A day out in Warsaw, and a night to remember

0600hrs: Arrived in Warsaw's PKS Dworzec Zachodnia bus station. My host for 1 day, Ola, has kindly sent me excellent information on how to get to her apartment in Bielany district, about 15km north of the city center. To get to the city center (called Centrum), cross the underpass to the other side of the road from the terminal and take buses 127, 158 or 517. There is a ticket machine outside the bus station which dispenses one way tickets for 2.80zl or 9zl for 24hr transport pass. Note that there are 2 cash machines at the terminal, one within which refuses to accept my Nationwide card and another Euronet machine on the right after the exit, which I managed to draw some zloty but understand that it does charge a commission for every transaction.

On reaching Centrum, and multiple annoyances where I was unable get the ticket machine to accept my notes and inability to find anyone who speaks English during the morning rush hour, I finally jumped onto the excellent metro and dropped off at Wawrzyszew station where Ola has been waiting to pick me up in her Ford Focus (which I later found out that a similar car saved her life from a dramatic road accident a year ago and she swears by Ford evar). My 'couch' sits in her showflat-like rented 1 bedroom apartment in a new built that stands out from the surrounding Soviet-era blocks. She even prepared some maps of the city for me and recommended a few spots that I shouldn't miss before leaving for work.

Was glad that I made myself useful at 'home' after a nice hot shower by been "at the right time at the right place" to receive Ola's passport from the delivering DHL. Left the flat shortly to take the metro to Ratusz where it is a short walk to the Old Town. A visit to the Warsaw Historical museum is a must if you like to know more about the country's history. Try to time your arrival by 12 noon to catch the english screening of a short documentary depicting the destruction of the city during WWII. The screening cost 6zl and another 8zl if visit the exhibits, which started off to be quite boring at the start as it is showcasing pre-2oth century history and artifacts, which you can browse through quickly and head straight to the 1900s showcasing WWI and II, as well as the days of the Soviet ruling till 1991.

Lunch was at the excellent classic 'milk bar' called "Bar Pod Barbakanem", 3 minutes walk north from the museum, managed by a group of elderly ladies. Milk bars originated during the communist regime as low-cost cafes for workers serving basic vegetarian food. These days, they are adopted by the Poles as living reminder of the past and the palette has definitely expanded to include meat dishes. Had an authentic polish dish consisting of fried pork chop and 5 small slightly sweet doughs made from potato. Do not expect to order in English, but you either know Polish written on the board or point to what other customers are having like me. As this is self-served, remember to return the plates after you finish!

A stroll down the Royal Walk is the perfect after lunch activity, taking in the sights of the Sigismund's Column , Royal Castle, St Anne's church ands Warsaw University. Stop off at the Church of the Holy Cross and look out for the 2nd pillar on the left in the main hall, where Chopin's heart was preserved. By the way, if you are planning to go to the biggest outdoor market in Warsaw Dziesiecoleca Stadion, you might have to wait a few more years as the site is currently been rebuilt for a new stadium in time for Euro 2012 - I walked 2km only to find out that the entire area has been flattened!

For coffee, I recommend Cava along Nowy Swiat that looks classy and serves up an excellent cuppa. Shame that Poland still allows smokers in restaurants, cafes and other indoor areas. Did I say that they have some hot waitresses too :P but rest assured that my judgement is purely based on the subject of critique!

I returned to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier but was unsure of photo taking as there were 2 guards at the post. Ola later mentioned that there is a change of guards everyday at noon although Lonely Planet only mentioned that it only take place on Sundays. Ola brought me to a Polish restaurant and ordered Żurek, a sour rye soup with sausage bits and eggs served in an edible bowl made of bread. Surprisingly, it tasted really nice and the best part is tearing off parts of the bowl and dip into the soup to eat it. We finished by sharing another local dish called xxx, which we couldn't finish all after having Żurek.

When I first arrived in Warsaw, Ola told me that there are 2 party nights in the city, one is Wednesday and the other Saturday. So if you happen to be in the mood of partying and is visiting the city, I can recommend Enklawa which plays 70s to 90s song (sorry folks, I grew up in that era) although Ola was more keen of Underground which plays mainly the latest hip-hop songs attracting a wide mix of people. An indian guy even came up to chat with me, speaking to me in Mandarin and said he studied 3 years in China before transferring to Warsaw Uni!?!? Oh, and did I mention it was sub-zero temperature when we left at 4.30am with snow falling, and having to deal with a strange woman who barge into our cab and insist that we take her to somewhere nearby first!

I slept like a pig the moment I took a shower and hit the air bed that has kindly set up for me...Thank you OLA!