August 19, 1998, Wednesday

In the morning I rode a bus in the direction of the large market on the other side of the river. It again took two buses to get there. Two men from Holland warned me about pickpockets and about wearing a fanny bank because it was easy for anyone to cut the strap. There were many booths most of which had clothing for sale. The grounds were crowded with people. I worked my way between the booths. There were a few booths carrying souvenirs but that wasn't what the market was about. The people came to buy clothing and shoes at a bargain price. The market only stayed open in the morning and early afternoon while I was there many were boxing up their goods.

In the afternoon I rode a bus to the old town. They're the merchants were compared to sell to the tourists, who came from all over the world. There was much Amber-necklaces rings and ear rings. There were dolls, wood carvings, art paintings, outdoor restaurants and hotdog stands in the shadow of buildings. Some of the buildings dated back to the 13th century.

In the courtyard horse-drawn carriages were for hire. Surrounding the square were the beautiful old buildings, each with individual architectural style. It was a shame to think of bombs from the sky wrecking the special treasures many buildings had to be rebuilt after the war 85% of Warsaw was destroyed during the war much of it has been rebuilt

In the evening back at the hotel I prepared my luggage for the train ride to Kraków.

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