In reading these comments you should realize that I am an engineer; one of those technical guys. 
    
    My first trip to Poland was in 1977 on business, before the Solidarity movement. A lot has changed in those 20 years. I have been to Poland several times but the last time was in February 1997, six years ago. 
    Because of the world situation, the start of the war in Iraq, we were apprehensive about making the trip to Poland in late March. Expecting extended security delays we left for the airport three hours before scheduled departure but there were not many passengers at the Houston airport when we arrived and it only took about 30 minutes to check in and go through security. When we got on the plane, a large 747, we found it about 2/3’s empty. We were each able to sleep across 3 empty seats; much more comfortable than sleeping sitting upright.
    We arrived at the Warsaw airport, went through passport control, collected our luggage, and went looking for a taxi, all without a hitch. The airport has been upgraded, it now had jetways to walk from the plane directly into the airport terminal. Upon arriving at our hotel we discovered that one of our suitcases had been searched by security on the trip over. They left a note inside; thankfully nothing was missing.
    Getting a taxi at the airport meant finding a taxi big enough for us and our luggage and for the best price. This was not a problem. The driver was pleasant and chatted about the weather and what and where things were in Warsaw. He gave us his business card after helping take our luggage into the hotel.
    We stayed that night at the MDM hotel, rated 3 stars I believe. It wasn’t the Victoria or the Forum, but it was comfortable and had everything we needed. Prices were higher than in Houston but were probably comparable to those in New York City for a similar hotel.
    We visited with some relatives that night and caught up on what had happened to them and their two children since the last 6 years. The next morning we took the subway to Stari Miasto. The subway was a new experience for me in Warsaw. It was clean, efficient, and inexpensive. For 7.20 Zl (about $1.80) you can buy a day pass that gives you unlimited travel for the day.
    While my wife had coffee in a gallery with a friend I walked around and took pictures. I did not think it had changed much from my prior visits but enjoyed seeing it again. 
    The hotel called a taxi for our trip to the central train station. At the station the taxi driver found a porter to help with our baggage all the way to the platform for our train. Since we were about 45 minutes early for the train the porter left his cart with our baggage and went off to find some more business. Shortly prior to the train’s arrival he returned and helped us load the luggage onto the train and into our cabin. Again all of the people who helped us on our journey were pleasant and courteous.
    We had first class seats in a cabin with 6 seats at a cost of about $25 per person one way, not bad by American standards for a 4 hour trip. The compartments were clean and the seating was comfortable. At first we were the only ones in the cabin but on the next stop two more persons sat down with us. There was still plenty of room for us and all of our baggage. Fortunately the two other travelers only had briefcases. Heaven help us if they had similar quantities of luggage! A cart with snacks and drinks came around a couple times during the trip.
    Leaving Warsaw the sights were similar to those I remember from rail commuter trips in Philadelphia many years ago; mainly industrial type buildings. As we got out of the city there were small homes, farms, and little villages. Frequently there were ponds that still had some skim ice on them; this in spite of the fact that the prior week had temperatures in the 60’s and 70’s.
    A few minutes prior to arriving at the Sopot station we lugged our suitcases to the car’s exit; not a simple task for the quantity of luggage we took. We then realized that we had to discover how to open the door of the train. All notices on the train appeared to be in Polish, Russian, French, and German; English was noticeably missing. The pictorial door opening instructions were very simple, an arrow under the handle indicating the way to push the handle. When the train stopped and we opened the door our family was right in front of us. We all worked to get all of the luggage off the train and immediately renewed our acquaintances with greetings, hugs, and kisses.
    Then to the cars; my young godson insisted on taking one of the larger pieces of luggage. After a short trip we all arrived at Ela’s parents’ apartment. We sat down around the table and had our first meal with the family, a time to finally relax. After kolacia it was time to open the suitcase and play Santa Claus for the kids. All the gifts brought happy smiles and hugs. If the clothes did not fit one, they did fit the other.
