.

The second largest city in Sweden (of course, behind Stockholm), it is the again like many of the second largest cities in European countries as it is arguably the cultural hub. Perhaps a working theory might be that larger metropolitan cities always contain the government of the country and become more administrative than cultural. But this is merely a theory and unproven.

Walking around, I was first delighted to see the namesake of my college, Gustaf II Adolf (Latinized, Gustavus Adolphus), who is heralded as one of the cultural proponents of the country during his reign in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century. Known as the "Lion of the North," his presence in the Thirty Years Wars is purported to have shifted the balance and won the war for the Protestants. He was killed in action, however, at the Battle of Lützen in 1632. But his copper image survives today in many parts of Sweden, but I am particularly attracted to this one:


And Sweden charges on. Many of the cityscapes in Gotheburg are reminiscent of a New York avenue. It's really quite pretty:

Warsaw Fog

From the International Herald Tribune (not being used for gainful purposes):

28 November 2006 (AP) WARSAW, Poland: Heavy fog caused flight cancellations and delays at airports throughout Poland on Tuesday. Low visibility forced officials to cancel most domestic and international flights.

Only three planes had been able to land at Warsaw's Okecie airport by late afternoon, spokesman Artur Burak said. Eight flights, mainly to international destinations, had been able to take off, he said.
"According to the most recent weather reports, these conditions could last until Wednesday afternoon," he said. Other airports in the country also faced delayed departures and landings, including those in Krakow, Poznan and Katowice.

End of Story

Not really. I have been in Gothenburg, Sweden since Sunday, visiting an old college friend who happens to be Swedish. His company and hospitality have been wonderful. But mother nature's has not been, as I was just about to board the plane when the ticketing agent got over the loud speaker and said something about Warsaw in Polish. My Polish is not very good, but after the reaction from the people, it was not hard to understand: flight cancellation.

So I'm in Gothenburg until Friday (the next flight to Warsaw from here!). But the hotel does have free coffee and donuts. Looks like I'm going to adopt the Barney Fife style of living for the next few days.

But seriously, it's not that bad, I have a view of the ocean from my room. And what's more, I can now pronounce my name in Swedish!

More to come.

Suomi (Finland)

I have been to Helsinki, stayed in Matinkyla in Espoo, and tomorrow I will take a train to Tampere. Finland is nothing if not for its standard of living, hospitality, and of course, saunas that burn away all your worry.

Arriving on Monday afternoon on a direct flight from Warsaw, I was immediately struck by two things: I blended physically and secondly, people would start speaking Finnish to me when I approached them with a question.

True, I'm 50% Finnish, but unfortunately, it doesn't mean I know the language. In fact, I'm pretty sure it's next to impossible for a non-native speaker to actually learn the language if they had no exposure over the age of 12.

Part of the Finno-Ugric language family, which includes Hungarian (however, incredibly distant from Finnish), but little or no answers to the language's finalized usage are available. It has little, if any, Slavic influence from the East and very little influence from the West, Sweden. The closest relative of the language is Estonian, which indeed makes sense geographically. But Estonian sits out there like Finnish, having little traceable lineage of development.

For a large part, the Finns have historically spent much of their time as a nation staving off occupation. And if it wasn't Sweden, it was Russia. Disputed leadership of Finland signed a treaty with the Nazis around the start of World War II believing this would greatly aid in their efforts to hold back the Russians who kept massing at the border. During the conflict, 60,000 Finns died, while the Russians withstood over a Million deaths. Finnish literature produced a tongue-in-cheek joke related to this: one Finn is worth 50 Russians, but what of the 51st Russian?

Not to mention, after the US (allegedly) sent over armaments and munitions to help to Russians fight the Nazis, they turned around and used them against the Finns.

Today Finland is the home of many things global. But the highest in profile award goes to their phones, Nokia. Yes, that's not a Japanese brand for all you would-be language scholars. I'm not sure where their corporate headquarters are, because I keep seeing large buildings and corporate campuses with their name all over them. Needless to say, they are the number one phone maker in the world.

It is held by some, but unconfirmed, that in a country of just over a five Million people, only 600,000 to 800,000 still have land lines. That's right, only five Million people in Finland, that's how many people speak Finnish, and that's how many people have cellular phones in the country. And believe me, pay phones don't exist. Your cellular is everything here. I suppose this isn't too far off from the way it in the US, or soon will be.

And a Happy Turkey Day to Everyone

In consideration of the holiday that is not being celebrated here, I wanted to give my thanks to you, the readers of this travel log, the people who supported me in doing this and continue to support me in exploring Europe.

Have a wonderful holiday.

And Onward

My next trip will be from Monday through Saturday of next week. I will be in Finland. And given that I'm half Finnish, I suppose it's a little like going home for a while. At least I won't stick out like a blond sore thumb like I did in Ecuador.

