Before I begin, many of you have been wondering about communication and the 
prevalance of English in the countries I have been visiting.  The fact is, 
English isn't widely spoken, especially in the city outskirts and beyond and 
with elderly people.  

In the days leading up to my entry into a country, I spend my spare time (mostly 
on trains) learning the basics of a language: Hello, goodbye, yes/no, thank you, 
please, "Where is ...", "Do you have ...", "Do you speak English", numbers, as 
well as the pronunciation of certain letters and which syllables to emphasize.  
Of course, the pronunciation is perfected once I hear locals in a conversation.  
I like to speak a language accent-free.  The downfall is that often my "Where is 
..." questions get bombarded with a rambling answer.

I highly recommend learning "Hello, do you speak English?" in the native 
language, as it is polite and respectful.  Whether a person speaks English or 
not, they open up and are more helpful by your attempts to learn their language.

The rest however, is sign language - the fun part of communication.  The success 
is based on how well both parties can play charades.  For example, in Split, I 
was able to figure out from the landlord that my current room was occupied by 
two English-speaking fellows, and that the room would be free at 9:00 am for me 
to check in at.  Later, I was able to "communicate" with her the time I was 
leaving, she "communicated" whether I needed a wake-up call, and I said no.  Oh, 
and a calculator helps a lot for communicating numbers, i.e. presenting a 
calculator means to write the prices or time.

So, on the topic of language in Poland, the main tip is that all W's are 
pronounced as V's.  Krakow sounds more like "Krah-koov", Warsaw is Varsav, and 
oddest of the bunch is Wroclaw - pronounced more like "Vrat-swav".

On to my journal.

Prior to my departure to Krakow, I realized that most of the trains pass through 
the Czech Republic, which would use up my single-entry visa.  As a result, I 
chart a course through Slovakia and the Tatra mountains.

The trip is much more peaceful than the one from Ljubljana to Budapest.  My 
ticket is checked early on (and remembered by the conductor), and I get a five 
hour stretch of peace through Slovakia.  Funny note though: Although Slovakia 
has shed its Communist past, the passport police are still dressed in plain 
Communist uniforms.  I also find humour in how they work in teams of three or 
four.  

Night trains to and from Poland are notorious for thievery.  At one point in the 
night, a dodgy fellow does try to enter my compartment, but I'm alert - I give 
him the stare, he closes the door and walks away.  There's also an urban legend 
going around the backpackers of the Polish mafia gassing entire train 
compartments to steal luggage, but it's false.  I don't recommend night trains 
for local travel within Poland though - a bus is probably a better alternative.

I pass part of the night by striking up conversation with my compartment 
neighbours - three Canadian girls studying abroad in Krakow.  Before leaving, 
they give me their number and promise to show me a good time in Krakow.  
Apparently, Krakow is a town brimming with students (over 100,000), and clubs 
are packed every day of the week.

Upon arrival in the early morning, I quickly check in to my hostel.  The Aussies 
in it have some serious body odour, so I'm happy enough to take a quick shower, 
drop my belongings, and get into central Krakow.  

Krakow is really special.  It's the only city in Poland to be untouched by World 
War II.  Warsaw got levelled - the Warsaw we see today has been completely 
rebuilt from scratch, including the old town.  As for Krakow, the Russians made 
a surprise invasion during the war and drove out the Nazis there before any 
fighting could occur.  

The old town is built around the massive Rynek Glowny (Main Square), the largest 
one in Europe.  I really love it.  It's loaded with pigeons, has a tall, 
dominating church, a central marketplace, and is surrounded by colourful 
buildings.  Best of all, it is entirely pedestrian, including the surrounding 
streets. I could see myself wasting a day sitting around here and sketching ... 
if it wasn't so cold.  Okay, by Canadian standards, I won't get frostbite, but 
it's still a surprise to be just above zero Celsius after soaking up the sun in 
Budapest.

