REFLECTIONS: Spring In My Step: Step I

Another spring is here and I decided to spend another short break in Europe. This time, I decided to go to Poland – I’d been to Krakow and Warsaw before and got pickpocketed in Warsaw – so although I was apprehensive about visiting Poland again, I decided to give it another try. Tickets were bought via Expedia after some research (both the fare and travel times were better on Qatar Airways compared to Etihad) and I then set upon my research and booking accommodation. Finally it’s time to go.

Saturday, 29 April 2017

I only realised that the battery for my Tag had to be replaced so I went to my trusted reliable watch shop in downtown KL to do it and got caught in the downpour. No watch shops in KLCC could do it immediately (I’d have to leave it behind for 2-3 weeks, what nonsense!), not even the Tag Heuer boutique (and they charge a whooping RM130 too!). I finally took the bus to the airport at 18:00 and reached KLIA at 19:10. After dropping off my bag, I went to clear immigration and security and only headed to the boarding gate after performing prayers. It’s the same boarding gate as the cancelled one to Iran via Doha back in December but Alhamdulillah this time we took off just slightly later than scheduled.

Sunday, 30 April 2017

We landed in Doha after midnight and had to take a bus to the terminal. The plane door opened late then we had to wait for the bus to fill up. By the time we reached the transfer queue, it was mayhem. I was beginning to panic as I had about an hour only to clear the transfer process and walk to my gate. Boarding process commenced not long after I arrived at the gate.

We landed at Warsaw Chopin Airport at 06:05, 20 minutes earlier than scheduled. After freshening up and picking my bag, I went to find money changers. The rate at the airport was horrible, averaging PLN3.68 for every Euro. There was also a machine that offered rate of PLN3.7 for every Euro so I changed a bit for the bus fare before walking out to the bus stop. It was barely 07:00 and still so cold then. It being a Sunday, the bus 175 to Centrum came only after 15 minutes. I got down and walked towards Pałac Kultury i Nauki (Palace of Culture and Science) before spotting the Tourist Information Centre. I headed there to ask where Plac Defilad is for the buses out of Warsaw. She told me it’s on the other side of the building. I also asked where the nearest money changer is and if it opened on Sunday. Turned out there was one diagonally across the road so I headed there. I had to wait though until the office officially opened at 08:30 even though there was already someone in there. The rate was PLN4.18 for every Euro there.

After changing money, I walked to the open air bus station. While waiting for the Big Bus for Zamość to depart at 09:25, I went to check out the Drama Theatre wing of the gigantic Palace of Culture and Science. To my delight, I spotted washrooms and after asking around, I went to the ticket office. I was not able to buy the bus ticket to Zamość but managed to buy bus ticket from Warsaw to Toruń for the following afternoon and ticket from Toruń to Modlin Airport in two days’ time for PLN35 and PLN45 respectively.

Pałac Kultury i Nauki and Plac Defilad where the bus station is

When I returned to the open air bus station, the Big Bus to Zamość was already there. I went and tried to buy a ticket but when I said I had no reservation, the driver started speaking Polish to me. I asked if he could speak English but he said no. Shortly after though, he appeared with a young man (another passenger) who asked me where I wanted to go so I told him I wanted to go to Zamość and that I did not have any reservation. He said, that was all right, I just needed to pay PLN38 for the bus fare. I asked if that was all and he said yes. Hmm, so why did the driver asked if I had a reservation and acted like I couldn’t get on if I didn’t have it. Oh well. I paid the driver the fare and the young man then asked when my return trip was. He consulted with the driver before telling me I should take the 06:50 bus the next morning. Well, I suppose that was OK too (my plan was to take the 07:25 bus) and boarded the bus. Man, the company may be Big Bus but the vehicle was anything but! It was small and cramped. Like a Russian marshrutka. If I were any taller or had longer legs (sadly, I don’t), it’d be very uncomfortable indeed. It was like sitting in an AirAsia flight. Still, beggars can’t be choosers and all that.

So we settled in and the bus left promptly. I alternately read and dozed off. We stopped half-way at a rest area and I got down gratefully to use the bathroom and stretch my legs. We continued our journey after 20 minutes and pulled into Zamość just before 14:00. It was an overcast day and started to drizzle as I walked to find Hotel Jubilat. At check-in, I asked when breakfast started and when the lady at the reception said 08:00, I asked if the hotel could pack me some food to go as I would be leaving early the following morning. She said that wouldn’t be a problem and I thanked her and added ‘No meat please,’ before heading off to find my room.

After performing prayers, I left and walked to the Stare Miasto, armed with maps and a long brolly which the lady at the reception kindly lent me. The Old City is about 2 km from my hotel. I knew about this when I was looking for accommodation but I’d rather stay near to the bus station (as I planned to leave Zamość first thing in the morning anyway) than lug my bag the 2 km to the city and then back again the following morning. It was a pleasant spring afternoon walk and I reached the seventh bastion of the fortress (the only preserved bastion) which surrounds the Old City after 30 minutes. It started raining when I reached Rynek Wielki (Great Market Square). The tower of the Ratusz (Town Hall) looms over the market square while centuries-old former elite merchant apartments surrounded the market square. There was a stage to the right of the square with a band performing and the music played was very loud. Much too loud for my taste.

I spent about two hours exploring the alleys and streets of the Old City before returning to my hotel. I spent the rest of the evening resting and staying in.

Monday, 1 May 2017

An early morning start. I realised yesterday that I’d have early morning starts for every day of this trip except for the last two days and even then, I still had to get up to perform morning prayers. I left my room at 06:25 and went down to the lobby. There was a different person manning the reception, an elderly matronly looking woman. I asked about the hotel printer and if I could use the hotel computer in the lobby – she said yes – and how much she charged for using the computer and printer. She said no charge and I was so happy and grateful to hear this. I quickly checked in for my RyanAir flight on Friday, 5 May 2017, and printed the boarding pass. See, now RyanAir has reduced the online check-in for basic fare passengers from one week to four days before departure and if I didn’t get to check-in and print my boarding pass then, I would have to find an Internet café somewhere to do that. You can check in more than four days before your flight at a cost of £6.

After printing off my boarding pass, I thanked the kind woman and went to use the bathroom before leaving the hotel with my packed breakfast. The bus came and left on time and we stopped at the same rest area as the day before.

We arrived at Plac Defilad at 10:35, 40 minutes earlier than scheduled. My bus to Toruń was at 12:05 and I didn’t feel like walking to the Historic Centre of Warsaw, having been there before. I did consider crossing over to a shopping centre across the street but I would need to take the underpass and lug my bag up and down the stairs so I decided against it. So instead I walked around Pałac Kultury i Nauki to pass time.

The bus for Toruń arrived and quickly filled up. I was glad I had the foresight to buy the ticket the day before as they had to turn away some people. I was so glad I managed to go to Zamość the day before even though I came without any reservation or ticket purchased prior to the trip. We left Warsaw at 11:59; well, no point in waiting when everyone had already boarded.

We reached Toruń at 16:00. Now, there are two stops in Toruń. The nearest to the Medieval Town is at 18 Stycznia and that’s where I got down. My hotel, Hotel Kopernik, was about a ten-minute walk from the bus station. My room was at the end of the corridor and after Hotel Jubilat, looked somewhat shabby. It’s not en-suite and the two shared bathrooms are near the lift.

I left after performing prayers to explore the Medieval Town. The sun was out, it was May Day and a public holiday so there were many people about. I had a fun time walking around the many monuments of architecture. The city has preserved almost intact its medieval layout and Gothic brick buildings as unlike most other historic cities in Poland, it managed to escape substantial World War II destruction.