Poland - Warsaw - 6.6.1970

From my Notes:

Leave Warsaw 6:45am.  Dirty Train, nice child with older woman in our carriage.  Change trains at 11:30am in Kuznitza onto beautiful Russian Train Sleeper, go a few miles into U.S.S.R. and get checked by guards etc.  We had to pay US$7 each for our sleeper, it went down to US$5 for two, then US$1 each but someone else paid for us so we had it free, these people also gave us dinner because we had no Russian Money.*

*  We had tried to buy some Russian Roubles in every country since we'd left the UK to no avail, we even tried before we caught this train and on the train but no luck... hence these lovely Russian people who not only paid 1Rouble for each of us (the Official Exchange Rate was 1Rouble to the 1US$) for our sleepers (I guess the guards tried to charge us US$7 each because we were tourists LOL)  they gave us some dinner as well... lovely people.  We went to their carriage and they were well prepared, they even had a Samovar for the tea.  This is the first and last time I ever drank, or tried to drink tea!  I had to be polite didn't I but I just don't like the stuff.

From Warsaw to Kuznitza to Leningrad.

Poland - Warsaw - 5.6.1970

From my notes:

Arrive Warsaw 6:19am.  Go to Hotel Grand but can't check in till 12 midday, walk around.  Several people in the streets ask us to change US$ for Zloty's.  The Official in Poland is 23 Zloty to the US$1.  One man gave us 100 Zloty for one US Dollar!

Have nice Hotel Shower and go out after 2p.m. buy little bag for Meredith, (my sister) Eat well because the Hotel gives us vouchers for 200 Zloty.

Sleep well in our own room with our own bath!

Fascinating to see the Hotel has the 'Times' a couple of days late but it's good to catch up.

There is a swimming pool in the basement.

People all very nice and helpful.

 I would need three Zloty to buy one American Dollar today!  

I believe this could be our Hotel, it's called the Mecure Grand Hotel now but it's near the railway station which our Grand Hotel was.