    We had arranged to stay at a university guest room. This would not overload them and give both us and them some independence. It was also convenient, just a 5 minute walk from their apartment. Even though it was not a hotel room it had everything we needed, including beds, clothes closets, a cable TV and a refrigerator. We ate our meals at their apartment but had some drinks and snacks in the room. The only disadvantage was a shared bath facility; shared with four other guest rooms. This was not too inconvenient because the other rooms were generally empty. I am sure most American tourists would not care for this type of accommodation but it worked for us. At the end of the stay we all agreed that this arrangement worked out well.
    The next day we generally rested and spent time with the family but after that we began visiting with friends in the area. Visits were typically in the afternoon and involved “tea”; which generally meant a full, multi-course meal. In other words, the typical Polish demonstration of friendship. It was nice to get reacquainted with these friends after 6 or more years. I actually met some friends of the family whom I had never met before.
    In addition to visiting we made some shopping trips, to the grocery market, and to gift and to a variety of other shops. The local grocery store seemed to have everything people wanted. Shopping carts were provided and most carts were returned to the proper locations. When you take a cart you need to insert 2 Zl (about 50 cents) into a slot on the cart to release the cart for your use. When you return the cart to the proper locations you get your 2 Zl back.
We walked around and saw some of the sights in Sopot and Gdansk. Many parts of Sopot were the same but new development has occurred along the coast in the form of a walking/bicycling way with restaurants. The restaurants seemed to emphasize seafood naturally. The main district for small shops, etc. is still around Monti Casino which is a walking only street, with restaurants, galleries, movie theatres (10 Zl or about $2.50), gift shops, and on and on. There is indication of continuing “remont”. The Sopot Molo starts at the lower end of Monti Casino. It is also under remont and was supposed to open for the summer season on the first of May. People come to the Molo for a peaceful walk by the ocean or to take ferry excursions. I think that local residents look at the annual opening of the Molo as a sign that Summer has finally arrived. In Gdansk we toured the shipyard museum about the start of Solidarity, very interesting.
In general we had good weather for our visit. We started out in the 60’s the first week but got cooler the second week. Just before our return to the States it went down to freezing with clouds, rain and eventually snow. The day we left they got 10” to 12” of new snow- in April. It caught many people off-guard; they had already removed their winter snow tires. Polish people seamed to think that their weather was very changeable, but everywhere I have traveled I hear the same comment; if you don’t like the weather now, wait 5 minutes and it’ll be different.
    The roads and highways seem to be the same as when I was there last, but with more traffic and newer and different cars. I even saw signs of a limited SUV/Offroad market; second hand Russian military vehicles, the Russian equivalent of the US Army’s HumVee, adapted for civilian use. They had a 5 speed manual transmission with a 2 speed transfer case. I think they could climb a vertical wall. Lakes were not a problem for them either, the air intake for the diesel engine is at the top of the windshield. They all seemed to be equipped with winches, some with cables big enough to pull the Stefan Batori. These vehicles seemed to be more adapted for serious off road use than the typical SUV’s in the USA and would be quite useful for hunters.
    We took the intracity train from Sopot to Gdansk a couple times. The trains ran frequently on a published schedule and had a single class of service. The fare was 70 cents each way. The car windows were filled with graffiti scratched into the glass but were otherwise ok. Local buses within the city of Sopot seemed to be well utilized by residents. The normal fare is about 20 cents but seniors ride free.
    In spite of the fact that there are many more cars available, the public transportation system is still widely utilized. You can get from anywhere to anywhere economically and with relative ease.
Taxis are more common now and anyone can easily call by phone to schedule a pickup. When getting a taxi outside the airport or train station you need to check around because there may be more than one taxi stand with quite different pricing. As with anything, buyer beware.
    Our return flight left Warsaw at 6:45 AM so we arrived at the airport shortly after 5:00 AM. As in most city airports, video displays informed you where to check in for your flight. There was already a healthy line to the checkin counter for our flight, but it moved quite well. Once through passport control there were a lot of shops and eateries, a lot more than I remember the prior times I used this airport.
    The planes on the trip home were generally full but we still had decent service and survived economy class. The trip was enjoyable; we renewed our acquaintances with both family and friends, but too short to see all the sights I would have liked to see.


                            Doug,
                             05/12/03