European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 1, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse continued from Page 5 a the Western manner. At the big Sawa department store most of the goods apart from a Superb variety of a children s toboggans seem like rickety shadows of their Western Brand counterparts. What can you really Tell of Warsaw from one cold weekend cocooned As i was in the palatial opulence of the newly refurbished hotel Bristol you can Only take mental snapshots and sense atmospheres but to me these were extraordinarily vivid. You look at the Frozen Vistula River and think How pretty it is then you learn that its heavy Metal pollution is so bad that prudent wars asians Don t drink tap water even when it s boiled. You learn of the drug routes that have deserted Yugoslavia for the More stable Poland and of the Money laundering and amphetamine industries. You watch the 1 fury of the liberals As the communist hard liners stealthily reus sume positions of Power you get a sense of urgency looming danger and by scrupps Howard Newa services amps Ken Georges amps files amps Ken George clockwise from above a Stone Monument to fr�d6ric Chopin sits in Lazienka Park a Soldier displays photos of Warsaw before and after its destruction by the nazis and dancers leap across the stage of the grand opera and Ballet tips a currency polish Money is called the zloty. There Aie no coins. An average Exchange this fall was 22500 zlotys for is Money May be exchanged at the Border checkpoints or once inside the country at hotels and Banks. I a a driving the shortage of cars Means few parking Quot problems or traffic jams. The roads hark Back to earlier times with cobblestones common in old towns. Quot those with cars using unleaded Gas will have no problems refuelling throughout the country unleaded in Sis about twice As expensive As in the states. A shopping especially dense along the German polish Border Are stands Selling gnomes in All shapes Anco sizes. Other Roadside shops sell a variety of goods including rocking horses paintings animal skins and wooden boxes that make wonderful containers for cards jewelry and other items bartering is the Norm so Don t cheat yourself out of a potentially great Deal. _ there Are also entrepreneurs every mile or so in some stretches Selling buckets of mushrooms. If you like. Mushrooms you have entered Paradise. As for shopping downtown to look around. The stores Are fully stocked and reasonably priced. There Are also Good deals in the souvenir shops. A entertainment if you like dancing you re in Luck. There Are Many Small and medium sized clubs in larger cities such that offer dancing All night Long. A museums most Don t charge More than 50 cents to a Dollar for Entrance. A hotels luxurious hotels with complimentary breakfasts go for around $50 a Day. 7 a dining out the Cost of eating is affordable. For example a delicious medium sized pizza with three toppings an appetizer or salad and a Large Beer costs about$6 of cozy restaurants. A tourist information a passport is required for admittance. For. More information Contact any Dythe following a a _ polish National tourist office 333 n. Michigan ave., suite 224, Chicago Iii. 60601 312 236-9013. Polish National tourist office 275 Madison ave., suite 171.1, new York . 10016, 212 338-9412, polish Center for tourist information Mazowiecki 7, Warsaw Poland. Polish travel Bureau Orbis us. Stawski 2, _ _ pl-00193 Warsaw Poland. Polish sport and tourism administration us. Swiet Kryska 12, pl-00916 Warsaw Poland. A Jon Connor a a a a a the stars and stripes. A amps Ken Geo driving is less stressful than it is elsewhere in Europe but motorists must beware of truck Drivers who Don hesitate to run smaller vehicles off the Road
