So, yesterday we went to Auschwitz 1 and Auschwitz 2 (Birkenau). We have both agreed that, if it weren`t for the survivors collective agreement to keep the place open, we would have no problem seeing it burned to the ground. What a terrible, terrible place. Even nowadays, as you step through the entrance gates at either camp, you feel as if you are entering hell. The facilities themselves are in very good condition (Auschwitz 1), and you feel like you are in a small town. The only difference is the rows and rows of barbed wire and electrical fencing. The atmosphere changes once you enter the barracks. There are only a few left open that visitors can go in, and each has a different name, ``Extermination``, ``Corruption of Corpses``, and, ``Death Block``. Each is its own mini museum. The first gave you an understanding of who was killed and from what country, the collective grave, and information and photographs (which were illegal at the time, and it is a wonder that they have any evidence of the genocide). The second building was very horrific, but served as a warm up for the last building. The second building consisted of all recovered items, such as shoes, brushes, suitcases, and also registration photographs of thousands of prisoners (some of the first at the camp, because eventually there were too many too count) with arrival date and date of death. Many died during their first year, and it was remarkable to see how many  last names we recognized. Now, these belongings that were found were what had been stripped of the prisoners upon arrival and post extermination, depending on timing. There were THOUSANDS of shoes, and the suitcases and babyclothes. There were also suitcases that had the name of the person, date of birth and place of origin written on them that had survived a large fire...problably hundreds of them, and one of them said, `M. Frank` - Holland. It is beleived that this could be the suitcase of Anne Frank`s sister. The most disturbing room was the room of human hair. It reeked of death and you could only stay int here for so long...an enourmous glass display with piles and piles and piles of grey, lifeless hair that had been shaved before admittance to the camp or crematoriums. This hair had been used to make soldiers uniforms and other products. On our way to the third building, we made a stop at the execution wall, more like an alleyway, where many families and political prisoners had been shot, tortured...all out of eye`s reach from the rest of the camp. It was sealed off so as not to alarm other prisoners. We then entered the next building, this was terrible. The top floor was actually quite nice...if you were an inspector persay, you would have found this building to be surpisingly clean and liveable. Though a short trip downstairs and through numerous gates would prove different. Dungeons. Starvation rooms. Standing cells where four people would be forced to stand in a small space for weeks. We were in and out of there quickly and had felt chills the whole way through. We were then directed to an area in which we did not think we would be visiting, the smaller gas chamber of Auschwitz and the creamtorium. We lined up in the same fashion the prisoners would, and marched into the tiny space that originally held 800 people. No bigger than our rec room. It was terrifying. We hurriedly proceeded into the room which the prisoners never saw; the crematorium. I don`t think David and I even really looked at it, we rushed outside to get some air.

After Auschwitz, we were then driven to Birkenau. It was enourmous, so much bigger than Auschwitz one. We passed through the gates and watch towers where Schindler`s list was made, and were shown the differences between the two camps. Birkenau was far, far worse. The people lived in German horse stables, could only go to the bathroom twice a day in horrid conditions, and I will not go into detail about the bathroom ``facilities``. Auschwitz was hell, Birkenau was even more so.

The biggest graveyards in the world.

Having seen this, it was an interesting nights sleep. I think we have both developed a new respect for anyone who went through...it. About 150 escaped. So many needless deaths, and so many people unaccounted for. I don`t think anyone will be hearing many complaints out of the two of us for a while now...it was quite the place.