Discus-Throwers and Shot-Putters Part II

In my last post, i told you that we were seated as comfortably as we could in the sweltering heat. In the minutes nearing to our stop, most of us were clustered around the windows to get as much of the scenery and the breeze that we could. The things we saw....couples frolicking about near a pond (ok thats as much i can say for want of censorship..but you guys know wat i mean), a lady hanging out clothes on the clothesline in just her bra...not a sight you'd wanna see you know. Some random guy sunbathing just outside his house. I know what you must be screaming...pics!! Sorry..the train was travelling too fast and we were all caught off guard by what we were seeing. You should have heard us - everytime we saw something racy, a collective "ooh" could be heard.

Finally, we got off at our stop. Not before waving goodbye to the people on the train, who'd come to know us because we were all so noisy. no. i should say, exuberant. haha. Right. So we get off at the stop and realise that we were at the wrong stop. Where were the banners welcoming Gamelan Asmaradana to the Brave Festival?! Where was the Brave Festival flag?! Where were the crowds of supporters, press and paparazzi?! And most importantly, where were our Liasion Officers?! Well, I'll tell you. We found out that they were at the next station. Darn those Polish and their confusing station names. Everything was Wroclaw something and Wroclaw something and Wroclaw something...you get the idea.

Aisha gets on the phone and talks to the "people" and soon our Liasion Officers come to get us. And off to our hotel we go. Savoy Hotel. A quaint hotel, more like a bed and breakfast. Rooms were pleasantly furnished. I got a room to myself on the first night. Everything in that room was so vintage! I like! The sofa bed was covered in some fabric that looked old and thankfully did not smell the part. The radio was the vintage kind with turn dials and buttons to press. And the telephone was the old dial-round-till-you-hear-the-whirring-kinda phone. Cool beans!!

I walk out onto my balcony (yes, i had my own balcony), look towards the neighbouring balcony and see two Aussies in boxers playing jazz to whomever was walking past at that moment. Just great, I'm sleeping next to these wierd musicians. Now, I'm so totally sure they are weird that I'll even name names. Yes ,Darren Moore and Timothy O'Dwyer of Timothy O'Dwyer Trio fame, you are those two weird musicians.

Enough already on these angmohs...lets proceed to dinner. We had dinner at a Western restaurant and all of us were so dead tired that we couldn't even stomach much down! After dinner, most of us went our separate ways. Joyce, Serene Seow, Renata (our Liasion Officer or LO), the three Aussies and me went to this jazz club called Club Rura. I know i know, sleazy sounding name..but it was not like what i expected. I was definitely not expecting hot, sultry jazz in an underground room. Again, no aircon. But luckily for me, Polish night is actually cool, a rather big drop in temperature from the Polish daytime. I order the talked-about Polish vodka with redbull and the waiter brings me double shot of vodka and one full can of redbull. Woohoo...cheap liquor anyone? Well..i basically couldn't stay any longer than half an hour, so the girls finished their drinks and headed back to the hotel with Clayton.

Okay thats it for my first steps in Poland. More coming soon....pics coming soon...having some problem uploading my photos.