Auschwitz - Birkenau

"Work Makes You Free."  The famous entrance to concentration camps across Nazi Germany.

The fence and boundaries of the concentration camp Auschwitz.

A collection of appendages, crutches, and other extremities the Nazis collected upon the Jews entrance to Auschwitz.

A collection of adult shoes the Nazis took upon the Jews arrival at Auschwitz.  These shoes were found in building "Canada," which only survive due to the Nazis non-destruction of the building in their haste to escape the Soviets.

A typical street/row in Auschwitz.

The famous human ovens that burned the bodies of the deceased in Auschwitz.

The original railroad that led to the entrance of Birkenau.  Millions of prisoners would enter on this track and go immediately to the gas chambers.  These chambers are located approximately 100 feet to the right of where I'm standing to take this photo. 

A typical box cart that transported the prisoners to the various concentration, death, and work camps.  A familiar site at Auschwitz - Birkenau is the pilgrimage of Israeli Jews to remember the past.

The destroyed remains of the main gas chambers and human ovens at Birkenau.  Millions died on this site alone.  The retreating Nazis destroyed much of Birkenau to hide their crimes.  Further destruction was due to the Polish trying to reclaim this land once the war was over. 

               When it comes to the World War II Holocaust, there is no place that conjures the images and events more than Auschwitz.  This eternal image of genocide is one of the most visited places in Europe for good reason: the camp is in perfect condition and has some of the best Holocaust displays in the world. 

                Arrival into the concentration camp is through the ever reminding “Work Makes You Free” sign that hangs above the front gate.  From there you wind through former buildings housing prisoners.  The buildings now house displays from the history of the Holocaust, the main players, everyday life, and some of the greatest tragedies occurred at the camp.  However, the best displays are from the articles found inside the Canada building on site.  Fleeing Nazis didn’t have enough time to take and/or burn all articles and evidence left behind, and in their haste kept the Canada building perfectly in-tact.  Inside the liberating Soviets found collections of everything the prisoners brought with them to the camps: hairbrushes, shoes, artificial limbs, and a room full of human hair complete with a section showing sheets and cloth made with human hair.  The finale brings people to the gas chambers and ovens used for bad, conspiratorial, or useless prisoners.

                A second optional half of the tour takes visitors to the destroyed site of Birkenau.  Located only three kilometers away from Auschwitz, Birkenau (or sometimes referred to as “Auschwitz II”) is probably ten times the size of Auschwitz and doubled in use as a death camp.  Prisoners from Italy to Greece to the Baltics were sent to Birkenau and immediately upon arrival were killed in gas chambers, then sent to ovens for cremation.  While much of the camp was destroyed by fleeing Germans and Polish trying to retake their former village areas, the area still is an excellent example of tortuous conditions and mass extermination. 

                While there are disputed figures to the death toll of Auschwitz (some claiming as much as 4 million total), there is a general agreement amongst experts now that 1.3 million people died during the six years at Auschwitz.  Most of these deaths were determined according to the wishes of Dr. Mengele (AKA “Dr. Death”).

                The memorials are open to the public year round, where you are required to take a guided tour of the camps.  The tour lasts three hours, and there is a strong possibility that you will encounter Israeli Jews on a pilgrimage to a site synonymous with the extermination of their people.  Personally, I think this is the best, most organized example of the horrors we can do to each other on earth. 

Chernobyl

The ominous sign as you enter the exclusion zone to Chernobyl.

A sign appears for every village that was permanently abandoned due to the catastrophe.

The abandoned interior of a kindergarden.

Standing in front of the four original reactors.  Reactor 1 is the black and white lines on the right, Reactor 2 is the black and white lines in the middle of the picture, Reactor 3 is directly above my head, and Reactor 4 (the exploded reactor) is directly adjacent to the left of Reactor 3.

The effects of abandoned building and the reason why we can't enter them.  Experts predict that this will start to become a common site in the next 20 years.

A before and after of a popular street prior to the disaster.

A before and after constrast showing a popular auditorium/event center near the power plant.

The famous merry-go-round (supposedly never used) contrasting the hope and happiness with today's emptiness.

The classic bumper cars left as they were.  Assuming they would return in a few days, the residents saw no reason in storing or winterizing anything.

A Geiger counter measuring the amount of radiation on the cement.  At 61.17 millicurie, this exposure level would be harmful over a long period of time. 

                 April 26, 1986 is a definitive day in the history of the world.  During a safety check of reactor 4, there became a sudden power surge that began the nuclear explosion which would precipitate the beginning of the end for the Chernobyl plant.   The explosion constituted a fire that would take two weeks to put out, radioactive smoke into the air that would spread over Europe and Asia, and graphite rods exposed to the atmosphere. 

