The Polish Spa Town That Time Forgot

by David Farley on
Set in the pine-laden Beskid Sadecki mountains in southern Poland and not far from the Slovakian border, Krynica attracts hordes of tourists. The town’s long promenade is the center of action: flanked by the usual 19th-century Central European spa town Art Deco and neo-classical architecture, the promenade is frequented by water-sipping strollers, purple-haired geriatrics who like to pass out on park benches, and mustached men trying to convince passersby that they really want a photo-op with a sad-looking monkey on a chain or a depressed miniature horse. There are no backpackers or even flashpackers or jetsetters here.

Nearly all of the hordes of tourists in Krynica come to parade their diseases down the promenade, sipping the apparently healing mineral water that bubbles up from springs, and awaiting their next spa treatment. The reason? This town of 11,000 people is one of Poland’s most popular heath resorts. The Polish spa town that time forgot.


How many Poles does it take to make a spa town flourish? In the case of Krynica, the answer is just one. When Jozef Dietl, the father of Polish balneology (the science of the medical application of baths) declared in 1856 that the town’s natural mineral springs were curative, Krynica became the center of sanative relief for this Central European country. It’s not a place for the young, or even the young at heart. The nightlife scene, for example, is mostly limited to several dancehalls, where visitors party like it’s 1949.
I didn’t have a disease, but I did have an assignment from a magazine editor who was working on a European spa package article. When she found out I was going to be in Poland for another assignment, she came to me with orders: “Just go to Krynica and spend the day getting spa treatments.” I’ve never been into spa travel. I usually go somewhere for a singular reason: to eat (and then write about it) or just because I’m curious about the place, but I never gravitate toward this kind of pampering.

But here I was, sitting on a bench reading a brochure about what was in store for me. Krynica-Zdroj, as it’s officially called, is historically known for treating illnesses of the stomach, diabetes, menstrual cycle disturbances, and, according to the brochure, “states after conservative operations of genital organ.” As I watched geriatric spa goers limp by on the promenade, I feared the worst.

Taking my editor’s orders, I marched into the spa at the ’70s theme park Panorama Hotel and steeled myself. I scanned the menu of treatments, many of which seemed incomprehensible and some almost seemed like a threat. Measurement of Pressure? The President’s Armchair? The Scottish Whip? I didn’t want to ask. Instead, I blindly pointed to a small handful of treatments on the list.

A frumpy women in her early 60s whisked me into a white-tiled room and fired a slew of Polish orders at me. I only understood her hand gestures: disrobe. When I got down to my boxers, she put up the palm of her hand to halt right there and then waved me to stand against the wall. Ten seconds later, this granny was blasting two high-pressured water streams at me. I felt less like I was getting treated for a disease and more like I was a victim of the Sluzba Bezpieczenstwa, the communist-era secret police. After a few more minutes of punishing high-pressure water, I was escorted into a massage room. The strapping, blond Zoltan explained he was going to give me a “sport massage,” which in Polish massage speak meant he’d be punishing my back and shoulders for 45 minutes. As Zoltan pounded and punched away, grunting and breathing heavy, his sweat dropping on me, I wondered who was getting more out of this: me or him. When he was done abusing my back, he let me go to a hot whirlpool so I could soak off the pain that was just inflicted on me by the water-firing granny and Zoltan. Eventually, my spa day ended with the President’s Armchair: a leather chair with what felt like a bowling ball inside moving up and down my back, as speakers in the headrest blasted Polish rock.


Celebrating the end of my day’s worth of torture, I ate surprisingly artery hardening, yet delicious pork-stuffed potato pancakes and cheese-filled pierogis.

I hopped back on the bus to Krakow early the next morning hoping that I never come back to Krynica. Or, rather, that I never have a real reason to come back.

America’s Cup to put clean-air program on hold

by Chris Owen on

By 2014, cruise ships stopping in San Francisco will be required to plug in to cleaner shore-side power rather than running their diesel-burning/polluting engines. Several cruise lines have been preparing for the new requirement and are already up and running. But the $5 million clean-air program along the San Francisco waterfront will be temporarily halted to accommodate the prestigious America’s Cup regatta, prompting criticism from environmental advocates.

“With just one stroke of a pen, it’s gone,” said Teri Shore, program director at the Turtle Island Restoration Network (TIRN) reports the San Francisco Bay Guardian. While the shore-side power hookup is disabled, “The ships will be coming in and parking, and running their diesel engines” at other waterfront piers.

