Krakow & Wodka

I was super excited to meet my host in Krakow, he had actually read my profile before hand and we shared a lot of common interests.

It took us a bit to find each other, mostly because I was searching for a mohawk that had apparently been trimmed off since his profile picture was taken.

He insisted in carrying my back pack (which now had two bottles of beer from Warsaw in it's outside pockets, making it even heavier).  This time I actually bought a bus ticket.  Apparently a previous pair of couch surfers had been caught, and had to bribe the inspector to avoid an even bigger fine.  This sort if bribing is not abnormal, so I understood.

On a side note about bribing.  Polish people have to take their driving license tests in cars owned by the government that are fitted with video cameras inside.  This is to prevent the previously prevalent practice of bribing the evaluator to pass you.  It is not uncommon now for people to have to attempt the test more than once.

Back to Ambrozy.

We stopped at a grocery store on the way back.  I picked our some things for myself, he insisted on making me food.  I always seem to ruin dinner plans when I mention I'm lactose intolerant.  It's not a strict rule I follow, I mean let's face it, certain foods are worth the pain they cause.  However, cream sauces are my kryptonite and I avoid them like the plague.

Ambrozy still managed to whip something together before we went out and saw a bit of the town at night.  Dinner was if course accompanied by several shots of vodka.

Really good vodka.

Vodka so good I probably could have handled it even without the fruit juice chaser.  This particular vodka is often mixed with apple juice as a drink.  I could see how that would be really tasty.  The liquor had like a spice quality to it, not the lighter fluid quality that Popov Vodka has.

Ambrozy told me how two American girls had bought it when they stayed with him.  Claiming they were big vodka drinkers, yada yada yada.  From what I could see, they didn't get very far in the bottle.  Apparently the one girl had two shots, and later Ambrozy had to drag her down from the bar she ended up dancing on at the end of the night...

I got the feeling that they were younger than me, but who knows.

We took the tram down to the old town, and I was in love already.  The old town is completely surrounded by a ring of garden/park, called the Plante, that was beautifully lit at night.  We came into a giant, wide, open cobble stone square.  The town hall tower was matched in height and architecture only by the cathedral at the opposite end if the square.  In the middle, was a long low market stall building where merchants traveling through the city would sell their goods.

We walked around quite a bit, leaving the central old town eventually. 

That's when he told me this is the place he kills his couch surfers.

Ha ha.

Not the first time that has been said to me on this trip, believe it or not.

This led to a discussion on the American term "scrappy".  To be a scrappy fighter etc.

We stopped in two more bars where Ambrozy frequented and had a shot of, what else, vodka.  The one was made from quince.  It was delicious.  I have no idea what quince is, I am assuming it is the british word for a fruit I must be familiar with.  If any one knows what exactly quince is, please comment.  I keep forgetting to look it up.

We returned to his apartment, where he gave me the futon and he slept on the floor.  I felt terrible and insisted that we switch, but that was about as effective as insisting I could carry my own back pack.

There is a Polish code of courtesy for men that I have not seen equaled any where.  Perhaps the closest thing would be American men.  Men always hold the door for ladies, and a man will never extend his hand first for a hand shake either.  He will wait for the woman to do so first.  I had the same experience with Gosia's friend Tomick.  Only he pointed out that I said thank you every time (which he appreciated), and most Polish girls didn't. Gosia said she was so used to it, she would most likely only thank strangers.  I guess even in America I'm always a little surprised by chivalry, and so I always say thank you regardless.

The next day I was supposed to go to Auschwitz-Birkenau.  I had accidentally booked the afternoon tour instead if the morning one I wanted (it takes six hours all together). I was going to get ready early in the morning regardless, and Ambrozy was going to call the tour company from work to try and change it.

Loving Poland more and more as I go
Tegs