I can never stress enough the amazing-ness of Eastern Europe and all the wonders (cheap ones) you will find there. Poland is not an exception. I stayed in Wroclaw, because that is where WhizzAir (a really cheap airline) flew to but I am so glad I did. Wroclaw is a very small town with surprisingly a lot to see. It took 2 days to do everything we needed which included a gnome hunt. All around the town there are bronzed gnome statues representing different activities (i.e. eating, theater, etc.) and each gnome has a story behind it.
It is really quite fun. And the architecture of the town square is nothing like I have seen before. It all looks like fake facades. Definitely climb the church spire and eat as many pirogi as possible. And don't forget to see Krakow, possibly more important than Wroclaw but not in my book. Anyways, we took the train to the city thinking it wasn't far but actually it was 6 hours, one way. Though we did see mostly everything. The best thing, the fire-breathing dragon next to the
fortress. In the summer, since the river is so potent and vile, sometimes it gets set on fire accidentally by the fire-breathing dragon. I swear I am not making this up. Please go to Poland. It is freaking awesome. The people are so nice and friendly and the vodka is superb. Which brings me to Zubrowka. It is a national staple and delicious. It is buffalo grass vodka and has a cinnamon-y taste. I actually brought home a liter of it. It was very necessary.
The most part of any trip is packing, unpacking and repacking. No one wants to do it. It takes too much effort and the more you travel it really doesn't get much easier. I traveled nonstop for a year with my longest stay in any one place being 3 weeks. Here is what I have compiled about packing...
- bring one pair of versatile jeans (basically any pair that can be dressed down, dressed up and dirtied)
- a good pair of walking shoes
- one heavy-duty jacket that is slightly dressy/classy (the warmer it is the lighter the jacket, obviously)
- abide by all liquid rules. buy everything travel size, it is so easy to buy more but not so easy to watch your full bottle of favorite lotion get thrown away.
- airports won't weigh your handbag/personal item so if you need to lose a few pounds on the check-in item just throw it in the carry on, it doesn't matter if it doesn't zip
- have all passports and papers out and ready!
- roll, don't fold
- always bring a few articles of clothes that make lots of outfits; saves space
Hopefully that's enough to get you started on packing lighter. Quite frankly I'm bored of it now.
The first thing anyone saves out of a burning house are pictures. Thus, on your travels take as many pictures as you can. Nothing sucks more than getting back after traversing the world, looking at your pictures and realizing you missed this restaurant or that church. It may not make sense to take the picture and preserve the memory in the moment but a month or two later and the regret may hit. To not make that happen, click away. This is the one time it is okay to look/act like a tourist. Well, kind of. Don't be loud or obnoxious and no peace signs. Plus, pictures are a really great way to share your trip and make great gifts. Get click happy!
So a lot of people were always warning me about pick-pocketers before I departed. And I just want to clear some hair. As long as your smart and paying attention to where your personals are, and aren't flaunting your tourist-ness, then you will have no cause to worry. I didn't have any friends pick-pocketed (well sober) nor did I see any suspicious activity around me. If I wasn't comfortable then I remained calm and my eyes peeled. I think men have a higher chance of being a target just because their wallets are usually in their back pockets (hence the word) whereas women can keep their purses tucked under arms. So be cautious, be alert and safe travels!
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