I decided to dedicate the better part of my last day in Krakow in the Jewish district. I visited the Jewish cemetary that the Nazis demolished during their occupation in WWII. They have a cool mosaic wall with all the broken headstones that they couldn't restore. I went to Schindler's factory, which was not as exciting as I had hoped. Again, Hollywood has but undue pressure on Krakow to live up to its 2hr masterpieces.
Then, on the way back from the factory, a car splashed in a puddle in front of me. I just remember seeing this wave of water flying at my face. And not just clean water...no, this is dirty Krakow. This was the dirtiest water you have ever seen. So yeah, had to change my clothes after that.
Then to an eclectic bar for some postcard writing and journal updating. I think the tart I had tasted pretty good, but I can't be sure. My nose is really stuffed up and can't really taste much of anything. I'm debating if it is even worth my time buying dessert at this point, given that I really can't enjoy the tastes.
Last night, I boarded a train headed for Budapest. This was my first "sleeper" train experience, and it wasn't half bad. It was sort of like Freshman year at college with a new roommate or a really great summer camp experience. They guy I met, Marcello (from Italy) had brought his own assortment of goodies--various food items, beverages, etc. He immediately started referring to me as "My Teacher!" in that very excited, roller coaster of intonation that only comes from Italians. We covered the basics last night: still vs. steal; tooth vs. teeth; mirror; and lighter. By the end of the night, he was offering me food and drink, saying, "A man who drinks alone is either a stealer or a spy." So in an effort to discourage any sort of plundering of my stuff (I'd heard varying things about security on these overnight trains), I took him up on his offer.
We arrived in Budapest early this morning and now I am just getting settled into my hostel.
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