After I get back on Saturday, it will be a shower, laundry, and sleep before I go to Gothenburg, Sweden to visit an old college friend of mine. That will take me through Tuesday and when I get home, November will almost be finished.

And as always, I'll have my Polish cellular on me for emergencies.

36 Hours in Athens

I arrived in Athens late on Friday afternoon. The air was filled with faint levels of cigarette smoke as so many of the airports in Europe are. This was to be my first dealing with the Euro, as my short time in France while journeying across the border from Geneva did not necessitate actually taking out cash. It was also my first time in Greece and for this, I was excited because up to this point, I've just eaten their foods elsewhere.

As the small group I was traveling with boarded the bus, I could tell the airport was far outside the city. In rush hour traffic, it took us an hour to arrive at our hotel. The bus ride was well worth it however, as seeing the activity in Athens on a Friday night was a treat.

Quickly checking into the hotel, our fist and foremost concern was securing food. Greek food. And we did. As I have told folks back home already, the Greek food tastes better in Greece. This is likely true anywhere. But when you love their food as much as I do, it's worth noting.

My full day in Greece was Saturday and with a manageable list of attractions to see, there is little question as to what was on the top of the list: the Acropolis.

Hoards of tourists, many American, were scaling the tiny mountain at the center of Athens trying to reach, feel, see, and understand the structures that in many ways, comprise the first or second chapters of any world history book.

And, after recalling a paper I had written in college for my first-term Art History class, I was struck by the beauty of the temple Athena Nike (and yes, this is likely where we get the sporting goods brand from).

It was also a pleasure to have the obligatory tourist photo taken of me in front of the Parthenon.

Wandering the Plaka and Syntagma neighborhoods of central Athens was interesting in its own right as well. According to the Athenians sitting next to me while I flew in, Athens as a metropolitan area is composed of almost 7 Million people, yet only half of them are Greek ethnically. Albanians, Romanians, Turks, Macedonians, etc. all want a piece of the action in their neighboring first-string European Union country.

And their attitudes were akin to that of Americans when considering Mexicans in the US. But I don't intend to start punching political buttons, suffice it to say, Americans are not the only ones struggling with immigration issues.

I will return someday to Athens. Its charm overwhelming, its food incomparable. But now I must keep moving onward.

The Last Days of Ecuador: Guayaquil

After we departed Cuenca, it was off on the long haul to Guayaquil, the largest city in Ecuador. Its history is actually a story of redemption and not one of the standard Latin American variety. Largely a shipping port, the city is crossed by two rivers that allow access to the ocean. Almost twenty years ago, it was a mad house. A place where it was not only expected, but perhaps guaranteed that as a tourist, you would get a knife poking your back and your wallet was being emptied.

The city began a turnaround project roughly 16 years ago and the structure of the project is now being copied all over Latin American cities because it was so successful. The secret to the success? Make the city expensive to live in. Make it look like Miami. Make petty crime hurt the criminals by enlisting a police force that has augmented powers of perpetrator handling. In essence, be like New York. Here is a picture taken on the river coast, shooting directly toward the city's central square where if you look close enough, you can see your friend and mine, in the bronze, Simon Bolivar.


And like Guliani's New York, Guayaquil became the epicenter of commercial activity in Ecuador. The youngest people live in Guayaquil because it's coastal and has a nightlife that, frankly, rocked my face off. It was a pity that we were incredibly tired by the time we reached the coast after out venture, we could have gathered more. Unfortunately, it would seem, our hotel beds were more alluring than the city lights on a couple of occasions.

I miss Ecuador. I miss the wonderful people and the freshness of the place. It will always be there, I hope. But for now, I move Eastward, after this delightful detour back to my side of the world.

And What's Next?

Tomorrow I fly to Athens for a weekend on the Mediterranean. And don't worry, I'll be sure to get the obligatory tourist photograph of me in front of the Acropolis.

I can't wait to be eating real Gyros. My parents aren't telling me something, I must be Greek. Have to be Greek.

72 Hours in Budapest

Hunting down a personal network connection I had from St. Louis Park, I arrived in Budapest last weekend to find this individual and interview him. Having lived in the city for the last 18 months, he was also eager to show someone from back home around his favorite city.

And indeed, what an amazing city. I had heard from some that Hungary was still cheap, as is the rest of Eastern Europe, especially since the Hungarian currency, the Forint, is trading with the dollar at a ratio of 200:1. Nope, Budapest is expensive, it's the rest of the country that's cheap. The cost of a beer was holding steady, however, at about 500 Forint ($2.50).