So the first thing I do is grab breakfast at a warm, local diner.  The menu here 
is much more bland than in Hungary - did I mention that fried brains and lungs 
were on the menu of one of the Budapest establishments I ate at?  Still, I give 
a traditional Polish fare a try.  I have a mouth-staining beetroot soup, pork 
cutlet (which you'll hear more of), some potatoes, and a fruit drink.  I like 
the fruit drink (it's got real fruit in it), so I order more.  The best part is 
the bill - my filling meal comes out to around $3 CDN.  

Still feeling a little buzzed from the night train and not prepared to deal with 
the early morning weather, I make my way to a charming, cozy coffee shop.  If 
you ever go to Krakow, check out Cafe Zakatek.  It's hidden through an alley 
just off the city centre, which leads to a quaint little opening where the Cafe 
resides.  I tuck myself into a small table, where I sip an hour away in this 
ambient environment decorated with assorted antiques and the air filled with 
music from the forties.

Ready to attack the day, I wander around the old town for a while, and 
eventually make my way to the large castle looming over the city - Wawel Castle 
(remember, pronounced "Vavel").  It's really large, with too much to see.  I pay 
for the sections of the castle I'd like to visit, including a tour through the 
Royal Apartments.  All in all, I'd have to say the castle is pretty boring.  If 
you go, just visit the Treasury/Armory, and take the hike up the church to see 
Sigismund's Bell - it's fun because of the narrow paths and staircases one must 
take to reach the bell.  The Dragon's Den, as cool as it sounds, is also really 
lame.  Given that Poland is so cheap, the only real cost to me is time.

So after wasting a few hours in the castle, I'm ready to eat.  I head over to a 
popular but hidden local perogie eatery - so crowded that I share my table with 
two different strangers over the course of my meal.  I have a delicious white 
bortsch soup followed by some strawberry and cream filled perogies.  It's kind 
of odd to have boiled strawberries and cream, but it's not bad nonetheless.  
Again, the meal is even cheaper than the last - hell, a full boiled roast beef 
dinner (albeit bland) there only sets one back $2 CDN.  But enough of the Polish 
food - I think I'm going to stick with the numerous kebab places I see around 
town instead.  

I walk around town more, just because it's so quaint, and I visit St. Mary's 
church at the main square.  I'm starting to get a little bored of fancy 
churches, but this Polish church is quite a sight.  Aside from the usual 
plethora of statues, it's really colourful - every inch of the church is 
painted.  Not just one colour though - it's either a design or an image.  The 
church is very tall, making the intricacy of the paintings that much more 
impressive.

As night falls, I call my Canadian friends I met earlier.  We head to an Irish 
pub, and I get introduced to a clan of another 10 Canadian students studying 
abroad.  I get a taste of Polish beer in a popular mix with some rasberry 
flavouring... it's not so good.  Nevertheless, I drink it up and we go bar 
hopping.  

The night life here is good.  I think for those looking for an alternative to 
Amsterdam, Poland is it.  However, compared to Amsterdam, you'll have to leave 
the grass at home and stick with alcohol.  There are a lot of bars here built in 
old caves under the city, so although the "cavern look" is all too familiar for 
locals, it's really cool for travellers.  And like I said before, bars are alive 
every day of the week, particularly Wednesday to Saturday.  Krakow is definitely 
a worthwhile destination for a traveller looking for a good mix of day and night 
life.  

Note to all: Avoid the taxis if you can, unless your Polish is fluent.  We 
hopped on a taxi, the driver pressed a special button, and the meter started 
flying.  We got off immediately, but were rather pissed off at the experience.

Leaving the dorm was a bit of a creepy experience.  My hostel's located on the 
outskirts of the city, it's dark, late at night, and starting to rain.  
Fortunately, I have my snowboarding jacket at hand, and with my hood on, I'm 
invincible to the weather.  I keep a low profile and trudge on.  Twenty minutes 
later, I'm back and ready to crash.  The Aussies have left, so it smells much 
better.

Some other notes: The McDonald's is good for going to the washroom for free 
(guys).    Note that I still will not eat here.  The doors are all push to 
enter, and pull to exit.  It's a fire hazard, and it also makes me look pretty 
stupid every time I leave or enter an establishment.

Next: Auschwitz-Birkenau