From W to W (Part 1)

I do love short trips or better weekend trips, because you have to accommodate time resources in best possible way in shortest amount of time, in my case this trip started on a Saturday morning, I wake up late as usual when I have to travel, my train depart at 8:30 am and I didn't have my backpack ready, not a taxi called, nothing and it was 7:31 am.

So I rush to the shower, quick bath, soap, shampoo. Took the first t-shirt and pants, 7:50 am. Probably I spent too much time in shower-thoughts and self-dialogs. Time to prepare the backpack, so a boxer, a towel, socks and extra t-shirt, done! Ou.. I felt like forgetting something; off course deodorant, toothpaste and toothbrush, now for real. Done!

I got my coat from the rack, I put my new pair shoes, and took the home key, rush to look for a cab. No taxi outside, keep walking to the usual corner two blocks away, there it was this big grey van, with the taxi sign on the top. “Dzien dobry, prosze Wroclaw Glowny”, the taxi driver gave me a quirky smile and said “ok, ok”, I’m sure my miss pronunciation and grammar-less attempt were quite funny for him.

He went trough the small streets of the city center, until he reached one of the main streets of the city, just at the side of mall Galeria Dominikanska, A place that I consider the real center of Wroclaw, everyone knows where it is, and it has a lot of bus and tram connections. After a lapse of 10 minutes, we arrived in Wroclaw Central Train Station , low fare payment, and I left the change as tip (3 zloty).

Wroclaw Glowny is one of those train stations which mix multiples styles, the modern and the old, with a big ceiling, and the always present McDonald's and coffee shops, I already had my ticket bought, it was 8:15am I had some minutes to get something to eat, so I went to the Starbucks in front of the ticket office. Asked for some pancakes, a sandwich and two bottles of water, I had a three hours and a half trip ahead so wanted to be prepared. Then walk to the third train platform (Peron in polish).

The train was on time, it arrived at 8:29am and left the station in 5 minutes, I found my wagon pretty easily, each wagon had a printed piece of paper indicating the number and seats. Once on my seat which was in the window say i took off my coat and backpack, I was in those double couch cabins were six people barely fit, the train departed and I was the only one in the cabin, I took the pancakes and one of the bottles of water.

There were four stops between Wroclaw Glowny and Warsawa Centralna “Warsaw’s central train station”, without much difference between them aside from the size, but what was interesting is the uniformity of the landscape, there are no mountains, or hills, is predominantly flat, with interpolations of forests, farms and small towns, it was the beginning of spring and it wasn't any sign of snow or mist, probably the hour wasn't appropriate, what its common is to see to see the deer’s herds jumping and running around, close to the rails, and in the distance. I spent the trip on the train alternating between the book Star Diaries of Stanislaw Lem, and the view.

There are two train stations in Warsaw, the first one is in the outer part of the city, and the second one is the main station, I was confused by the train’s speaker, because it said the next station was Warsawa and something else I couldn’t understand, but Ola, the friend how invited me, wrote me a message to indicate me to not get down there but in the next one. I have struggled so much in trains, especially when I don’t understand the messages, and particularly in Germany, it seems to always something is out of place or hidden or simply I just an idiot that doesn’t know how to get around in german train system, but anyway I didn't want this to be the first issue in Poland, and it wasn’t. Thanks for my friend help and the fluctuating google maps response.

Finally I arrived at Warsaw,a modern train station, the main difference between this one and the one in Wroclaw is that this was underground, but with tall ceiling. There was a line to get out of the train, so I took my luggage and walked to the wagon door, the phone vibrated, I couldn't check it, but I supposed Ola was writing me. I get off the train look to my right, endless tunnel, look to the left stairs, multiple flat screens indicating the train routes and schedules hanging from the roof, but in the distance with model pose, brown coat, she is taller than average girls 6.0" and deep blue ocean eyes. A welcoming approach and hug. “You are finally in Warsaw, I’m so exited” she said, and I replied “Yeah, and it looks like awesome” we head to one of the exits, through one of the tunnels with multiple small stores, once we reach the exit there was in front of us the Palace of culture, and the park and surrounded by skyscrapers.

Will continue…