The city was alive. It had a discernible rhythm to it. The Hungarians have been protesting for the last two months now, in reaction to their Prime Minister basically caught on tape gloating about his campaign promises being unattainable, if not just untrue. The Hungarians, suffering tear-gas, rubber-bullets, etc. continue to protest in the city, demanding the resignation of their Prime Minister.

And like a typical Eastern European politician stuck in the Soviet-era way of thinking, he refuses.

This comes at a appropriate time as Hungary, mainly Budapest, is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Hungarian uprising against the Soviets, which lead to the deaths of 25,000 Hungarians, but secured a lighter version of communism for their future, similar to Poland in that respect.

I took this picture in front of Parliament on the Danube river. I thought it quite telling:

The city was beautiful, though. Overrun with British folks though. Likely a testament to the city's Eastern-European-style-but-without-the-Eastern-European-feel sentiment. This is one city I will definitely rank high on my list of favorite places I went to. My only complaint: it rained everyday I was there. But hey, that's life.

24 Hours in Krakow

A couple of weeks ago I ventured down to Krakow to see what all the tourists were talking about. In the South of Poland, Krakow was once the capital before it was moved North to Warsaw in the Middle Ages. It was a quaint, highly-manageable town of less than a million people. And its infrastructure strikingly similar to Warsaw's. Krakow's attractions include the Wawel Castle and the main market square in the city's hill.

My hostel was overrun with tourists and my being an English speaker was welcomed by all. In my room were two Aussies, a Canadian, and a Brit. And I didn't fall asleep until three as we stayed up talking about the world and our differences in culture, though we all were speaking, perhaps with the exception of the Aussies, standard English.

Though I did not make it to Auschwitz, which is less than an hour away by train (requiring me to return during my tenure in Poland at some point), Krakow was charming. Again, like Quito and Cuenca in Ecuador as you might have read, one is the administrative hulk filled with politicians and commerce while the latter is filled with culture and quieter pace of life. That is the best way to characterize the relationship between Warsaw and Krakow.

Wawel Castle (pronouced in Polish with the 'w' being a 'v' in English, hence Vavel), as I said, was not the main attraction, rather the city square in the "Old Town" of Krakow. But I thought it the most aesthetically pleasing perhaps:

Arriving in the afternoon on a train from Warsaw where I found a group of American students who had jumped on without seats using their Eurail passes (which don't work in Poland, but they were able to talk their way out of it with the train staff). They were studying for their tests and biding their time before midterms. I just couldn't help thinking to myself I get to travel around Europe and not worry about homework. What a blessing.

Information, Yeah, More...

I will be traveling to Budapest this Friday, 3 November and staying until Monday, 6 November when I arrive very early back in Warsaw.

Should be the source of some good entries. Stay tuned.

Stalin's Leftovers

Given that I'm back in Warsaw for a little while, I thought I'd write a short piece on the eyesore that is Warsaw's Palace of Culture and Science.

My first encounter with the building was a rather utilitarian one. I used it as a geographical reference point in making my way around central Warsaw because it happens to be the tallest building in Warsaw and if not, just short of it.

You may recall this, I cropped it from another photograph located in an earlier entry regarding a walk around my neighborhood. As you can tell, it towers over everything in Warsaw, visible from just about any location in the city. What's more, I had no idea when I was commenting on the earlier photograph that this monstrous building had a sordid history.

The building was finished in 1955. It required 40 Million bricks.

Who commissioned it? That's right, your friend and mine, Josef Stalin. It is surmised that Stalin was jealous of the skyscrapers that New York so triumphantly built before and after World War II. As we all know most architecture is phallic and this is no exception, symbolizing power and prowess (that's why I believe financial services are often the occupants of these structures; money is power for many cultures).

Originally, Stalin wanted eight of these to be built in Moscow, corresponding to New York's major skyscrapers. When all was said and done, seven were in Moscow, and the largest of them all found itself in Warsaw. Stalin really wanted the rest of Europe to know he was just around the corner.

And then the Wall fell and the USSR, slowly afterward, was no longer flexing its occupation muscle in Eastern Europe. But the Poles had no idea what to do with the Palace. Ideas for addressing this Stalinist leftover were elicited from different architects internationally in a competition. The winner wanted to shroud the Palace in skyscrapers, crowning it or hiding it, whichever term you prefer.

The Warsaw community vociferously objected and now pre-World War II land titles are being disputed in the courts. Everything is stuck, leaving Stalin's physically manifested legacy standing.

Personally, I hope it stays a little longer, if not for its historical significance (I'm not a Pole, so I really have no authority to speak to this effect anyway), then certainly it's views of the city:

And to add insult to injury, the Poles have a favorite joke they tell tourists:

Tourist: Do you know where to find the best view of Warsaw?

Pole: Of course, the top of the Palace of Culture and Science.

Tourist: Oh, because it's the tallest building in Warsaw?

Pole: No, because from there you can't see it.