Luis Basch for Auschwitz: "Pain, Sorrow, Horror, Evil and Death"

Business » TOURISM | January 13, 2020, Monday // 16:35
Bulgaria: Luis Basch for Auschwitz: "Pain, Sorrow, Horror, Evil and Death" Luis Basch/Peika.bg

A few months ago Peika.bg introduced us to Luis Basch - a traveller, who told us about his experiences from his trip to Chernobyl.

Now, he will tell us about another not so tourist famous destination he has recently visited and what he has learned there.

Read the interview below:

Hello again! A few months ago you told us about your trip to Chernobyl. We were pretty amazed and intrigued by the destination of your trip. Now, you are just coming back from Auschwitz. Tell us how and why did you choose this destination?

How did I choose it? Well… I was planning a trip around multiple countries in Central Europe and Poland happened to be one of them. Auschwitz had been on my bucket list for a long time and it was time to cross it off my list. Unusual destinations have always dragged me.

Do you love history? What is the feeling and why you choose these places with such a tragic history?

I developed a taste for History when I was still very young during my school years but it was only when I started travelling that such taste grew stronger. I feel I’m always learning something new that I can also share with others. The reason why I visit places with such tragic history like Auschwitz is because I think it is important to understand what happened in the past and witness it with our own eyes, in order to avoid it in the future.

What was the first thing that you thought when you get there?

That what is portrayed in the movies isn’t an exaggeration of reality.

If you can choose only 5 words to describe the place - what would they be?

I don’t think 5 words are enough to describe the place, but the first words that come to my mind are Pain, Sorrow, Horror, Evil and Death.

What was the atmosphere?

The atmosphere was tense and the people were quiet.

Did you have a tour guide or you were on your own?

I was on my own.

What was the scariest thing that you've heard/saw?

 

The inside of the gas chambers at Auschwitz, and the barracks of Birkenau.

What did you know about the Holocaust before you went there and what did you learn there?

In school I studied the holocaust and I had seen many films about it, for example the Schindler’s List, which gave me a very good idea of what had happened.

Is this place still keeping the history, emotions and tears of the many people that struggled and died there?

It is indeed, and it is also often visited by families of the Holocaust victims and people carrying the Israeli flag with the star of David.

Some people are saying that the only color in Auschwitz is grey. What do you think about that?

Grey is a sad color, and it reminds us of the ashes from the burnt corpses. So maybe these people are correct.

What did you find there? Did you find some answers about why this happened? What do you think about this tragic period of human history?

I found many personal stories told by people who were prisoners of this place. Up to this day, I can’t really find a reason of why something as horrendous as the Holocaust had to happen, but what I do know is that mankind has gone through many rough periods in History and even nowadays evil things still happen. Let’s hope for a brighter future.

Were there many tourists there? What was the price you paid in order to visit this place?

There were many tourists. In fact, there were more than I had imagined. Visiting is free, but you can pay for a guided tour if you wish. There is also a free shuttle bus constantly running between Auschwitz and Birkenau.

What is the next place you want to visit? Does this place keep dark history too?

The world is too big and there are many places to visit. It’s actually difficult to tell which places I will be visiting in the following months. I am flying to Israel this week and I had initially thought of visiting Palestine but due to unpredictable events, I won’t be able to. In August I will visit the DMZ and the Joint Security Area on the border between North and South Korea. Eventually, I’d like to explore North Korea.

Would you recommend Auschwitz for visiting? Do we have to prepare for something?

I do recommend it. I think the only preparation you need is to have the guts to witness a place that has seen so much evil. Oh, and time of course! I recommend spending the whole day!

The interview was originally published on Peika.bg. The photos are provided by Luis Basch.

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Tags: Peika.bg, interview, Chernobyl, traveller, Luis Basch, Auschwitz

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