M-whY

It's only mid November, but Christmas trees and lights were already in the streets. Isn't early for decorations? I thought, then remembered Thanksgiving is an American holiday. At Warszawa Centralna, the woman handed me my ticket, pointed down, and held up four fingers. "Platform four?" I confirmed, and she nodded. Some nice people on board helped me interpret the rest of my ticket, and directed me to my seat. Three hours rolled by before we pulled into Krakow Glowny.

A hostel representative met me as I got off. "Hi, Are you looking for a hostel? Why are you smiling like that?"

"It's a nice day outside!"

I glanced at her brochures - she was touting ones I had been considering anyways - so I allowed her to point me in the right direction. The blue skies didn't last very long. By the time I got checked in and settled, snow clouds had blown in. I was bummed, of couse. I think my happiness rating is directly related to how much sun I see a day, so I did my best to salvage the day by booking a trip to the Wieliczka Salt Mines. I had arrived early enough the tour, which left from the hostel in the afternoon.

At 4:00pm, the van came up to pick us up. The driver was drove pretty aggressively; Unlike most cars, I don't think we stopped for pedestrians on crosswalks. Once we got there, the six of us merged into a larger group, guided by an english speaking woman. Down a flight of wooden stairs we went, descending 64m to the tunnels underground. Clearly visible crystals clung to the walls, and curiously, I sampled them...

"Salty?" asked a fellow tourist.

"Yeah," I grinned.

"Welcome to Wielickza Salt Mines," our guide was saying. "A genuine Polish salt mine." She led us along the tourist route, supported by wooden beams built hundreds of years ago. "Everything you see here is made of salt," we were assured. The statues were carved out of green rock salt, as were the archways. Chandeliers were fashioned out of crystal salt. In larger chambers, exhibits had been set up to describe the process used when it was still a functional mine.

Some more steps led to level two, and we reached what I thought was the most impressive piece of work down here: An entire cathedral fashioned out of salt. Everything - the chapels, floors, and lights - were made out of fast food's favorite ingredient. Every sunday, mass was held in St King's Chapel, and occasionally, only for the wealthy as it wasn't a cheap undertaking, weddings ceremonies would be performed. Somewhere in the tunnels, not covered on our route, were rehabilitation and treatment centers too. Supposedly, the air down is beneficial for people with respiration problems, and again, for a sum of money, people could spend the night underground.

I probably didn't learn as much as I could've. Unfortunately, I was always lagging behind the group, trying to take creative pictures, of which there were many opportunities for. Next to a pool of brine, statues were illuminated in an light show accompanied by Chopin, creating an ideal setting I wish I was sharing with a significant other rather than a pack of grungy backpackers.

Way back when, salt was a precious resource valuable enough to worth mining efforts. Nowadays, Wieliczka earns more money as a tourist attraction. We were given fifteen minutes to wander around the incredible facilities that had been constructed down here: A restaurant, gym, and, to my amusement, telephone booths. (I'm guessing cell phone reception wasn't very strong.) By the end of the tour, we were at the third level, 135m down. All together, nine levels had been excavated, giving a clue as to the mine's massiveness. Seven at a time, we were squeezed into tiny elevators and brought back to the surface, concluding a fascinating trip. It may have been all in my mind, but for some reason, my dinner tasted really salty that night.

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