Smaller ships used in the regatta and operation of the regatta itself does not allow for use of plug-in technology, a sore spot with environmentalists. Fearing the impact of America’s Cup crowds and construction, several environmental organizations and a neighborhood group have joined together with a unified message.
“This is a real unusual team effort,”Deb Self, executive director of San Francisco Baykeeper, a pollution watchdog told the San Francisco Business Times “At this point it’s kind of all hands on deck.”

Their concerns include the coordination and capacity of public transportation, keeping the bay free of pollutants when visiting boaters descend on the region, minimizing the effects of dredging on bay wildlife and protecting fragile habitats that line the waterfront.

The Port had already anticipated temporarily halting the shore-side power for a year during construction of a Pier 27 cruise terminal, Brad Benson of the Port of San Francisco told the Guardian. “Assuming there were no America’s Cup, it would already not be in operation … for approximately one year,” he explained. After a year of construction that will mark the first phase of the cruise terminal project, the 34th annual America’s Cup will move onto the site, he said. “As a result of the America’s Cup, shore-side power is not going to be available for one year.”

Benson said the port is starting to look at how it could offset the impacts, looking for ways to reduce carbon emissions that might make up for no shore-side power “I can’t tell you whether we could achieve the same level of emissions reductions that shore-side power would provide,” he said. “It’s very effective.”

It looks like this will be an issue to watch right along with the America’s Cup who this week announced Team Korea as a new entry to this prestigious event, with a press briefing at the spectacular Seoul Marina on the Han River in Seoul.

Only fifteen nations have ever entered the America’s Cup contest in its history, and Team Korea is the only new entry of the nine teams and eight countries involved this time. The 34th annual event brings the competition for the oldest trophy in international sport back to the United States for the first time in 18 years.

Flickr photo by Port of San Diego

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Green your summer travel

by Chris Owen on

Environmentalists have had some good news lately. Organizations like Brighter Planet are finding new ways to focus attention on our carbon footprints, the amount of CO2 and other damaging greenhouse gases we emit into the atmosphere. It has all become much more personal, bringing the issue home to us in many ways. With the summer travel season in full swing, whether you are traveling by train, plane or automobile, our vacation is likely to increase our carbon footprint. Climate Action Reserve, a nonprofit that registers and issues carbon offsets, offers five easy and affordable ways to reduce the impact of your summer travel on the planet.

“Once you discover how easy it is to calculate and reduce your carbon footprint this summer, you may find yourself using these tips all year round” says Gary Gero, president of the Climate Action Reserve.

1. One if by air: Calculating the carbon footprint of your trip is the first step to reducing its impact on the environment. If you are traveling by air, you need to factor in the plane and engine type, cargo load, passenger weight and fuel usage. The good news is that many major airlines will do this for you and also offer to offset your flight’s emissions as an add-on to the ticket price. If your airline doesn’t have a carbon offset program, there are easy online calculators to do it yourself, like TRX Travel Analytics.

2. Two if by land: If you’re opting for a road trip instead, you not only need to factor the trip’s total mileage but also your vehicle’s year, make and model when calculating emissions. TerraPass offers an easy-to-use vehicle emissions calculator for that. Then you can balance out your trip’s emissions by purchasing carbon offsets. For a list of reputable offset retailers, visit CRT Marketplace.

3. Low carbon sightseeing: In order to minimize your carbon footprint as much as possible, consider sightseeing by bicycle, public transportation or on foot. And when driving between sites, smart driving practices – like driving at the speed limit and turning down the air conditioner – can increase your car’s fuel efficiency and lower emissions. There are numerous tips on how to use less gas, be a greener driver and save money at DriveSmarterChallenge.org.

4. Greening your hotel stay: Another way to reduce your carbon footprint while on vacation is to choose a hotel that offers its guests green options designed to save energy and reduce emissions, like reusing towels, fewer housekeeping services, soap and shampoo dispensers, guestroom recycling baskets and reduced food-related waste.

5. Keep it local: Vacations and road trips can mean more meals out. Look for seasonal, local options on restaurant menus. Transporting food over long distances requires large quantities of fossil fuels and generates significant carbon emissions. Eating locally grown foods has the added benefit of supporting the local economy and helping family farmers stay in business.

