It was already day 5 but we were still so
many kilometres away from home sweet home. We had partly ourselves to blame
that we were closer to the Ukrain then to Germany. In stead of going
westwards yesterday we went southwards. Today our mission was to penetrate Germany as far
as possible. Our plan was to join our Latvian truckdrivers until the next big
city and try to find a bus direction Germany. Early in the morning at
6.30 we woke up and rushed to the breakfast room to stuff ourselves completely
full. On the other side of the highway we found our truckdrivers back and
together we said sail to Katowice, a major city
in the south of Poland
with no less then 3 million Polish
people living in its surroundings. We agreed that the truckdrivers could drop
us off at a gas station just before entering Katowice. From that point we had to make our
way ourselves to the bus station. After a minute hanging around at the gas
station we saw a taxi. Anxious to know we inquired his price to the busstation.
Unfortunately this guy didnt understand a word English (or acted like he
didnt understand it). With his hands he illustrated a 7, so we thought this
taxiride would cost us 7 zloty or 1,7. Maybe that was a little bit too cheap
to believe for a ride who took 15 minutes. So young, so naive. Arriving at the
destination we gave this man 10 zloty so we could get 3 zloty back. But this
man was really upset and gestured spastically in the air with his arms like a
propeller. Than it came up into our minds that this guy actually meant 70
zlotys or was trying to rip us off. We started to empty his trunk when the
taxidriver wildly closed it and stepped again back in his car convinced to
drive away if he didnt get the money. Luckily we could stop this madman and
drove with him to a money withdrawal because we didnt had 70 zlotys. It was
also the first time we were confronted by the extreme poverty in the streets.
The taxidriver had to ask 2 other people for the closest money withdrawal. How
can it be so difficult to find a money withdrawal in such a big city? In the
end we found one in the trainstation, the machine itself was surrounded by a
hardcore posse of stinking tramps and beggars. It was the most miserable sight
since we began this trip. Back at the international busstation we paid the
taxidriver and concluded that we had to leave this terrible city as soon as
possible. In an improvised office (container) a friendly employee helped us
figure out the fastest way to get in Germany. We decided to go
immediately to Frankfurt skipping also most of
East-Germany, a busstrip of not less then 12 hours. But only in the afternoon
this first bus left to the civilised world, so we were stuck for another 3
hours in Katowice.
Hunger drove us to the city where we again were confronted by the explicit
poverty in the centre. For me it was the first time I was exposed to these kind
of situations. Im also convinced that the Polish language does not know a word
similar to demolition. When a building is to old to use it, they dont break
it down but they just put a new one next to it. It was also absolutely unsafe
here, you could feel that certain people wanted to rob you. Luckily we had the
chance to leave our luggage in the office of the busstation. We hurried to a
place we know and where we felt secure, that could only be a Mc Donalds! 3
hours and a battlefield of empty hamburgerboxes later our bus finally left this
hellhole. We realised that we needed something to keep us busy during this long
bus ride. We thought that magazines could be a cheap way of entertainment but
we were very surprised to pay a higher price (15 for a Maxim and a
hiphop-magazine) then in other countries. But it was it all worth because the
Polish melodramas despite on flatscreens on the bus were suicidal. Ultimately
the bus cradled us in to a bussleep.
