We began by walking 378 wooden steps down, down, down into the depths - 210 feet under the surface. Our guide then proceeded to give us the history, and the legends, that make this mine such an interesting place. As we walked he invited us to touch and taste the salt that is literally surrounding you on all sides (even dripping from the ceiling). We stopped and heard the stories tht go with each of the many statues that line the corridors, each of which was carved entirely out of salt. We got to see a fully salinated underground lake, and various exhibits that depicted what life was like for the miners. We watched a short projection movie in one of the caves, heard a concert in all of its acoustic perfection in a hamlet with high ceilings and a lake and got to work the wheel that brought the salt up from the depths in barrels. Yet, for me, the most impressive thing we experienced was the chapel. Situated 400 feet underground and carved entirely out of salt, including the chandeliers, which have been made from reconstituted salt to achieve their glass-like appearance, the chapel is truly the gem of the tour. There are more statues and those impressive chandeliers, and even some a 3-D carving of the Last Supper. But it all pales in comparison to the alter that was carved, you guessed it, entirely from salt. You can attend mass in the chapel each Sunday (don't worry, there is an elevator that brings churchgoers almost directly to the chapel so they don't have to trek through the mine), or you can even get married here and hold you reception in one of the salt caves. Too bad we were there on a Saturday because that really would have been an experience.
After the tour, they let you wander around for a bit in designated spaces and when you are ready to leave you must be counted (they want to make sure every person that went in, comes back out) and wait for a guide to lead you to the elevators that return you to the surface. Holding only 9 people per car, the wooden lifts are crowded, rickety - though safe, and take 30 seconds to get you back to the top. It was not a ride I would recommend if you are clausterphobic!
After having been underground for most of the morning, we let the girls spend a few minutes on the playground outside. But only a few minutes, because we still had an entire afternoon of site seeing...
 |
| These signs were everywhere. The guide said it helps them know where they are in the labyrinth. |
Some of the salt sculptures and dioramas...
 |
| The salt here is gray, more than the white you see in most salt mines. |
Pulling the salt barrel up.
The chapel.
(And those salt chandeliers!)
This salt lake is 100% salinated. If you fell in, you would float.
We played and then piled back in the car. We still had to hit up Starbucks to pick up a mug for E, so we decided to hit up the food court at the mall it was located at. Little did we know what was in store...
The address of said Starbucks was plugged into my GPS and it took about 10 minutes to get there. Problem was, we didn't ask it to find us the nearest parking. So we drove around for a bit until we found the P sign that translates through all languages. What didn't translate what where it said to go, or how to get there. I followed a few cars that looked like they might be headed in the general direction of the mall, and still couldn't find the entrance. We were a bit farther away from the mall than I thought the deck would be, so I went to turn around. Turns out, I accidentally turned into the bus station lot. Where only the buses could go. Oops. It really is a hazard of not speaking, or reading, the language. But we thought, no harm, we will just keep going as the driveway makes a U-Turn, and I will end up heading back towards the mall. That was my first mistake.
A gentleman that worked there flagged us down and pointed for us to pull up, out of the way of the buses. I rolled down my window, and told him in English, that I was looking for the mall parking. He spouts off a ton of rapid fire Polish. I tell him again, in English, that I want the mall. Parking at the mall. He nods and talks into his walkie for a minute. I think he is getting us someone to tell us, in English, where to go. Nope. He brings me the walkie and the lady on the other end tells me that we must pay her 80 Zloty (about $20) or they will call the cops, who will fine us 300 zloty ($75). I tell her an emphatic No and repeat that I wasn't parking here illegally, or at all, I just made a mistake and needed to get back out. She said she did not speak English and that I had to pay the zloty at the Information desk, or she would call the cops. ALL IN ENGLISH. (Note to others: It makes it much more believable when you say you don't speak English, when you don't speak English trying to explain that you don't speak English). I told her she was nuts and she could call the cops, because I wasn't going to be there when they showed up anyway. I followed the next bus out and never looked back. It still amazes me how many people are out to make a buck or two off of unsuspecting folks. Here in Prague, we are told to keep 2000 czk ($100) in our cars, in separate locations, to pay "fines" if pulled over. I digress...
We ranted about that a bit. Joked about how we were now wanted in Poland and then found the parking lot just around the corner. With our mug in hand, lunch in our bellies and a renewed energy, we were off to park the car back at the hotel and get on with our day. But I will save the rest of the day until the next post. Because it gets a bit heavy from here on. Polish history is not pretty at times and that is where we are headed for the rest of the afternoon...
No comments:
Post a Comment