SAAAT, sausage and goulash

I have returned from the lands of sausage and goulash and am all the fatter for it. I ate possibly the best sausage ever in Zakopane in Poland. Although, that means it would come up against the best hotdog ever in Hamburg. My Lady and the Tramp moment with Skinner is kind of hard to beat….

So I had a rather cultural holiday which was both pleasant and long overdue. My brain feels all the more enriched. Well, kind of. I was all for feeding my brain until I got to the Salt Mines in Krakow (admittedly, this was on the 2nd day) and had to eat my lunch and all associated snacks halfway through cause I was bored. But apart from that, I am now a walking culture machine!!

You know when people really piss you off and you want to give them a piece of your mind and never do? Especially annoying American tourists?

Ok, let me paint the picture.

Characters:
Stupid and annoying American Tourist (SAAAT)
VM (yes, that’s me)

Setting:
Auschwitz – English tour 5th October 2007. SAAAT is going nuts taking photos. So much so that she is totally disregarding what the tour guide is saying while trying to get the best angle of the death camp, gas chambers and torture areas.

Tour group enters a building that has a sign saying “Please do not take any photos inside this area”.

[SAAAT proceeds to take photos all through this area. VM does a lot of glaring at her. VM stands next to her while she takes a photo through glass. SAAAT does not turn the flash off and does a tut when she looks through the viewfinder and sees nothing but flash].

SAAAT ‘Tut’

VM ‘I guess that’s what happens when you take photos when you shouldn’t’

SAAAT ‘Mmmmmmppphh’ (but more like Mmmmmmmppphh, you got no game kind of way)


[VM walks outside and SAAAT follows]

SAAAT ‘I was only taking photos because everyone else was’

VM ‘Just because everyone else is doesn’t mean you should to. It’s extremely disrespectful to do it when there are signs saying not to’

SAAAT ‘Mmmmmppphh’

[SAAAT then walks off to take more photos of the death railway]

[VM does more glaring]

I actually should have known that this is what would happen. I guess I was hoping that people would have more respect. Places like that bring out the worst in people. I guess I can understand why people take photos, but seriously, what are they going to do with them after? Instead of absorbing things through their lenses, they should have just listened, took in the travesty of what happened and learnt a lesson about humanity. There was one guy who answered two phone calls while we were in one of the sheds that housed men in Dauchau (this was probably one of the most depressing moments in the tour) and another handful of people who took photos in the gas chambers. Why? I just don’t get what is wrong with people.

Anyway, besides that, we also visited the Salt Mines before heading off to Zakopane in the Polish Tatra mountains. This place was beautiful but freakin cold. We hiked up to the Morskie Lake which was stunning and then had a picnic by the lake. I had kind of forgotten the good ole backpacking tricks/tight arseness of stealing breakfast items for lunch, but quickly got back into the swing of things! Then, the next day, we headed to Budapest through the Slovakian Donovally area. Budapest was pretty, but there was something slightly seedy about it. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but it didn’t have the charm and beauty of Krakow.

And now I’m back. With no more holidays til December……