Gaja Wojdyłło-Rucińska and Agnieszka Flakus spoke with traveler Stanisław Stawski. World traveler, amateur photographer, and collector of miniature alcohol bottles, Stawski owns a well-known company that for past 40 years has been a leading importer of alcoholic beverages from Central Europe.

Stanislaw Stawski was born in Poland in 1924, witnessed German occupation of Poland, and took part in the Warsaw Uprising as a member of Armia Krajowa (Home Army). He was captured and sent to a POW camp. After the war, he landed in Great Britain, and from there emigrated to the United States in 1951. Six years later, he started his own alcohol beverage distribution company. Today, everyone has heard of Stanisław Stawski’s company, but we know little about the man whose name it carries remains. Stanisław is a very charming person with a big heart. His personality inspires respect. He is modest and shies from talking about himself. Fortunately, upon his daughter Nina Engel’s insistence, he agreed to an interview with PLUS.  In a conversation with Gaja Wojdyłło-Rucińska and Agnieszka Flakus, Stanisław Stawski talks about sacred cows in India, eating silk worm larvae in China, and about other exotic trips.

- You have visited nearly 20 countries within the past 15 years. What inspired you to such intensive travels?

Stanisław Stawski: The story goes back to a time in Warsaw, when I sat with friends around a bottle of Curaçao. The name of the alcoholic drink derives from the name of a South American island off the coast of Venezuela. I liked the word so much that once my wife and I were finally able to travel, the first place we went to was Curaçao! We got hooked on traveling, and are now discovering a new interesting place every year. I used to have only time, now I have both time and money to afford it.

- Who organizes your trips? You or your family?

S.S.: The final decision and the ideas are mine. I like to browse through travel publications, pick through brochures, and read about exotic places. And if I like one, we pack and go there. I have visited much of the world, and there few continents left to see.

- What inspired a quite dangerous expedition to the Amazon?

S.S.: I had seen many films about the Amazonia, but always wished to see the wonders of nature with my own eyes. We joined an organized expedition to the Amazonia, and later on to Machu Pichu in Peru.

- Any memorable moment?

S.S.: I have traveled so much and visited so many places that it is difficult at times to remember any particular moment. That’s why I am glad to have so many photographs commemorating the trips.

- It is not an accident that you have such a wonderful collection of photographs: your second hobby, after travel, is photography. You document most of your travel yourself. Where does your passion for photography come from?

S.S.: I received my first camera when I was six years old. I enjoyed taking pictures and do it to this day. Now, I have so many photo albums that once I am no longer able to work, I will occupy my time with going through the photographs taken in my youth.

- Mr. Stawski, many of your expeditions to exotic countries seem difficult and even dangerous for one person. Are you concerned about your health as you travel?

S.S.: No, there’s no fear, and the trips are most often guided. Sometimes, however, it might get challenging, as in the Cuzco ruins. The town is located very high above the sea level, the air is rarified, and the winds are gusty. It was there that I caught pneumonia. I felt awful, and hiked drinking cocoa mate which brought only momentary relief. Luckily, a little Peruvian boy, to whom I gave a dollar earlier on, was following our expedition. He noticed I wasn’t feeling well, ran off somewhere into the woods, and brought some sort of an herb. He showed me how to rub the green leaves between my fingers and inhale. That’s what I did, and began feeling much better. People living over there have been using herbs and other natural methods for hundreds of years to cure diseases. We, Europeans or Americans, have become used to medicine. Sometimes we don’t even realize how potent traditional herbal medicine might be.

- Have you tried any other local specialties besides the natural cure?

S.S.: Yes. On my trip to China, I had the occasion to taste snake vodka. The Chinese prepare this vodka in enormous jars. They pour alcohol over a snake, and the drink’s ready. I have to admit, it tasted quite well. Besides that, in Thailand, I had a chance to savor baked silk worm larvae. Since other people eat, I can give it a try, too.

- Is it true that you collect miniature alcohol bottles from around the world?

S.S.: Yes, I have already several hundred. They fill entire bookcases. I also collect passport stamps from the countries I visited.

- This year you went to India, where you stayed with an Indian family. What were your impressions?

S.S.: Within India’s caste system, my host family belonged to the second caste, that is to warriors. The first caste is constituted by Brahmans, or priests, and the second by warriors. The family was extremely kind to me, but treated countrymen of other castes with contempt and indifference. India is a strange and beautiful country, and its caste system and society greatly differ from our own. In addition, the Indians consider cows sacred. They are revered and wander around everywhere. It’s rather curious, but also sad, because you are not allowed to drive them away, cure or kill, even though you can see many of them sick, with broken limbs, and sometimes so hungry they eat plastic. That was a very painful sight.

- Which exotic destination did you find most memorable?

S.S.: Bali. Out of all places I have visited, this is the only one to which I returned. Bali differs from the rest of Indonesia in that its dominant religion is Hinduism. I really liked that, and that’s why I decided to go there again. Naturally, other places were beautiful, exotic, and no less interesting, but since I am not getting any younger, I would like to travel as much as possible, I don’t return to places that did not touch me in any particular way. There is another place that stuck in my memory, but not for its beauty. During my trip to Bora Bora, I was bitten. I still don’t know what it was that bit me, but the effect was very unfortunate, as I became allergic to alcohol. In my profession as an alcohol distributor, I often meet clients and business partners in order to taste new drinks. After the bite, I was unable to take a drop of alcohol without immediately feeling itching all over my feet and hands. The allergy lasted a year and a half. I was examined at the Tropical Diseases Institute, but no one was able to determine the source of allergy or find a cure. Luckily, it cleared up by itself.

How do you prepare for your trips? Do you study travel guides or put yourself in the hands of local tour guides?

S.S.: Most often we join tours such as Overseas Adventure Club. I noticed that I get to see more if traveling with a group. Tourist groups have better access to things, places, and attractions that I would not have as an individual.

- They say that travel broadens one’s mind. What have you learned in your travels so far?

S.S.: I learned to say good morning, good bye, and other everyday expressions in many languages. I definitely improved my geography. Apart from that, I like learning how people live in other cultures. There are few customs or rituals that I have seen in exotic countries that could be adopted over here. But it’s worth knowing that they exist.

- Were you ever tempted to open a branch of Stanley Stawski Distributing Co. in any of the countries you have visited?

S.S.: Not really. This would have been too difficult. I like the way things are.

- If you were to embark on a new trip today, where would you go?

S.S.: I have never been Galapagos. I would like to see the island very much!

Thus we wish you many more travels, including to Galapagos, and thank you for the conversation. 

English version of this article is sponsored by GnXpert Corp www.gnxpert.com
We thank Mr. Stawski for his business, commitment and contributions to the Polish-American community in Chicago.