                Initially after the explosion, fifteen firefighters were sent to put out the fire inside and on top of the reactor.  All of the firefighters would die within two weeks due to high levels of radioactive exposure.  Robots were then sent in to grab the exposed graphite and bury it in order to prevent highly radioactive exposure.  Due to the radioactivity in the graphite, these robots stopped working within two days of operation. 

                Next was the beginning of an evacuation that would ultimately compromise 350,000 people from over 40 villages in modern day Ukraine and Belarus.  These residents were initially told that they would only leave for three days and return, but none would ever come back to their homes.  This evacuation began an exclusion zone that is in effect to this day.  In order to get within 30 kilometers of the reactor, you must pass Ukrainian check points and have prior approval.

Chernobyl (at the time in the USSR, but in modern day Ukraine and a two hour drive north of Kiev) initially didn’t disclose the explosion due to fear of raising nuclear fear wars and embarrassment.  However, the USSR did finally confirm the explosion after scientists in Sweden noticed abnormal levels of radiation in Scandinavia and confronted the USSR about possible nuclear issues. 

                A sarcophagus would be constructed around rector 4 in order to limit the radioactive exposure to the environment.  The current sarcophagus has had structural failures, but a new, permanent sarcophagus is being constructed nearby and will be moved on rail tracks into place to protect the reactor.  This permanent solution should be completed by 2015. 

                Prior to the explosion, two more reactors were being constructed (bringing the total amount of reactors to six) which would have made Chernobyl the largest energy producer in Europe.  After the explosion, the three other reactors continued to produce power until reactor 3 (the reactor adjacent to the exploded reactor) was finally shut down in 2000.  There are no permanent residents in the exclusion zone.  Farming and raising of animals is not permitted in the area, and people are checked for radioactive exposure upon leaving the exclusion zone.  The area remains a serious issue to this date and will be a permanent issue for Ukraine.

                You can visit Chernobyl on a full day guided tour originating in Kiev.  The tour costs between $120 - $180 including lunch and transportation.  I visited in early October to witness one of the only two major nuclear reactor explosions ever to happen (the other in Japan in 2011 due to the tsunami) and highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to see what the world would be like 25 years from now if we all died today. 

Oktoberfest

Inside the Augustiner tent late at night.

One of the many gorgeous beer carriages going down the Munich streets.

Having fun in the Augustiner beer tent with some locals.

No revelry is allowed near the bannister due to a falling hazard.  Inside the Spatenbrau tent.

Day drinking is abound in this absolutely crazy Hoffbrau tent.

The common site of liter beers ready to be consumed.

What a typical tent looks like: the Spatenbrau tent late at night.

The beer servers rush to meet the demand inside the Spatenbrau tent.

               People don’t think of it as a fair, but that’s exactly what it is: a huge fair.  For two weeks in late September and early October (the fair runs for only a portion of October due to weather concerns as the cold comes early in Germany), six million people from all over the world descend on the Theresienwiese field of Munich to revel in beer tents and pretzels. 

                Oktoberfest initially started in 1810 to celebrate the marriage of King Ludwig I and Princess Therese (hence the name “Theresienwiese” meaning Theresa’s meadow) which included horse races.  In fact, the horse races would be a focal point of the event until 1960.  A carnival atmosphere with booths and rides would begin shortly after the inception of the event.  For the last 200 years, Oktoberfest has been held every year except in circumstances of war, high inflation, or plague.

                The signature aspect of the event is the beer tents.  There are fourteen beer tents housing up to almost 10,000 people during the crazy weekend times, which belong to the largest beer halls and beer manufactures in Munich.  These tents take ten weeks to build and are dismantled after the festival finishes.  To see these in person is quite impressive.  The tents sell merchandise, food, and beer in liter sized steins.  You can only have beer; there are no cocktails or wine, and you can only have the tent’s beer (i.e. if you are in the Hoffbrau tent then the only thing sold is Hoffbrau beer). 

                There are other elements to the festival including contests, rides, and food.  There are modern roller coasters and crazy spin rides on top of more traditional Oktoberfest rides including a slide and simple wood spinning wheel.  The typical carnival contests are here too, and there are booths selling all types of German food.  If you want to get into the tents (particularly on the weekends), I advise heading early to Oktoberfest (10 AM) to get the most out of your time here. 

                 

Istanbul, Turkey

Atop the Justinian wall that protected the city from marauders.  A view of the Istanbul and Bosphorus is behind me.

