This wasn't easy - AUSCHWITZ-BIRKENAU

Many people might question, why go to a concentration camp when on a vacation. Is it worth a day trip from a lovely European city like Krakow? Shouldn't we just go to Zakopane which is gorgeous place? My thoughts were no different. However, I decided to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau this July. Did I regret it? Absolutely not. Did it leave an impact on me?  Hell Yes!! For me the trip to Auschwitz was a one that I may never forget.

My exposure or knowledge to the events of World War II was limited. I hadn't even watched movies on the Holocaust. For some reason I had always avoided this topic.  The word was familiar but I had no clue of the magnitude. They say ignorance is bliss. And in this case it certainly was. 

When you enter Auschwitz the first sign that welcomes you is "arbeit macht frei" or "work sets you free". I think the Nazis should have reworded it to "Works sets you free from life" or even better "If you can't work, we set you free from life". This is just the beginning of the horror.

The atrocities committed on Jews and other prisoners here are appalling. Before I even get to the atrocities, the statistics send you in a shock. And trust me, from here it is just more shock, sadness and helplessness. 

This place is like a well-defined procedure to kill people in cold blood. Think of it like a factory producing cars using Six Sigma, except that this systemic process was used to kill Jews, Poles, Gypsies and others. They were systematically brought in. All their belongings were taken by the Nazis to fund the war. People were then sorted out if they were capable to work or not. If not, they were asked to strip and sent to a chamber assuming that they are going to take a shower. Except, there was no water. They showered in a deadly gas "Zyklon B" and then their bodies were burnt (after removing hair and teeth). And this included children. The exhibits of bundles of hair,luggage and shoes stare you in the face.

And this was one of the better ways to kill people, the other methods included starving people to death by putting them inside a room, making them stand for hours in small blocks, injecting lethal injections, hanging people on their shoulders till their hands broke. 

The Nazis started with Auschwitz and then expanded it to a larger and more efficient Birkenau, a site you must have seen in Schindler's List and other movies.

What infuriated me, were the tales of German doctor "Yosef Mengele". This doctor conducted ridiculous experiments on Jewish and other kids especially twins. And by ridiculous I mean amputating limbs, conducting surgery without anaesthesia (castration and organ removals). But this one tops his evil deeds.     

You want to think what goes around comes around, but Mengele escaped and was never caught after the war and successfully escaped to South America. I read somewhere that he wasn't even guilty of the crimes he committed.

I witnessed a place that stood testimony to one of the most brutal crimes and took the lives of almost 1.1 million people. 

It took me weeks to come to terms with it, and I still haven't and perhaps I never will. No one should be able to come to terms with something so horrific. 

As Auschwitz turns 70 today, my heart still weeps for every soul that was brutally murdered there. I may not categorize this visit as one of my 'joys of travel' trips but definitely one of those trips that will stay with me for life. 

Why I Love Travel?

Over the past two years I have made a conscious attempt to travel and honestly I am always left wanting to travel more.  As bizarre as it sounds stepping into a new city is as exciting to me as going on your first date. There is always so much to discover, so much unknown and even when you think you have learnt a lot there will always be elements that surprise you. For those surprising elements and the reasons below, I keep travelling.

1. Travel lets you escape - Travel helps you escape from your worries even though only for a short time. It's that feeling of stepping into a new city and absorbing everything around you that helps you forget all your woes.

2. Get your history lesson - If you are a sucker for history like I am, you will simply love travel. There is so much to know. Every place has a story, you just have to read or watch documentaries to get to know the story behind a place. Also, I refuse to be that tourist who just wants to clicks pictures without knowing much about the place. I have done that and honestly I enjoy travel more when I have done my homework about the place. In my mind what is the point of going to Florence and clicking a picture of the Duomo when you don’t know who Filippo Brunelleschi was and why the Duomo is such a marvel from an architectural standpoint.

3. You learn to ignore jerks - Often, when you travel you are going to run into jerks. For instance, I was in Krakow and this store owner in Cloth Hall was really rude to me. I got upset at first because I am used to the wonderful culture of customer service in the United States but after sometime you learn to ignore it. I did not buy souvenirs from him, so the loss was his.

4. Places surprise you when you least expect them to - I often go very prepared, researching thoroughly the place I plan to visit. But when I visited Torun, I did not do my research and I was pleasantly surprised. Sometimes the fun lies in just aimlessly strolling, disconnecting completely rather than doing touristy stuff.

5. You learn to adapt - Some people panic if they forget something at home. But in reality there is no need to panic. You learn to adapt to a new place. Sometimes you don't even have a choice. For instance, it’s fun to go in a grocery store where no one speaks English and make an attempt to buy a body wash or toothpaste. You will learn something new :)

6. Food! Food! Food! - Food is an essential part of travel. Be it munching pierogis in Poland or trying Pici Pasta in Siena to the stinking bishop cheese in London. And you may not always like the meal you ate, but you at least you have the satisfaction of trying something different. And if you are still left unsatisfied try the dessert or alcohol. Most likely you won't be disappointed.

7. The art of travelling light - I can't stress the importance of this and how wonderful you feel when you have just one bag to carry. The fact is you need a lot less than you actually thought you would. Thanks to travel I have finally learnt the art of travelling light. What is the worst that can happen? You may need to go and buy something. That's no big deal.

8. B&B are better than your Marriott's and Starwood Hotels - Thanks to my consulting days, I am spoilt when it comes to staying in nice hotels. However, I have learnt the hard way that you don’t need standardized chains. I tried staying in a local bed and breakfast in Florence and a Marriott in Venice. I preferred the bed and breakfast. Not because it was cheaper but it added to the experience and also it was in the heart of the town. I could walk to every location. The experience was unique and very enriching as you get to interact with the locals. The more humble the experience, the closer it is to reality. The less standardized the experience, the more you absorb about the place you are in.

9. You will learn more without a tour guide and expensive tours – Just do your research well and you are better off without a tour guide. You definitely need a good guide book though. There are apps which you can download that will tell you about each exhibit in a museum. Watch documentaries or read about the place you are visiting and you should be fine. Having tried both tours and doing the research myself, I much prefer the latter. I remember and absorb more about the place, when I do my homework as opposed to a tour guide telling me about the place.

10. A better perspective on life - Poland’s history and a visit to Auschwitz brought me to tears. I read horror stories about the World War II and communist times and I have learnt to value things that I initially took for granted. I have learnt to crib less about my first world problems that don’t matter in the long run. Travel has provided me with a better perspective on life.

So keep travelling and enjoy your next destination!