Woke, had breakfast and packed and it was off on the 200 mile ride to Warsaw, via Treblinka. The roads today were, in the main, great, long undulating straights and sweeping bends with loads of great overtaking opportunities, superb riding, although with a bit of a breeze, quite cold at times. Had to stop at a grage to re-fuel and I took the opportunity to put on my EDZ windblocker top under my jacket. It may be tissue paper thin but it certainly cuts out the wind, fantastic bit of kit, every motorcyclist should have one.
After about an hour and a half I came to the village of Treblinka only to find no signs at all the site of the extermination site. After trying to speak to a couple of people, an old farmer type shouted "Camp, 10km, gravel road, right", so on I went along a concrete road that had seen better days, in 10k I did come to a large boulder marked Treblinka and a 100yds further, a cobbled path off to the right which led to the car park.
From the car park the Treblinka camp was a further 400 mt walk, with the penal labour camp and execution site a further 2km walk. By now it was very warm and I was glad that I had taken my gore-tex liners out of my motorcycle trousers.
The Treblinka camp only operated between 1942 and the end of 1943, the first shipment of Jews for extermination only took place on 23rd July 1942, and ther was a prisoner rebellion on 2nd August 1943, however in that 13 months an astonishing 800,000 Jews and Roma were exterminated in gas chambers in the camp.
Following the rebellion the camp was destroyed by the Nazi's so everything that is on voew today is symbolic.
It has been claimed that the Nazi's "boasted" that it took only 7hrs from the arrival of a train load of prisoners for them to be seperated, stripped of all possesions, gassed and the bodies burnt on speacial grids and the remains reduced to ash.
What a very, very sad place.
Only one stone bears a name.
Continued onto Warsaw and was taken aback to see a fair number of ladies of the night standing at intervals along the main road next to dirt tracks into the forest. I assume they were of that proffesion from what they were wearing and how they were standing, of course they could have just been waiting to catch an early bus into Warsaw for the nights clubs, but I think not.
I have seen this before when travelling along forrested roads in Poland nearer to the German border but that was a few years ago. It obviously has not been stamped out.
Will get up tomorrow and bus it into Warsaw and see what the big city has to offer to a foot weary torist. I am sure it will have plenty.
Good evening confrere, what a very interesting day. You have seen some things that you will probably not forget. Good to see all the bikes lined up and that the brotherhood of motorcyclists are so friendly and willing to talk, even if there is a language problem. The camp looks wonderful and will be a superb base for you. Hope the weather keeps dry and that the beer is good and plentiful. I think you will have a job to beat this one. Scores 10 on the wow-ometer :-)) Love Chris. xx
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