Women watching a fashion show and local gathering in an Istanbul neighborhood.

The end of a famous Turkish bath at a bath house near the city centre.

One of the many rejuvinated parks that has been undertaken recently by the city.

In front of the legendary Hagia Sophia.

An interior view from the second floor of the Hagia Sophia.

The massive courtyard of the Blue Mosque.

A ceiling view of the astounding Blue Mosque.

Watching an intense football game in Istanbul.

The third interior courtyard of the Topkapi Palace, where the Ottomans ruled for centuries.

The massive cisterns underneath the old section of the city.

               Culture, history, tourism, cosmopolitanism and a crossroads of the Middle East meeting the West: Istanbul has it all.  A city built as the “New Rome” by Emperor Constantine, immortalized for the Hagia Sophia and walls built by Emperor Justinian, conquered by Mehmet in 1453 and ushering in the rise of the Ottoman Empire, and recently transformed back into a cosmopolitan city by the Turkish state, this city has no shortage of fascination for tourists. 

                Historic buffs can get their fill in the Old City section featuring Emperor Justinian’s magnificent Hagia Sophia (initially an Orthodox church, converted into a mosque during the Ottoman reign, and finally made a museum courtesy of Ataturk), Blue Mosque (a massive, magnificent 400 year old mosque that is as light and airy as many Gothic cathedrals), Topkapi Palace (the Sultan’s palace during the Ottoman reign), and Byzantine cisterns (a 1,500 year underground water storage facility).  While most history is centralized in this beautiful renovated area, the city has other treasures for tourists as well.

                Turkish food is a delight rarely known by westerners.  Eggplant, garlic, yogurt, and cheese are just some of the basic ingredients found in this amazing array of food.  If you’re a meat lover then you’ll like the slow cooked fish, dolma housing different types of meat (especially lamb), or the kebab with different varietals including spiciness.  Breakfasts usually have sesame style bread with a scrambled eggs concoction complete with Turkish tea or coffee.  Istanbul shows off their food at excellent restaurants throughout the city with the added bonus of more than helpful waiters showing you how to cut up and eat your food. 

                Turkey is a highly dominant Muslim state (hence the crescent on their flag), but Istanbul is hardly a mainline conservative Muslim city.  While you’ll see women wearing hijabs and niqabs, you’ll also notice Turkish women wearing the latest western fashion designs and men dressed in suits and western wear too.  It’s a classic east meets west place: situated at the end of the Middle East while courting a massive amount of investment from abroad, Istanbul is one of the most diverse places in the world.  You’ll see gorgeous mosques at every turn and hear the call to prayer while you are venturing out to see the newest rooftop bar.

                What will transform Istanbul into one of the next great cities aren’t the bars or history but its infrastructure.  Recognizing the need to build up (whether this is a tenant from Ataturk or a desire of the current Prime Minister) is a massive effort of the Turkish government to get Istanbul ready for the massive influx of immigrants to the city.  New bridges, subway lines, and parks are pervading the city everywhere.  As a civil engineer, it’s impressive to see the plans to modernize the city while keeping the style and essence in place. 

                If you have a week and want to see a truly different place while not feeling like you completely left home, if you want to dip your toe into the pool that is the Middle East, or if you want to taste new foods, then I highly recommend Istanbul.

Cyclades Islands, Greece

A map of the Cyclades islands in Greece.  Athens (a good point of reference) is located in the northwest corner.

A typical street in the main town in Ios.

The main (and only) town on the island of Ios.

Posing near the cliffs on the east side of Santorini.

A typical Greek Orthodox church style in Oia, Santorini.

The beautiful cliff side properties of Oia, Santorini.



 

               A trip to Greece wouldn’t be complete without two things: a visit to the Acropolis and a few days relaxing on the islands.  While we tend to think of all the islands as the same (they’re not), the group that have been popularized through media and tourism are the group known as the Cyclades. 

                Sitting southeast of mainland Greece, these 200 plus islands compromise the majority of Greek island tourism for several reasons: proximity to the mainland, popularity with tourism, and beauty.  These are the islands of your dreams, and different islands cater to different interests.  Ios and Mykonos are known for 20 something partiers, Santorini is a lovers retreat and has an abundance of cruise liner tourists, and Kea is a sleepier island better suited for peace and quiet. 

                Sailing, diving, wine tastings, shopping, beaches, parties, are major focal points for these islands.  I spent six days on the islands of Ios and Santorini soaking in the sunsets and beaches before returning back to Athens.  During the summer months, travel between the islands is convenient and comfortable, but you should book your tickets ahead.