  yellowy- orangy color today just for fun.  .  wow,  i really am insane.  anywho.
 krakow was an adventure.  we arrived friday in the late afternoon to discover that our hotel was.  ltes just say.  " not the ritz"  and that it was not ezactly "
anywhere near"  the sqare.  oh well.  we dealt with it.  after settling in and eating dinner we hoped on the tram to go downtown ( at least a 15 minute tram ride)
 we saw the square and grabbed a beer and some lody and scanned& nbsp; the next day's shopping aspects.  we also stopped on every hour to see the trumpeter of krakow play.  the city& nbsp;
is absolutley gorgeous and has a very european vibe to it.  (  we were& nbsp; also happy to see buildings taller than& nbsp;
four stories. nbsp;  en route back to the hotel we stopped at Tesco,  the first 24 hour store we have seen in& nbsp;  2 and a half weeks.
 it was like a walmart in the way that it had everything you need but much better in qualkity,  bigger in size,  and not as hickish.  we bought a few things ( including some nutella and bread for myself.  i am absolutely addicted)
 our hotel is right next door so after some taling and laughter,  we went to bed. nbsp; nbsp; nbsp;  &
nbsp; nbsp; nbsp; nbsp; nbsp; nbsp;
nbsp;  & nbsp;  saturday morning& nbsp; after breakfast we went to the famous salt mines in krakow.
 it was not as boring as& nbsp; i thought& nbsp; but the elevator ride back up was more exciting than all& nbsp;
of the carvings,  chambers, a nd statues combined.  but the best part was definatly that i founf diet pepsi for the first time and bought sevral bottles.  from there we went to& nbsp;
Wawel castle and simply observed the exterior while making up our own stories for each part because we didnt want to spend the money to enter of get a guide.  we also saw the dragon statue before heading back downtown,  were we met up with natalie,  helena and crazy paul.  we did some shopping for the rest of the day& nbsp;
 then went to mass at the beautiful st.  mary's on the sqaure.  after deciding that although the lody on the squre was awesome,  it was too expensive,  we traveled back to Tesco and bought some tesco- brand lody,
 some toppings,  syrups,  whipped cream,  bowls,  and utensils and headed back to hotel start for our own little ice- cream party (
thanx to eddie's awesome idea)  & nbsp; nbsp; nbsp; nbsp;
nbsp; nbsp; nbsp; nbsp;  sunday morning we interestingly discovered another family in the hotel who had grown up in medina,  right by karen and leslie,
 and had moved to russia,  then to poland in 1995.  we then started our trip to auschwitz and brikenou.  during the hour ride out of krakow,  i met a family from oregon that had spent the last month in hungary working for habitat for humanity ( something that i might discover)
 ausiwitz itself was an indescribable expeirience.  although the first shock ofg bdeing at a place like this had worn off in dachau,  auschwitz was completely amazing. nbsp;  i could almost feel the presence of those who had suffered and died there.  we had an amazing tour giude who was extrenmely knowlegeable and could answer all of our questons along with supplementing them with stories of his own,
 including experiences of his own meeting survivors of auschwitz and brikenou.  we then went to brikenou which was desroyed and dismantled mony years ago so althought there was not much there,  the imensity of the camp as seen from the main gaurd tour was overwhelming.  on the way back to krakow,  i meet yet another person.  a young women from ireland who was traveleing with her friend (
who had not come to the camps)  and was very interested in our language school.  it was nice to have so many oppurtunities to meet new people ( especiallaly ones that spoke english)  as soon as we got back to the hotel,  we got on our bus back to stary sacz.
 along the way we stopped at some random shrine ( it was frankly quite boring and pointless and the& nbsp;  church was ugly)  we stopped for dinner at a random resturant and there finished our trip to krakow.  &
nbsp; nbsp; nbsp;  today ( monday)  today we had another chance to teach polish kids to square danse along with&
nbsp;  achance to teach them church songs.  today was also karens 30th anniversary and her husband sent her a beauthiful bouqet of thirty roses( although see loved them,  she still wishes that he could be here)  tonight we are going to evalyna's again for another try at a bonfire (
although the weather isnt looking too good.  also taoday,  we are going to the mayor's office for something at 4: 30.  i have no idea what it is.  you will find out later.
nbsp;  & nbsp; nbsp; nbsp; nbsp;
nbsp; nbsp; nbsp; nbsp; nbsp;  as i begin my last week here,
 i am depressed at th hought of leaving.  dont get me wrong,  i dream of home every day.  but just the thought of leaving this place and these people make me miss it already.  hopefully helena will be coming to E. C.
 this fall so ill see her again and have a& nbsp;  chance to introduce her to you all ( shes awesome)  thats all for now!  &
nbsp; nbsp; nbsp;  MUCH LOVE! nbsp; nbsp;
nbsp; nbsp; nbsp; nbsp;  * mary*
