Poland & Berlin: Part 12 - Day 12: Auschwitz

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 12.

1/8 Day 12: Auschwitz 

Costs
(A) Food
(1) Dinner at Piemento restaurant - Entrecote 200g  with chimicurri sauce PLN99, grilled vegetables PLN20, tomato juice PLN11, shared water 750ml PLN22, shared service charge PLN78. Total PLN163,33 / SEK435,53

(B) Transport and attraction 
(2) Lajkonik bus ticket (station Krakow Bosacka to Auschwitz Museum) - PLN19 + Payment fee PLN4,40. Total PLN23,40 / SEK63,89 one way. Same price for bus ticket back PLN23,40. 
(3) Ticket for Guided Tour Auschwitz 1 and 2 - PLN90 / SEK245,71

The Story

01082023: Today, we went to Auschwitz. We took the bus as there is a bus stop in the museum compound and we did not need to walk far to the entrance. I bought the Lajkonik bus tickets from their website. One can take the train there too but we were unable to match the timing with the museum ticket. We went to Krakow Glowny bus station and we asked around for the bus stop that goes to Auschwitz. It was not very obvious and a guard pointed us to a stop where the bus will arrive eventually. It was still early when we were at the bus station at 8.20am and our bus ticket is for 8.40am.

The bus journey took 1 hour 25 minutes. We arrived in Auschwitz Museum at 10.05am. We had to scan our bags and go through a scanner for security purposes. No photos were allowed in the entrance. Our guided tour started at 10.45am and the duration is for 3.5 hours. First, we went into Auschwitz 1. The walk took 2 hours as we went through to the compound, into some buildings where we saw displays of items that belonged to the Jewish victims and photos of the victims. It was very sorrowful as I walked past the displays. 

It was difficult to hear our guide narrating on the displays as his microphone was attached to his t-shirt and we could hear the noise around him as there were many guided groups. I could not appreciate the guide's narration so I asked him some questions during our walk as Auschwitz 2. 

This is the reconstructed Death Wall where some prisoners were shot here. While we were there, we saw some officials leaving a flower wreath. 

This is the accommodation of some of the prisoners. 

After Auschwitz 1, we took the bus to Auschwitz 2. Our guide followed us on the bus too. It is a 3km distance between both places and the free buses come every 10 minutes. We bought bananas the day before and we had the bananas before the guided tour started in Auschwitz 2. There is a toilet at the entrance. 

It started to rain when we arrived in Auschwitz 2. This time, we could hear the guide clearly as he did not have a microphone on him. 

This wagon carried a lot of Jewish and at this particular spot, they were divided into strong and weak. The weak ones were informed that they will be given a shower but instead, they went into a gas chamber where poisonous gas was released from the ceiling. Then, the bodies were burnt. The strong prisoners were sent to work as slave labourers until they could not work. 

The crematorium to burn the bodies.

A memorial was built in Auschwitz 2.

I asked the guide how did the Jewish people end up here as Jews from across Europe were gathered and most of them were in Poland. They were informed of jobs and the Jews took the train here. Then, there were companies that bought the Jewish victims for labour and also bought the hair of dead Jewish women. Companies were knowingly involved. And the Nazis who executed the Jews... I don't understand how they could stomach it and continue to do it.

The guided tour in Auschwitz 2 ended at 2.05pm and we took the shuttle bus back to Auschwitz 1. I bought the 3.30pm bus ticket back to Krakow town and thought we could board an earlier bus back to town which was at 2.45pm bus the bus driver did not allow us although there were many empty seats on the bus. So, we walked around the massive car park under the rain for the time to pass. Many visitors seeked shelter from the rain. We arrived back at Krakow town at 4.55pm. For dinner, my travel companions chose a fancy place as this is our last night in Krakow. So, I chose the least expensive on the menu. We were very underdressed and I tried to eat as slow as I can to enjoy the expensive meal.