My Freezing, Frugal Week in Kalisz, Poland

so i landed in kalisz after a nine-hour bus from poznan, my backpack straps digging into my shoulders and my stomach growling louder than the diesel engine. the moment i stepped off, the air hit me like a slap-bone-dry and at -14.69°c. i checked my phone: "feels like -14.69°c", which meant no wind chill but the cold just sat on your chest. the day's range was a narrow band between -16.14 and -14.33, essentially a solid block of ice.

i had booked a 20-bed dorm at some hostel listed on a sketchy website for 50 złoty a night. the place was called "zqaaz" or something; all i know is the shower had a probability distribution of hot water. but hey, i'm a student, i'll sleep anywhere with a roof and a socket.

my phone's gps kept glitching, spitting out coordinates 51.74035, 18.40000572. i have no idea where that is supposed to be, but i followed the arrow until i bumped into the town square. the old market square was practically deserted except for a few pigeons huddling under the statue of don kazimierz. i snapped a few pics:

next to the square, a tiny bar mleczny served *pierogi for 8 złoty a plate. i ate three plates. the lady behind the counter didn't speak english, just pointed at the menu written in polish. i learned quickly: "pierogi ruskie" = cheese and potato, and they're good even when they're slightly mushy.

i tried to google "things to do in kalisz" and found a thread on the local board where someone warned: "the underground tunnels are closed for winter, don't bother." another replied: "i heard the museum's attic is haunted by a former mayor who loved chopin." i'm not into ghosts, but i did sneak into the museum's courtyard because the gate was ajar. it was surprisingly warm-must be some geothermal thing.

if you get bored, poznan's just a two-hour bus ride north, and lodz is about the same heading south. both have more nightlife, but kalisz has a strange peace that grows on you.

here's the exact spot i was wandering around, roughly:

i crashed early because the hostel's heating was either nuclear or off; that night it was off, so i layered up like an astronaut. woke up to more -14°c and decided to explore the river promenade.

The snow on the banks looked like whipped cream. i took a selfie and sent it to my mom with the caption "i'm living the dream." she replied: "looks like you're freezing* to death." thanks, mom.

I also grabbed an aerial shot from the park:

before i left, i asked the hostel manager about the number 1840000572 i saw scribbled on a wall. he just shrugged and said "probably a phone number from the 90s."

so yeah, kalisz isn't paris, but for 50 złoty a night and -14°c company, it was an adventure. would i go back? only if they promise to fix the showers.

ps: i found a great list of hostels on TripAdvisor, a cheap eats guide on Yelp, and the local forum KaliszLife.pl is full of drama. also, lonely planet has a Poland page that mentions kalisz in passing.

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