Behind the wheel, finally

It’s been a while since I last broached the accursed topic of domestic politics…

The leaks and then confirmed news that the most prominent back seat driver in this country is to join the government have brought a smile (or at least a smirk) on my face. It is not about looking back to 2006 when taking over by Mr Kaczyński as prime minister was a first drop in a waterfall that eventually led to early election in October 2007 in which PiS was defeated. It is about principles. In each civilised country somebody who keeps a tight rein on a state holds a position in a government (or another power-gripping one). Mr Kaczyński until now was the only decision maker to remain in a position of a (seemingly) modest rank-and-file deputy, thus shunning responsibility for all criminal deeds committed by PiS officials while in power.

Also the squabbles in Zjednoczona Prawica (beware, PiS does not have a single-party government, it has won the election in a coalition with two other parties and does not have majority of seats in the lower house of the parliament itself) and threat of conceivable split in the ruling coalition have filled me with some faith. After a while, I have dashed all hopes. Firstly, since situation in Poland is different than in 2006/2007. Too many Poles have either been bought off with social transfers or have been lifted into dignity by PiS. They are besotted well enough to endorse PiS, come rain or shine, so each piece of news putting PiS in bad light would be interpreted by them as work of hostile foes of Polishness. Secondly, since I want my country to be run well. If PiS and their coalitional partners concentrate on spats rather than wise lawmaking, it should be to the detriment of Poland. Yet, on the other hand, the more they focus on fighting for stools, they less evil they do to Poland, especially to the justice system.

One must bear in mind the next parliamentary election is due in 3 years. This gives PiS, Porozumienie and Solidarna Polska a lengthy streak to reshape (i.e. damage) Poland, especially to finish reforms which would turn Poland into a quasi-authoritarian country. They need to remember people’s memory is short, so whatever good they do now, will need to be reminded of ahead of the election, but whatever is screwed up, stands a chance to be forgotten by 2023. I suppose the next parliamentary election will be as free as the recent presidential election. I do not believe it will be rigged as the presidential election in Belarus in August 2020 was, but PiS will do their best to manipulate possibly many people to vote for them. 

What the government now needs to tackle is the rising number of new coronavirus infections. In this respect Poland is catching up with its neighbouring countries and Western European countries, where the number of new infections is already much higher than at the peak of the first wave of COVID-19. In Poland the number of new cases per 1,000,000 citizens is already much lower than in several countries where the situation has spiralled out of control, but since as a society we do not take precautions, their path is the one we will have to follow. We are now far better prepared to protect ourselves against the virus and know better how to cure the disease, but Poland no longer can afford a second lockdown. New restrictions, if imposed, will make our lives less convenient, but should be targeted not to smash businesses (though some economic impact is inevitable). The second lockdown is impossible for another reason – people are no longer as afraid of the pandemic (humans naturally fear the unknown, while COVID-19 is already a familiar pest) and will not be ready to obey strict lockdown discipline, as they did in March or April (unless police and army are to be sent to enforce the new rules).

Bieszczady – the only holiday trip in 2020

Back after a three-week break from blogging, of which one week was spent 450 kilometres away from the capital, at Poland’s alleged back of beyond, the country’s south-eastern corner, in Bieszczady. I must confess this has been my first trip to that region of Poland and my first mountain-hiking holidays since 2004 (high-school times). Bieszczady mountains are famous for being the least human-affected region in Poland. I believe with development of tourism and influx of EU funds, this holds no longer true. On top, with limited opportunities to travel abroad, the region experienced an invasion of holidaymakers this year, which kept on even after the beginning of the school year.

Getting there if you do not move by car might be a nuisance. Public transport at that end of Poland is poorly developed, yet anyone willing to get there from Warsaw should consider taking a Pendolino to Kraków and then changing to a bus run by one of private operators (timetables need to be matched). Moving around the area is an even bigger nuisance (one bus per day at inconvenient times for hikers), hence travelling by car was a costly salvation.

Accommoda- tion-wise, we stayed at Cisna, an anti-PiS stronghold in that part of Poland. I can recommend our lodgings – Troll at the very heart of Cisna – a room and large breakfast for 100 PLN per person per day (a lot in today’s prices?).

Sightseeing-wise, not many trips could be taken there. We finally have not dropped in on skansen near Sanok, but on any rainy daily (it drizzled from dawn to dusk) we took a trip to Polańczyk (photo to the right), Solina water dam, Lutowiska and Ustrzyki Górne, just to find out the region is attractive as a whole, but lacks place which are particularly noteworthy.

On the first sunny day, we ascended up Smerek. The elevation was nearly 600 metres and the ascent was rather long than steep, but as in every hiking experience, views from the summit (1,226 metres above sea level) compensate for the physical effort.

On the next day, we climbed the highest peak in Bieszczady, Tarnica (1,346 metres above sea level). The starting point for the trip was located on a higher altitude than on the previous, yet the elevation gain was similar. The ascent was steep again and was less pleasurable, due to abrasion of my right foot (two weeks of walking in my shoes had proven too little), yet we have made it to the peak. This was the most crowded of the hiking trails.

On the last day we scrambled up the trail to Połonina Wetlińska. The lowest elevation gain (350 metres to some 1,200 metres above sea level), yet view-wise, not least rewarding. Seeing the world from a top a hill looms as a reward to the sweating uphill.

When it comes to eateries, I wholeheartedly recommend Chata Wędrowca in Wetlina (being a picturesque place anyway), famous for legendary pancakes, which are anything but overrated. Queues prove it best!

On our way back we popped over for an afternoon in Zamość, a city I had yearned to visit for months. A broader description of thereabouts can be found on W-wa Jeziorki blog (no point in writing it up again).

And for the record, this was the first holiday trip with my girlfriend met via Tinder in early July. No spats over six days spent together all the time seem to bode well for the future.