It's seriously cold, and wet and I'm trying to navigate strange streets, a strange language, stange traffic, and keep all those 'awarenesses' about me for safety. Still no phone, bed, money. Oh well, can't change it so sucking it up... actually now I'm writing my feelings down, I realise I am doing pretty well. When I think back to arriving in France 3 years ago under similar circumstances, this time I'm as cool as a cucumber :)
So what If I haven't any local money, a bed or phone? Found a teller machine - now have money! Found a map and found a hostel - now have bed! And it was the one I was hoping would have room for me... And I didn't get lost finding it! Found a phone outlet near the hostel where I can sort the phone tomorrow - it is Sunday afterall and Warsaw is pretty quiet on a wet Sunday. It's the same population as Brisbane and I suppose a wet winters day in BNE town would be similar.
Got checked in and sat in the warm for a while contemplating itineraries for the next couple of days and weeks. Reckon I will be in Warsaw for today and two more days. Got off my butt and stopped feeling sorry for myself by Just Doing It... bought a day ticket for the trams and went to the Warsaw Uprising Museum. On my way back got chatting with a young woman on the tram when it took us the wrong way (hey I thought it was me but no - the tram had been diverted and we were all taken the wrong way) Caught another with her assistance and changed and got back to the hostel. And when I over-shot my stop by two, I found some great interesting architecture on the walk back AND free WiFi at the local KFC. So here I sit in the warmth, with bottomless soft drink, writing to you all - all for $10 and dinner thrown in :) I might shun KFC at home but it has its uses...
Back to the adventure. This architecture was pure Victorian (reminded me of Bath in England with the orange slice shaped buildings surrounding a roundabout with a statue in the middle. But... the pillars out the front had Soviet worker engravings and reliefs - you know the type - buxom women with child on hip and men with sickles and caps...
Soviet iconography on a Victorian style building
The Warsaw Uprising Museum was very interesting. I knew Poland had been faught over for centuries and been broken up and re built in many combinations over the years but seeing the specifics of one of the most recent invasions was moving. Most of this story had been hidden and denied by the Germans and the Russians respectively and ignored by the allies post WWII. All sides treated the people of Poland, and particularly Warsaw, as animals (actually worse). The thing that struck me most was that this story wasn't told until recently and it still only tells the atrosities of the Germans and barely mentions the Russians. I wonder how long before the Polish people feel comfortable telling the truth in public of the Russian invasion and genocide. Maybe another generation?... It seems some key footage (enough for three modern feature films) was 'found' after being 'stored' by the Russians since 1946 and they have used this and personal donations from loyal Poles, who managed to keep artifacts, to build the story and tell it.
Me at the Wall of Remembrance
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