trying to break into Auschwitz is harder than you think .....

Another beautiful day this morning - loaded up into the vans and away from the course by 8am heading for a visit to Auschwitz - kids all keen on this plan even though we knew our time there would be a bit limited because we needed to be back here by 12noon for lunch and the training session at 2 pm.
Martin once again had the route completely sussed and we flew along the roads being overtaken by dare devil polish drivers who display no fear on double lines .... bicycles and tractors and little motorbikes with enormous riders all travelling in the middle of the road makes for an interesting time.
Arrived at the first camp and looked through the quarantine barracks where hundreds of people were kept ... the fields of standing brick chimneys were the only remains of hundreds more buildings which had been destroyed by the Germans in an attempt to get rid of their evidence.

 We moved on from this first camp to the big main camp where the majority of the extermination took place. However trying to get into the camp and museum was very difficult - it seemed that after 10am in the morning groups of more than 10 people would only be admitted with a guide but individual people could go through for free prior to this time - we knew this and timed our arrival for 9.45 - unfortunately when we got to the front of the line the young man asked how many we were and Pavel said "16" at which he said well you cant come in unless you have a guided tour which meant we had to wait for the group to build to 30 people and was very expensive and 3 hours long and we only had 1 and a half hours to spend there. So we said we are individuals and its before 10am - he still refused to budge and Pavel asked him if he was an individual could he go through - he said yes so Pavel pushed past , Wendy and two kids followed and there began the drama of the others trying to come in - it didn't help that there was another group of 5 Australians also trying to get in and the guy thought they were in our group as well. However one by one the kids peeled off and attached themselves to others coming through and in dribs and drabs we all made it INTO Auschwitz except Dale and Haylee and Jess who couldn't seem to blend in with the crowd. Dale spent a long time trying to explain that we weren't a tour group from another company but just common old kayakers here for only 2 hours and wanting to experience a little of what was beyond the barbed wire .... those of us who made it in were overwhelmed by the displays and surroundings .....
Back into the vans and back for lunch followed by the last training session before tomorrows racing begins - and then the storm broke - thunder, lightening and torrents of rain and power cuts. Pavel and Martin braved the rain to continue to coach through it all.

Tommy

Robin

Marcus

Jess

Patrick

Callum

Finn

Dan and Luke nailing the drop

Dan and Luke

lining up in the eddy

Pavel sheltering from the rain in a judges booth talking with Marcus

After training the rain continued and the kids really needed a snack because tea was to be a little later this evening after demos. Wendy set up the two trusty fry pans out on the terrace of the first floor and cooked up toasted sandwiches for them all - it was a bit dodgy with the thunder and lightening and the electrical cords lying in the puddles were a worry - 

make shift kitchen 

Luke protects the second helpings

 

kids eating toasted sammies in the hallway 

New Zealand uniform looking good at demo runs

Tea time in the hotel