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13 - 22 Jun 2005 10 days Eastern Europe (Poland, Slovakia & Czek Republic)

This was my exploratory trip to Eastern Europe to check out the transport system and accomodation options. For the duration of the trip, I used the public transportation including buses and trains. Almost all accomodation was hostel except for one night in a private pension (guesthouse) in Slovakia. From KLIA, I landed and left via Vienna Austria. I flew firstly to Warsaw Poland and overlanded to Prague Czek Republic. I flew back to Vienna and then back home. The towns are very pretty especially Krakow and Ceske Krumlov but there is a tendency to overdose on European architecture. I enjoyed hiking the Tatra Mountains and will spend more days on my trips up in the mountain areas, including stays in the Chatas or moutain huts.

 
Tatra Mountains / Ceske Krumlov

Day 1 Sun/Mon KLIA to Vienna: My flight departed past Sunday midnight and took 11 hours flying time. I arrived in Vienna +2GMT at 6am local time. The flight to Warsaw was schedule for 120pm, which gave me enough time to get to the city centre 19km. I used the convenient bus shuttle and with a map in hand, walked the whole town center. Visited the numerous old buildings and churches including the touristic Stephansdom or St Stephen's Cathedral and its adjoining streets of shops and cafes. By 1130am I was on the shuttle going back to the airport. I arrived in Warsaw at 3pm but baggage was slow in getting out. The bus ride to town was a short one and by 5pm I had checked into the hostel. It's early summer in Europe and it gets dark late at 830pm. So its another few more hours of walking more beautiful old buildings, town square and parks. When it was time to call it a day, I was pretty much tired out.
Day 2 Warsaw then Krakow: Warsaw historic centre is Unesco listed and is dominated by the massive Royal Palace. There are also numerous churches in Gothic, Renaissance and Burger styles. On top of all that, you have the countless museums. The first Jewish Ghettos were in Warsaw but almost all those buildings have been replaced. There was only one street left with two short rows of buildings which were part of the Ghetto. At 1pm I left for Krakow on the express train 3.5hrs. It took the usual hour or so, to get my bearings and to check into the hostel. By 530pm I was walking about the Old Town. This Unesco listed town has the biggest town square in Europe and is very touristic. Wawel Castle is another major attraction. The old buildings are no less beautiful but I was getting too a little much of old architecture.
Day 3 Auschwitz & Wieliczka Salt Mine: In trying to see as much as possible in pretty Krakow, I started early. By 830am I was on the local van heading towards Oswiecim 60mins, the site of Auschwitz camp. This was the site of the first extermination camp. The second camp called Birkenau is 3km away and is vast at 175 hectares. These death camps accounted for more than 1.5 million lives. I opted for the 1130pm English tour, which ran for 3.5hrs. By the time I got back to Krakow, it was about 430pm. There are frequent public vans going past Wieliczka 15km and I was at the mine at 515pm. One has to go on a 2km 2hrs guided tour to visit this centuries old mine, which accounted for much of the wealth of old Krakow. This was the time when there was no refrigeration and salt was used for food preservation. Whole rooms and even a richly ornamented Chapel was built in the multi-layered mine.
Day 4 Zakopane & Stary Smokovec: Today I crossed over to Slovakia, expecting a long day. At 815am, I was on a bus to Zakopane 2.5hr, which is the base for the Tatra Mountains in Poland. I visited the Tourist Info Centre for a short chat. Later I lunched near the bus station and encountered lots of hikkers heading for walks around the vicinity. The border crossing at Lysa Polana was only 30mins away and by 1130am, I was in Slovakia. I counted only 6 people who made the crossing and we had an hour wait for the public bus. This bus plys between this border town and Poprad. I opted to get off at Stary Smokovec, a popular resort town. After settling in a pension/guesthouse I treated myself to a steak dinner costing Rm50.

 
Birkenau Concentration Camp / Ceske Krumlov Festival

Day 5 Poprad, Levoca & Train: 75% of the Tatra Mountains are in Slovakia. Coupled with the facilities and mountain huts, it makes for great hiking. I took the Funicular Railway up to Hrebienok and trekked to Zamkovskeho Chata/Hut 90min. Then its another 60mins to Skalnate Pleso and then down by cable car and gondola to the village of Tatranska Lomnica. I returned to Stary Smokovec on the modern trains that connect the villages in the Tatra National Park. My next stop was Poprad 40mins down and I arrived at 330pm. I proceeded to Levoca 30mins, a town largely untouched by modern development. The town square is distinctly Renaissance and practically devoid of tourist, when I was there. I came back to Poprad where I caught an overnight sleeper train to Czek Republic.
Day 6 Brno, Ceske Budejovice & Ceske Krumlov:
I had a good rest being privilaged enough to be alone in the 2nd class compartment, which had 3 beds. The train arrived in Brno at 1pm and in Ceske Budejovice at 6pm. I opted for an early dinner before visiting yet another town square and more pretty buildings. I was surprised at even here, which is not on the regular tourist route, there was a thriving mainland Chinese-run eatery. This is a proper place with seating capacity of perhaps 100 people. My destination was Unesco listed Ceske Krumlov, which was 40 mins away. I still had about an hour of daylight and was lucky to have found myself in the midst of the annual Festival of the Five Petal Rose. Many locals were dressed in medieval and renaissance costumes. There were also numerous food and sovenier stalls.
Day 7 Ceske Krumlov then Prague:
In the morning I enjoyed the last day of the celebrations, just lazing at the town square listening to the various folk musical bands and enjoying the wide array of cheap eats, sold at numerous stalls. At 11am, there was a colourful procession of locals, all dressed up in medieval clothing. Soon after, I went back to the hostel to prepare my lunch before going off to Prague. The bus journey took 3.5 hours and I arrived at the Prague hostel at about 6pm. Charles Bridge was only 15 mins 4 stops away from the hostel and I spent the last couple of hours of daylight, walking about the bridge and vicinity.
Day 9 Prague then Vienna:
I made my way back to the town centre early in the morning and got lost in the narrow cobbled streets of Prague Old Town. I covered the Main Square with its beautiful astronomical clock together with the usual hordes of tourist. I then took a tram to the top entrance of the Prague Castle. I spent some time in the gardens before visiting the Castle and Palace grounds before going down to Charle's Bridge. At about 3pm I bussed back to the hostel for some lunch and relaxed until it was time to go the airport for my 8pm flight to Vienna. I opted to spend the night at Vienna Airport.
Day 10 Home:
Woke up in the morning after a restless night at the small Vienna Airport. Left for KLIA at 1130am arriving at about 4am the next day after 11 hours flying time.

 
Wawel Castle Krakow / Stained-windows

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