Krakow and Wielicska Salt Mines

6/09/2008
We have booked our accomodation for Budapest. We looked at some hostels on the internet but with comments like booze and snooze and party animals welcome we thought they may not suite us!! We went with our guide book recommendation and emailed a B&B who responded very quickly and could offer us 2 nights and suggested their next door neighbour for the 3rd night. So that worked out very well.

Zophia at the hostel wrote out the details of our ticket in Polish for us so we don't get the wrong ticket for Budapest and then we set off to catch the tram to the station to buy our ticket.

We made the mistake of not buying a ticket before boarding the tram - which you can get from kiosks near the stops. And of course the ticket inspector got on board and fined us for not having a ticket. So that was a real bummer!

Anyway we made it to the station a little lighter in the pocket and presented our note to the train ticket office. The lady spoke english but was quite impressed we had gone to the trouble of getting it written in Polish. Tickets all organised for the forward trip, we headed off to find the tour bus to the Wielicska Salt Mines. The tour bus turned out to be a local bus so we joined the locals and watched anxiously for signs for the salt mines. Luckily the driver shouted out salt mines!! so we bundled off the bus and joined an english speaking tour of the mines with about 30 others.
Our guide was quite character - whether he knew it or not. He had a habit of emphasising important points by repeating them twice. So he would say we are underground 210 feet.... 210 feet. So you would be anticipating the next time and wait for the repeat. Like stay together, stay together.... follow your guide, follow your guide. He was the entertaining part of the trip! The salt is not white, salt is green, salt is green. Anyway after two and a half hours and walking down 350 steps, 350 steps and over 2 miles, over 2 miles. We had had enough even though it was interesting and it had been producing salt since 11th century and to pass the time miners carved figures, chandeliers and an elaborate chapel out of salt. There was also a museum, a museum but we had had enough salt culture.
The weather is very warm and humid, so we are drinking lots of water. We bought some fruit from a lady street vendor and went through the pantomime of what we wanted and the cost. We bought 2 quoite style rolls from another street vendor.
While we were crossing the planty a few marching bands were passing by with marching girls and people in national costumes so we sat down and watched the parade for awhile.
There was a spanish band playing in the square for the music festival which were fantastic. Then we walked back to our hostel via the planty (park) and made ourselves a great lunch of cheese, tomato and cucumber supplied for breakfast by the hostel. We felt very replete and relaxed for a couple of hours to plan our next adventure.
We walked to the town square later across the planty and sat ourselves down to a grilled chicken and salad dinner - the nicest meal we have had in quite awhile.
There were lots of people watching a performance at one of the stages so we wondered over. We guessed it was a dress rehearsal for a Polish musical as there was a guy shouting instructions - so we assumed he was the director. It was obviously a well known musical to the Poles as they were joining in with the singers. A couple of drunks in the front were getting very rowdy and over excited and caused a distraction. Then they got involved with counting there money and one wandered off to buy some more booze.