Big companies too, along with non-profit organizations are putting a lot of effort into actually doing something to insure a healthy environment for future generations. Cruise lines are “plugging in” to cleaner shore-side power rather than running their polluting engines in port. Even the United Nations has jumped in, declaring 2011 as the “Year of the Forests” as it encourages nations to take sustainable actions, protecting the planet’s woodlands.

If they can do it, can’t we?

For more information on environmental issues and what you can do to make a positive impact visit the Climate Action Reserve web site and Gadling’s extensive library of articles on this and other related topics.

Flickr photo by

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Travel + Leisure best in the world announced

by Chris Owen on

Results of the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards 2011 Readers’ Survey were announced this week, revealing the world’s top hotels, airlines, cruise lines, islands and more.

“It’s clear that remote and exotic destinations-places that convey a sense of authenticity and adventure-are ruling the day once again in Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards,” said Nancy Novogrod , editor in chief of Travel + Leisure.

Let’s take a look at the best of the best

World’s Best City- Bangkok

Worlds Best Hotel- Singita Grumeti Reserves (Saskwa Lodge, Sabora Tented Camp, and Faru Faru Lodge), Tanzania


World’s Best Island- Santorini Greece

Worlds Best Large-Ship Cruise Line- Crystal Cruises


Worlds Best Small-Ship Cruise Line- Seabourn

World’s Best River Cruise Line- Tauck


World’s Best International Airline- Singapore Airlines


World’s Best Domestic Airline- Virgin America

World’s Best Tour- Micato Safari’s


World’s Best Car Rental Agency- Zipcar

World’s Best Destination Spa- Rancho La Puerta Fitness Resort & Spa Tecate, Mexico


World’s Best Hotel Spa- Sofitel Queenstown Hotel & Spa New Zealand

See all the winners at Travel + Leisure.

This year a digital edition for the iPad will be available for $1.99 on iTunes beginning July 11. This special iPad edition will include dozens of trip ideas, with itineraries created by T+L editors and insider information on World’s Best Award-winning destinations such as New York, Florence, Bali, the Great Barrier Reef, and beyond. Users can tap in to TravelandLeisure.com destination guides for the top cities and islands right from the digital version, with advice on where to stay, what to do, and how to create your own perfect trip. Plus, there are direct links to sites for the hotels, cruise lines, outfitters, and destinations for easy booking and users can share trip ideas via Facebook, Twitter, and email.

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The travel illness that never goes away

by Chris Owen on

It’s called Mal de Debarquement Syndrome (MDDS) and is a disorder of perceived movement that develops following plane flights, an ocean cruise, or train travel. It can persist for months or years. Despite references to MDDS that date back as far as 1796, little is known about the rare and annoying though non-life-threatening condition.

Common symptoms of the odd disorder include a persistent sensation of motion such as rocking, swaying, tumbling, and/or bobbing. This sensation of motion is often associated with anxiety, fatigue, difficulty maintaining balance, unsteadiness, and difficulty concentrating (impaired cognitive function). Often, the motion sensation seems to disappear when riding in the car or participating in other motion experiences.

Basically, it’s like the feeling one might get when they first get off a cruise ship or long flight as they adjust to not living on something that is moving.
Patty Boyd of Spokane, Washington was a U.S. Air Force medic, so her diagnosis of mal de debarquement seemed especially strange after cruise vacations in 2003 and 2005 left her rocking reports News-Leader.com

“I did all kinds of traveling while I was in the Air Force, with no problems whatsoever,” Boyd says.

The rocking and bobbing lasted more than a year after the second cruise. Her third and current episode was triggered in spring 2010 by a flight to Hawaii.

In addition to motion, patients report episodes of feeling heavy heads, often described as “excess gravity”, and sensitivity to light and noise.

“It’s a difficult thing to diagnose. It’s rare, so it’s not the first thing you think of,” says neurologist Rodney Quinn, whose practice has less than half a dozen MDDS patients.

Normally diagnosed by excluding other illnesses, if you feel a constant rocking sensation which started immediately after a period of prolonged motion exposure and remains for days, yet everything else appears to be normal then it’s possible that you have MDDS.

There is no known cure for it. As a self-limiting illness, it eventually goes away on its own. Prevention is tough too. Valium and Ativan have been suggested as pre-trip medications to prevent recurrences of MDDS but then there’s the whole addiction thing to worry about.

Flickr photo by mio_pls

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